New water crisis, drag show threats, nurses strike: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: Toforest Johnson, 49, has spent half his life on death row for the murder of a sheriff’s deputy, a killing he says he did not commit. Johnson’s attorneys asked the Alabama Supreme Court on Friday to “right a grievous wrong” and grant him a new trial. The filing is the latest effort in a case that has seen former judges, prosecutors and the local district attorney join in calls to reexamine the 1998 conviction and death sentence. Johnson’s attorneys are asking the justices to review a lower court decision denying the new trial request. They argued that the conviction rested on the testimony of a single witness who was paid a reward and that her testimony “was at odds with the physical evidence and directly contradicted by the state’s theory of the case in other proceedings.” Johnson was convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff William Hardy, who was shot twice in the head while working off-duty security at a hotel in 1995. The conviction came after Johnson’s first trial ended with a hung jury. A co-defendant in the case was acquitted. Former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley, former Chief Justice Drayton Nabers, and several former judges and prosecutors submitted briefs to the circuit court or wrote editorials supporting a new trial for Johnson. Danny Carr, the district attorney in the county where Johnson was convicted, also called for a new trial.

Alaska

Anchorage: Lance Mackey, one of mushing’s most colorful and accomplished champions, has died. The four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race winner died Wednesday from cancer, his father and kennel announced on Facebook. He was 52. Officials with the world’s most famous sled dog race said Iditarod Nation was in mourning. “Lance embodied the spirit of the race, the tenacity of an Alaskan musher, displayed the ultimate show of perseverance and was loved by his fans,” officials said in a statement. The son of 1978 Iditarod champion Dick Mackey and brother of 1983 champion Rick Mackey, Lance Mackey overcame throat cancer in 2001 to win an unprecedented four straight Iditarod championships, from 2007 through 2010. It wasn’t just the 1,000-mile race across Alaska where he excelled. During his Iditarod run, twice he also won the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race between Canada and Alaska with only two weeks’ rest between races. But after the string of wins, he was beset by personal problems, health scares and drug issues that prevented him from ever again reaching the top of the sport. The treatment for his throat cancer cost him his saliva glands and ultimately disintegrated his teeth. He was then diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome, which limits circulation to the hands and feet and is exacerbated by the cold weather with which every musher must contend in the wilds of Alaska.

Arizona

Phoenix: Democrat Katie Hobbs’ campaign announced Sunday that she would not debate Republican Kari Lake as the two battle for the governor’s office, calling off any negotiations with Lake and the state commission overseeing debates. The decision came after more than a week of efforts by Hobbs, currently secretary of state, to change the debate into separate half-hour interviews with the moderator. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which has held debates for two decades featuring candidates for statewide and legislative offices, flatly rejected that proposal Thursday. Instead, the commission urged its staff to work with Hobbs to come up with minor changes to the debate and gave her a week to come to an agreement. Hobbs’ campaign manager’s statements to the commissioners made it seem unlikely that a deal could be reached. Nicole DeMont instead repeated the campaign’s concerns that debating Lake would “just create another spectacle, like we saw in the GOP primary debate. But on top of that, I would just add, you can’t debate a conspiracy theorist, and at the last debate, she brought the conversation back to the 2020 election no less than a dozen times.” The GOP primary debate featured four candidates who almost immediately devolved into a free-for-all of talking over and constantly interrupting each other.

Arkansas

Fort Smith: The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith plans to use the donation of $18.7 million, the largest in the school’s history, to improve both its nursing and art and design programs. The Windgate Foundation awarded UAFS the money after much discussion and a grant proposal requesting money to draw more students to those two fields. The $9.9 million reserved for nursing will bring in new students and faculty. After speaking with the Fort Smith medical community, Paula Julian, the executive director of nursing, said the area needs double the number of nurses it has. “This is the greatest nursing shortage of our lifetime,” Julian said. For nursing, officials have divided the money into two phases. In the first, Julian expects to hire more than 20 nursing educators. The second phase creates two new degrees, the associate degree of nursing and the RN-to-BSN pathway. Julian said that along with these new degrees, the school will offer classes at nontraditional hours such as evenings and weekends. The other $8.8 million of the gift is dedicated to art and design. Construction will begin next year on an expansion to the Windgate Building, with the new square footage to be partly used as studio space for faculty and students. The department will also expand the number of classes it offers, such as adding ceramics.

California

Los Angeles: An arson investigation is underway after fire destroyed a historic church in South Los Angeles early Sunday, authorities said. The blaze at Victory Baptist Church broke out shortly before 2:30 a.m. and quickly grew to major emergency status, said Nicholas Prange, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Two firefighters were hospitalized with mild to moderate injuries after battling the flames, Prange said. One became trapped by a collapsing ceiling before being rescued, he said. The Los Angeles Times said Victory Baptist has played a major role in the spiritual and political history of South LA. Founded in a local storefront on Easter Sunday in 1943, the church moved into its current building on McKinley Avenue a year later. In the 1950s, its Sunday night services were broadcast on television nationally. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church in 1964. An arson team with the House of Worship Task Force was part of the investigation, officials said.

Colorado

Arvada: Authorities have arrested a suburban Denver man on suspicion of first-degree murder and other charges in the death of a 27-year-old police officer who was fatally shot while trying to break up a large family disturbance over the weekend. Sonny Thomas Almanza, 31, of Arvada, was arrested by police late Sunday in connection with the shooting death of Arvada Officer Dillon Vakoff, police said in a statement released Monday. Vakoff died at a hospital Sunday after being shot while he and another officer responded to the disturbance that spilled into a street outside a housing complex. He was the second Arvada police officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years. Almanza was taken into custody at a hospital, where he is recuperating from injuries sustained while exchanging gunfire with Vakoff and another officer early Sunday. He will be transferred to Jefferson County Jail when he is released from the hospital, the Arvada department said. Vakoff and his fellow officer had been dispatched to check on the well-being of two minor children when they encountered the disturbance, police said. A suspect opened fire, wounding a woman, at which point the officers returned fire, Police Chief Link Strate said at a news conference Sunday. The suspect then fired at Vakoff, Strate said.

Connecticut

Hartford: Sports fans won’t be able to place bets at Hartford’s XL Center until next spring. Officials told the Hartford Courant that delays in receiving crucial construction components due to global supply chain issues are to blame and that the project isn’t expected to be completed until at least March. It had been hoped the 4,000-square-foot sportsbook, featuring a bar and restaurant, would be open in time for the start of the NFL season this weekend. A main component delaying the project is a large glass wall that will overlook a major intersection and is expected to transform the building’s bunker-like appearance. “We’re groping along, frankly, because the window system is frustrating us,” Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority, which oversees arena operations, told the newspaper. “We’re trying to keep going, but the wall system is going to delay us.” The state-financed, $4 million project was approved after lawmakers passed legislation legalizing sports gambling last year. The legislation called for the creation of sports betting venues at 15 locations. The XL Center hosts University of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball as well as minor league hockey and concerts.

Delaware

Wilmington: A report released Thursday once again underscored the need for the state to streamline its delivery of substance use services, expand collaboration of treatment within emergency departments and increase reimbursement rates for those treatments. Those were just some of the nearly 60 recommendations detailed in the study conducted by HMA Institute on Addiction, which was commissioned by New Castle County along with Kent and Sussex county officials to evaluate the landscape of addiction treatment in Delaware and target areas for improvement. The First State is not alone in its struggle to combat addiction and reduce overdose deaths, which skyrocketed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to plague communities across the country. There were 515 overdose deaths in the state last year – a 15% increase from 2020, which saw 447 deaths in Delaware, according to the report. There were 437 overdose deaths in 2019, state Department of Health and Social Services figures show.

District of Columbia

Washington: Several Metro stations are operating under new names as of this week, WUSA-TV reports. The name changes, which will be reflected on signage and maps across the system, were approved by the Metro Board of Directors in December 2021. Travelers will see the changes immediately on digital maps throughout all rail stations and on bus displays, as well at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website and Trip Planner. The station previously known as White Flint is now North Bethesda. Largo Town Center has become Downtown Largo. Tysons Corner is now simply called Tysons. Prince George’s Plaza changed to Hyattsville Crossing, and West Falls Church’s secondary name, VT/UVA, is now VT only.

Florida

Daytona Beach: A shooting scare at a central Florida high school was a “cruel prank” carried out by two groups of students who now face criminal charges and possible expulsion, police said. Rumors, lies and conspiracy theories have been “floating around” on social media since Friday’s lockdown at Mainland High School, Daytona Beach police said Sunday in a lengthy Facebook post. “This entire incident appears to have been a cruel prank by several students that has now gotten out of control due to internet trolls, misinformed people and in some cases, people that are not even in Florida,” police said. Investigators said officials at the school became aware of a threat written on a bathroom stall Thursday. School officials and law enforcement reviewed video and interviewed two students who had entered the bathroom around the time the graffiti was discovered. The students denied involvement, and it was determined that no threat existed, police said. On Friday, two groups of students in the cafeteria “decided to capitalize on the threat” and “appear to collaborate with each other to create a panic,” police said. They were seen on video “getting into specific positions and locations within the cafeteria, timing their actions,” and several female students told an administrator someone had a gun.

Georgia

Brunswick: Fishermen, shrimpers and business owners dependent on coastal tourism have filed lawsuits over pollution caused when a cargo ship capsized off the Georgia coast in 2019. The two federal lawsuits filed last week say the pollutants released by the capsize of the Golden Ray and the harm caused by the subsequent salvage operation have damaged the area’s sensitive marine ecosystem – and the plaintiffs’ livelihoods. The South Korean-owned Golden Ray capsized with more than 4,200 automobiles in its cargo decks shortly after departing the Port of Brunswick on Sept. 8, 2019. The wreck occurred in the sound between St. Simons and Jekyll Islands. Removal dragged on for more than two years. The lawsuits accuse the companies connected to the shipwreck of negligence and of violating the federal Clean Water Act and the federal Oil Pollution Act, which was enacted in 1990 following the Exxon Valdez disaster. Plaintiffs are asking the court to order the companies to pay civil penalties, remediate the sound and award compensatory damages. “The Golden Ray was grounded near environmentally sensitive areas that serve as a unique habitat for a variety of species, including, but not limited to, shrimp, fish, migratory birds, crabs, and food sources for all marine life, including, but not limited to, fiddler crabs,” the lawsuits said.

Hawaii

Honolulu: A new program at the University of Hawaii aims to offer more mental health services to Indigenous students. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students particularly hard, HawaiiNewsNow reports, and a dearth of counselors with similar backgrounds and culturally relevant treatments has compounded the situation. Under the Ka Malu a Waʻahila program, the John A. Burns School of Medicine offers therapy, monthly group support and self-help tools at no charge, according to the news outlet.

Idaho

Boise: A “Drag Kids” program slated for this year’s Boise Pride Festival prompted a wave of political pressure and anonymous threats. Festival organizers said they envisioned a short performance where kids could put on sparkly dresses and lip-sync to songs like Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us” on stage. But others, including Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon, expected a lurid scene where children would “engage in sexual performances with adult entertainers.” The event garnered national attention from far-right websites and podcasts, and by last Tuesday, organizers realized this wasn’t the “normal” amount of opposition, said the festival’s president, Michael Dale. Moon and the Idaho GOP sent out statements directing constituents to ask the festival’s corporate sponsors to pull support for this past weekend’s three-day event. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced it was pulling $38,000 in funding and resources. A conservative pastor from California began rallying like-minded congregations, asking members to tell the Ada County Sheriff to arrest any festival organizer who “contributes to the delinquency of minors.” A group known for armed protests told followers to show up Sunday. On Thursday afternoon, festival organizers made the decision to postpone the kids’ performance. “We wanted to ask these kids first and foremost because it affects them and their confidence and their lives. And they still wanted to do it,” Dale said, fighting back tears. “But it came to be an issue of their health, their well-being, and that of the festivalgoers.”

Illinois

Springfield: Democrats who run state government celebrated Monday while announcing that tax-rebate checks totaling more than $1.2 billion had begun heading to 6 million taxpayers. Rebates on income and property taxes are part of a $1.83 billion inflation-relief package built into this year’s budget. “Everyone knows inflation is a global problem with local consequences,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a Chicago news conference. “Prices at the pump and at the supermarket have taken Illinois families on a roller-coaster ride over the past months. It’s exactly the kind of thing that responsible government should help our residents with and we have, starting today.” With eight weeks remaining before the November election, the timing is perfect for Pritzker, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who shared Monday’s spotlight, and virtually every member of the General Assembly. Rebates will arrive by mail or direct deposit in the closing days of the campaign season, when voters make up their minds. Individual taxpayers making less than $200,000 will receive a $50 rebate, with $100 to couples filing jointly earning less than $400,000, Revenue Director David Harris said. Taxpayers will also receive $100 for claimed dependents, up to three. Property tax rebates will be equal to the amount a homeowner claimed as a credit on income tax returns last year, up to $300, Harris said.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Five women and a religious abortion-rights group filed a new lawsuit in Marion County on Thursday challenging the state’s near-total abortion ban on the grounds of religious freedom. Hoosier Jews for Choice and the five women – residents of Marion, Monroe and Allen counties – claim the ban violates the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The 2015 measure, signed into effect by then-Gov. Mike Pence, prevents the government from impeding someone’s religious exercise unless there’s a strong argument in favor of the state’s interest. The defendants in the case include members of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana and prosecutors in five counties. The lawsuit says the belief that life begins at conception, which is widely shared by Christian anti-abortion advocates, “is not a theological opinion shared by all religions or all religious persons.” “For example, under Jewish law, a fetus attains the status of a living person only at birth,” the lawsuit says. “Jewish law recognizes that abortions may occur, and should occur as a religious matter, under circumstances not allowed by (the near-total abortion ban) or existing Indiana law.” That would include when an abortion could prevent a “mother’s mental anguish” from severe physical or mental health issues.

Iowa

Altoona: The former owners and operators of Adventureland Resort have told a court that the family of the 11-year-old boy who drowned there in 2021 may have contributed to the deadly accident and its aftermath. That argument was part of a court filing last week by Adventure Lands of America Inc. in response to a lawsuit blaming the theme park for the death of Michael Jaramillo and injuries to members of his family. A raft carrying the family on the park’s Raging River ride overturned July 3, 2021, resulting in the drowning of Michael and severe injuries to his brother, who were trapped underwater for an extended period. Attorney Guy Cook represents the then-owners of the park, who have since sold the property to another operator. His filing denies key allegations of the family’s lawsuit alleging the accident was the result of mismanagement, neglect and safety violations under CEO Michael Krantz. In addition to saying the Jaramillos themselves may have been negligent or failed to appropriately “mitigate” the accident’s results, Cook’s response argues that the park complied with government regulations and that others – possibly including “government entities” – may have been the “sole proximate cause” of the tragedy. The response does not say what the Jaramillos allegedly may or may not have done to contribute to the accident.

Kansas

Overland Park: A suburban Kansas City police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old four years ago will not face civil rights charges, federal prosecutors announced Friday. John Albers was shot by officer Clayton Jenison after he backed a minivan out of his family’s garage in Overland Park in January 2018. Officers went to the home to check reports that Albers was posting threats to harm himself on social media. Albers’ parents were not home at the time. The Justice Department said its two-year investigation into the shooting found no evidence to contradict an earlier finding in a civil court that Jenison used unreasonable force in shooting Albers. However, federal law requires that investigators prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer “willfully” used unreasonable force, federal prosecutors said. Evidence gathered during the investigation “does not clear the high bar that the Supreme Court has set for meeting this standard, and the department has therefore closed its investigation into this matter,” federal prosecutors said in a news release. Jenison shot twice at Albers as he backed the van past him and out of the driveway, investigators said. When the van spun around to face the street and began slowly backing toward the house, Jenison fired 11 more shots. Albers was hit by six bullets and died at the scene.

Kentucky

Paducah: Construction of the new U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge in western Kentucky will take a big step forward this week as crews plan to float a 700-foot steel truss up the river and install it, officials said. The truss was expected to float from Paducah to the construction site at Smithland, then be placed atop the main piers Monday through Wednesday, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Security during the procedure will be tight, but a public viewing area will be available at the north end of the bridge construction site so people can watch the slow process of raising the truss and putting it into place, District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat said. There will be lane restrictions on the existing Cumberland River Bridge while the truss is being installed. The $63.6 million project is expected to be completed next year.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Taxpayers have until Oct. 6 to claim millions in state income tax refunds before they become unclaimed property. The Louisiana Department of Revenue sent letters to 20,400 people and business taxpayers advising them to claim their refunds before they are transferred by law to the Unclaimed Property Division of the state treasurer’s office. More than $36 million in unclaimed refunds is due for transfer if not claimed, the department said in a news release. To claim a refund, taxpayers must complete and return to the revenue department the voucher in the Notice of Unclaimed Property letter dated Aug. 18. The department will issue paper checks to all taxpayers submitting completed vouchers by the October deadline. Any refund not claimed by the deadline remains the property of the taxpayer and can be retrieved from the Unclaimed Property Division.

Maine

Portland: A federal judge has denied a request from fishing groups that sought to challenge new fishing rules designed to protect rare whales. The lobster fishing groups wanted a federal judge to stop regulators from placing new restrictions on the harvest of the crustaceans. The rules are intended to protect North Atlantic right whales, which number less than 340 and are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg denied the request in a Thursday ruling. It’s the latest in a string of legal setbacks for lobster fishermen who are coping with increasingly strict fishing rules meant to save the whales. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association said in a statement that it was disappointed by the ruling, which it said “puts the future of Maine’s lobstering heritage at great risk, and along with it, the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working men and women.” Conservation groups have long pushed for stricter protections for the vanishing whales. Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement the ruling affirms “right whales can’t wait any longer for stronger protections from deadly entanglements in fishing gear.”

Maryland

Ocean City: Offshore wind projects like those by US Wind and Orsted were boosted Wednesday as the Maryland Energy Administration added $1.6 million to fund additional projects by emerging companies. The Maryland Offshore Wind Capital Expenditure Grant Program, a fund aimed at assisting new or existing emerging businesses entering the offshore wind supply chain in Maryland, will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for qualifying proposals until Jan. 1, 2023, or until all funding has been awarded. “Proposed projects must provide a positive net economic benefit to the state and local communities through job opportunities while encouraging diversity, inclusion and equity in their business operations. Proposed projects should also be designed to serve the larger U.S. offshore wind market and related industries,” the state energy agency said in a statement. Developments like MARWIN I and Momentum Wind by US Wind represent a projected 77 turbines 15 to 18 miles off the coast of Maryland and Delaware that are expected to turn out 1,864.5 megawatts of power for the state – enough to power 285,000 Maryland homes. The state regards the industry as a boon, bringing 12,000 direct full-time equivalent jobs, with both Baltimore-area and Ocean City-area port facilities seeing the windfall.

Massachusetts

Boston: Voters will get the chance to decide whether the state should reject a new law allowing immigrants in the country illegally to obtain state driver’s licenses. The secretary of the commonwealth’s office announced late Friday that it had certified the signatures needed to put repeal of the law on the November ballot. The measure became law after the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts House and Senate overrode a veto by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in June. With the override, Massachusetts joined 16 other states and the District of Columbia that have similar laws. The push to repeal the new law is being led in large part by the state Republican Party. The law was a win for immigrant rights groups that had long pushed for the measure, framing it in part as a public safety measure, noting that those seeking the licenses will have to show they can properly operate a car and get insurance in the event of an accident. Maureen Maloney, whose son Matthew Denice was killed in 2011 after being struck and dragged by a driver in the country illegally, is helping to lead the repeal effort and claimed the law hurts the integrity of state elections by creating a backdoor for noncitizens to vote. Backers of the new law say it will make the roads safer for everyone.

Michigan

Ypsilanti: Striking Eastern Michigan University faculty members returned to their classrooms Monday, after their union reached an agreement with the university to end a walkout that started last week. University and union officials announced the tentative contract agreement Sunday night following weekend negotiations, but they didn’t immediately release the details. The university said a full class schedule would resume Monday at the Ypsilanti campus of more than 15,000 students about 35 miles southwest of Detroit, where several dozen faculty members started picketing Wednesday. The union represents more than 500 tenured and tenure-track faculty. The two sides had been split over salary increases and how much faculty members should pay for health care. Union leaders had argued that the school’s proposal would have saddled its members with thousands of dollars in additional costs. Union negotiating team chairman Matt Kirkpatrick, an associate professor of English language and literature, called the agreement “an important victory.” “We took a stand to maintain and strengthen quality education at EMU, and this agreement moves us forward,” Kirkpatrick said in a statement. The agreement would have to be ratified by the university’s board and union members to take effect.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Thousands of nurses in the state launched a three-day strike Monday, complaining of low salaries and understaffing worsened by the strains of the coronavirus pandemic. Some 15,000 nurses at seven health care systems in the Minneapolis and Duluth areas walked out. The affected hospitals said they recruited temporary nurses and expected to maintain most services. Picket signs went up and strike chants began at 7 a.m. outside 15 Twin Cities- and Duluth-area hospitals. The hospitals and the striking nurses said staff shortages are a shared concern. Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner said pay raises are necessary to address the “crisis of retention” that would otherwise leave the hospitals severely understaffed. The hospitals have offered 10%-12% wage increases, but the nurses are seeking more than 30%. Hospital leaders called their wage demands unaffordable, noting that Allina and Fairview hospitals have posted operating losses and that the cost of such sharp wage increases would be passed along to patients. Union spokesman Sam Fettig said the nurses settled on a three-day rather than open-ended strike because of concerns about the impact of drawn-out labor action on patient care. “As the nurses always say, this isn’t something they want to be doing; they want to be at the bedside providing care,” Fettig said.

Mississippi

Jackson: As the city emerges from the depths of a crisis that made water unusable even for bathing, another is stacking up in piles of empty plastic bottles. The city has distributed hundreds of thousands of water bottles in the past six weeks. Churches, businesses and other groups have rallied to bring truckloads of water to the capital. In the state’s first week of aid, it distributed about 5 million bottles, Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday. Making things worse, the city ended its curbside recycling program in August 2019, saying the lack of interest and cost made it an impractical endeavor. Residents were referred to private recycling companies if they wanted to continue curbside service. Environmentality Recycling Solutions and Allen’s Recycling are among the private companies that pick up recyclables. Tri-Miss Recycling has drop-off points but does not offer curbside pickup, nor does it accept plastics. Derek Augustus, owner of Environmentality Recycling Solutions, said his company is working with Keep Jackson Beautiful to collect empty bottles at some water distribution sites. Keelan Sanders, executive director of Keep Jackson Beautiful, said the group already was working with the city and Jackson Public School District on exploring ways to bring back some sort of recycling program. “The water crisis has basically expedited what we’re trying to do because we saw the need, especially with all the water bottles we are being inundated with now,” he said.

Missouri

St. Louis: Officers fatally shot a 16-year-old they say was reaching for a gun, police said Monday. Darryl Ross was shot just after 11:30 p.m. Sunday at a gas station on the city’s north side. Ross was Black. A police incident report said one of the officers involved in the shooting was Black, and one was white. The city’s new Force Investigation Unit, established last month, was handling the investigation. Police said two drug enforcement detectives spotted several people with guns at the service station and drove to the parking lot. Their car was unmarked, and they were in plain clothes but wearing black, bulletproof vests with the word “POLICE” written on the front and back. Ross, armed with a gun according to the police report, walked away quickly to an alley. The detectives followed him and announced they were police officers. Ross ran, then tripped and fell, dropping a pistol, police said. As the detectives approached, Ross reached for the pistol, the report said, prompting both officers to shoot him. Ross was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The officers were unhurt. It was the second fatal officer-involved shooting in St. Louis in less than a week. Officers killed a 61-year-old man last Wednesday at an apartment complex. Police said a man who had been evicted engaged police in a standoff.

Montana

Billings: A federal judge on Friday ordered the Biden administration to reinstate a drilling lease that has been in dispute for decades on land near the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that is considered sacred to Native American tribes in the U.S. and Canada. The 10-square-mile oil and gas lease in the Badger-Two Medicine area of northwestern Montana was first issued in 1982. It was canceled in 2016 under then-U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, at the request of the Blackfoot tribes and conservation groups. There have been efforts to declare the area a national monument or make it a cultural heritage area, and tribal leaders have bitterly opposed drilling in recent decades. But U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said Jewell lacked the authority to withdraw the lease so many years after it was sold and after several prior studies examined the environmental and other impacts of drilling in the area. He ordered Interior Department officials to reinstate the lease and issue a drilling permit to Solenex LLC, the Louisiana company that holds the lease. Leon issued a similar order in 2018 that was later overturned on appeal. The Badger-Two-Medicine is adjacent to Glacier National Park and is the site of the creation story of the Blackfoot tribes of southern Canada and Montana’s Blackfeet Nation.

Nebraska

Omaha: A former police captain has prevailed in her lawsuit against Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and the city, having sued over allegations that the chief failed to promote her in retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint. A federal jury agreed Monday that Schmaderer based his decision, at least in part, to not promote Kathy Belcastro-Gonzalez to deputy chief in 2018 because of a discrimination complaint she made directly to the mayor’s office, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Belcastro-Gonzalez said in her lawsuit that she and another woman who was a lieutenant in the department filed separate complaints against the same male officer in 2010, describing the man as creating a hostile work environment for them because they were women. In 2017, the male officer in question was promoted to one of five chief deputy positions for which Belcastro-Gonzalez had also applied . That same year, Belcastro-Gonzalez went over her police superiors’ heads to complain to the mayor’s office after the earlier complaints about the male officer made through the chain of command went nowhere. During the lawsuit’s trial, two former commanders of the Omaha police internal affairs unit testified to irregularities they described as “very unusual” in the handling of Belcastro-Gonzalez’s and the other woman’s complaints.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Nevada State College won’t get a name change for now, despite a passionate plea from the school’s president, DeRionne Pollard. Pollard told the Board of Regents, the elected body of 13 that oversees the state’s public colleges and universities, that a name change to Nevada State University would have added value to the degree during a quarterly board meeting in Elko on Friday. She said that at schools across the country, the word “college” indicates a community college. The board voted to table the discussion until December so that more information could be gathered about what the name change could mean to state funding formulas including tuition and how staff are paid. Pollard said the name change wouldn’t change the school’s mission and would not compete with the research-driven campuses of the University of Nevada, Reno or UNLV. She said changing the name of the college to Nevada State University would have made a degree more valuable to the students, many of whom are the first in their family to go to college.

New Hampshire

Portsmouth: After a successful first year, Oyster Week will return Sunday with a slate of events highlighting the state’s fastest-growing seafood industry. Half of New Hampshire’s 14 oyster farms will take part in events at local breweries and restaurants from Newmarket to Newington showcasing the state’s oyster harvest, which has grown by nearly 800% in value since 2013. “We really want to promote the oyster farmers and help their product,” said Kelsey Meyer, the coordinator for the New Hampshire Shellfish Initiative, which organizes the event. “It’s a local and very sustainable product.” The week will once again culminate with the second annual Seacoast Oysterfest on the deck at Bernie’s Beach Bar on Hampton Beach on Sept. 24. Along with live music, craft beer and cocktails, at least six different oyster farms will be on hand shucking their mollusks until they run out. The week kicks off Sunday with the annual Stone Church Oysterfest in Newmarket, which will pair oysters from Fox Point Oysters, Virgin Oyster Company and Rising Tide Oyster Co. with plenty of live music in the courtyard of the iconic music hall. On Sept. 21, Stoneface Brewing will unveil two new beers that were made with oysters from all the participating farms.

New Jersey

Trenton: Two bills that expand and promote access to free meals for schoolchildren in middle-income households were signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday as part of a response to food insecurity in New Jersey that was laid bare by the pandemic. Both laws will take effect during the next school year, starting in September 2023. The Working Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act will provide free school breakfasts and lunches to those students that qualify. The second bill – which Murphy jokingly referred to as the “get the word out” act – builds upon an existing law that requires schools to create public education and promotion campaigns to inform families and communities about the availability of these programs. Both laws work to pick up after a pandemic-era federal program that provided universal free lunches in schools across the nation ended earlier this year. “There’s a stigma to receiving free food and lunch,” Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said Friday at South Amboy Elementary School, where the announcement was made. “We are taking a big and important step today.” This would mean a saving of $1,260 in school meal costs for families, Coughlin said, saving them about 22% in overall food costs every year. About 26,000 more students would qualify for free meals, he said.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: Commercial cannabis sales in August grew by about $374,000 over July in data released Wednesday by the state’s Cannabis Control Division. Total sales topped $40 million for the second consecutive month, a high since regulated sales of cannabis opened for adults April 1. Meanwhile, tax data suggests the number of retailers sharing the market is growing much more quickly than the market for adult-use cannabis. Based on data from the state Taxation and Revenue Department, the number of cannabis retailers filing their taxes grew by 15%, while the revenue collected in excise taxes grew by just 2%. Total reported sales back in July topped $40.3 million, which had been the high point since the state opened sales of cannabis for adult use. In August, the total of medical and non-medical cannabis products was reported at $40.7 million, with a 2.1% drop in medical cannabis sales since July. Adult-use sales increased by 3% over the month. The top five cities, who also topped July sales, accounted for 61% of the total market in August: Albuquerque ($14.6 million), Santa Fe ($3.5 million), Las Cruces ($3.3 million), Hobbs ($1.7 million) and Rio Rancho ($1.6 million).

New York

New York: Water at a public housing complex is OK to drink after earlier tests incorrectly showed the presence of arsenic, city officials said Saturday. A tweeted video showed Mayor Eric Adams and another official drinking glasses of water from a tap at the Jacob Riis Houses. Tests by an outside lab last month had showed higher than allowable levels of arsenic, but on Friday the company said the results were incorrect. Residents of the 1,700-unit complex on the Lower East Side had been told to avoid drinking or cooking with the water beginning last weekend. Adams said Saturday additional tests had confirmed the water was safe. “This morning, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reviewed the final test results for contaminants and found the water to be well within EPA drinking water quality standards,” Adams said in a statement. “We can confidently say the water at Riis Houses is and has been free of any discernible amount of arsenic since the initial tests were initiated in August and meets EPA standards.” Adams’s office said the city would cease working with the lab, Environmental Monitoring and Technologies, and would “pursue all available legal options” and seek to reimburse residents for costs incurred during the past week.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Oral arguments over the constitutionality of the state’s photo voter identification law will be held next month, the North Carolina Supreme Court has decided in another ruling determined along partisan lines. In a 4-3 decision, the justices who are registered as Democrats agreed with attorneys for minority voters who had asked the state’s highest court in July to move the case along more quickly. These voters are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in December 2018, moments after the Republican-controlled General Assembly approved a photo ID law. That law has never been administered. A panel of judges held a trial, and in September 2021 a majority struck down the law, saying it intentionally discriminated against Black voters. Earlier this year, in a similar 4-3 decision, the justices agreed to hear the case, instead of waiting for the intermediate-level Court of Appeals to deliberate first. The plaintiffs wrote in July that an expedited argument date as soon as September would help state officials and voters “prepare for future elections without the risk of voter confusion and disenfranchisement.”

North Dakota

Bismarck: A $4.2 million project to install metal poles with reflective markers along two-lane highways across the state has been put on hold because of worries about how the new poles affected farmers driving large equipment. The posts installed this summer along state highways with shoulders less than 8 feet wide will be removed as the Department of Transportation redesigns the project. State Sen. Janne Myrdahl, who complained about the problems the posts were causing farmers, said the hard metal posts will likely be replaced by flexible ones. “I’ve rarely heard about an issue more than I heard about that in two weeks,” Myrdahl told the Bismarck Tribune. Outgoing Transportation Department Director Bill Panos said in a statement that “it’s not uncommon to pause, reassess and implement design changes when new information becomes available.” It wasn’t immediately clear how the changes would affect the cost of the project that is being paid for with federal money.

Ohio

Mason: Kings Island has been named the park of the year by Amusement Today. The trade journal’s publisher and editor-in-chief, Gary Slade, selected the park for the Publisher’s Pick Award for Park of the Year because of its “important history and celebration of it, with its 50th anniversary event this summer, its excellence in providing record-breaking rides and its ongoing commitment to quality, maintenance and extreme safety in the amusement and theme-park industry,” Kings Island wrote in an announcement on its website. The local park was also a top finalist in four other categories, coming in second and fourth, respectively, for best new show for its “Fun, Fireworks and Fifty – A Kings Island Nighttime Spectacular” and “Phantom Theater Encore”; second for best kids’ area for Planet Snoopy; fourth for best guest experience; and fifth and sixth for best wooden roller coaster, for the Beast and Mystic Timbers. According to Kings Island, the Beast is one of only two wooden roller coaters to place in the top 10 every year in the more than 20 years of the Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today. Kings Island first opened in April 1972, as a new amusement park to replace the old Coney Island, which closed in 1971. It opened with five original themed areas, attractions and a number of rides, 11 of which still remain today.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: An inmate found dead in his jail cell over the weekend was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the county alleging that in 2019, he and other inmates were tortured by jail employees who forced them to repeatedly listen to the children’s song “Baby Shark” for hours. John Basco, 48, was found unresponsive in his cell early Sunday morning, Oklahoma County Detention Center officials said in a news release. He was pronounced dead after jail workers began lifesaving efforts, they said. Basco’s death is the 14th this year at the jail, which has faced criticism over inmate deaths, escapes and other incidents. Jail spokesman Mark Opgrande said there were no obvious signs of foul play, and investigators will look into the possibility of a drug overdose. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death. Basco, who was booked into the jail Thursday on a drug trafficking complaint, was among a group of inmates suing the county in federal court for allegedly being handcuffed to a wall and forced to listen to the song “Baby Shark” on repeat for hours during separate incidents in 2019. A jail lieutenant retired and two detention officers were fired in connection with the incidents, and all three face misdemeanor charges. Basco’s attorney, Cameron Spradling, said he found the circumstances surrounding Basco’s death “disturbing” and called for the preservation of all evidence as the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation probe of it unfolds.

Oregon

Portland: Utility companies said Monday that they have restored power to tens of thousands of customers after shutting down service over the weekend to try to prevent wildfires during high winds, low humidity and hot temperatures. Both Portland General Electric and Pacific Power enacted planned power shutoffs Friday as high, gusting winds and low humidity moved into Oregon, posing extreme fire danger. The utilities were concerned that the winds would cause power lines to break or sag, making sparks that could ignite tinder-dry vegetation. Portland General Electric halted power to about 37,000 customers in 17 service areas starting Friday, and Pacific Power shut down service to 12,000 customers. Power shut-offs due to fire weather, common in California, are new to the Pacific Northwest. The strategy appeared to be successful, with no major new blazes over the weekend. Portland General Electric also fully restored power to all affected customers by Saturday evening, the company said.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state’s highest court on Monday rejected a request from Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that it immediately take up his challenge to Republican legislation that has bundled a constitutional amendment regarding abortion with four unrelated proposed changes. In turning down Wolf’s request, the justices said he was free to file a legal action before the lower-level Commonwealth Court. The amendments could go before voters as early as May. Wolf filed the legal action in late July, arguing that bundling together the measures in a bill before the politically divided Legislature violates a constitutional rule against passing laws that address multiple, unrelated topics. The proposed abortion amendment would say the state constitution does not guarantee any rights relating to abortion or public funding of abortions. The other amendments would require voter ID, have gubernatorial candidates choose their own running mates, enable lawmakers to cancel regulations without facing a governor’s veto and set up election audits. The two chambers, both with Republican majorities, voted mostly along party lines to advance the package of five amendments. If the General Assembly passes them again in the session that starts in January, they will go before voters as five separate referendums in the May 16 primary.

Rhode Island

East Providence: A nonprofit plans to build an LGBTQ-friendly apartment building for low-income older adults. Four years ago, when Jodi Glass joined the board of Aldersbridge, a nonprofit that runs health care centers for older adults, she had already been working on an issue close to her heart: care of the aging population of LGBTQ people. “Elder LGBTQ folks, they don’t have children as they do now in the younger generation, and their support systems are more lateral,” she said. The idea of a better support system for older members of the queer community started percolating for Glass 15 years ago. When she joined Aldersbridge, formerly known as United Methodist Elder Care, her project gained momentum and direction as she helped form the policies, trainings and procedures to deter discrimination in assisted living and nursing homes. Glass and Aldersbridge CEO Rick Gamache had a bigger, bolder plan in mind: building an income- and age-restricted apartment complex to serve aging members of the LGBTQ community. With a little luck, a little help from the city of East Providence and the right timing, Glass’s vision is set to become a reality as Aldersbridge and the nonprofit housing developer One Neighborhood Developers try to build a 39-unit building as part of the sprawling, 390-unit East Point housing project in East Providence, on the east bank of the Seekonk River. The apartment building will consist of studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments on the 27-acre property. Gamache said their building will be the first of its kind in Rhode Island.

South Carolina

Columbia: The state Department of Corrections will offer a new digital tracking service to support addiction therapy for inmates in the state’s main prison for women. Eligible inmates will report their substance use, cravings and triggers on a smart device, and counselors will use the results to inform their therapy sessions. The $159,840 program is funded by the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. Pear Therapeutics Inc. said its program is the first of its kind in a U.S. prison. “We are excited to begin this cutting-edge treatment for our female inmates who suffer from addiction,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said in a press release. The Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution will offer the FDA-authorized tracking software as a 90-day treatment intended to increase abstinence and boost participation in cognitive behavioral therapy programs. Safety warnings say the devices are designed to work alongside existing medications and in-person clinical contact. A prison spokesperson, Chrysti Shain, said incarcerated people will still receive the therapy required by federal regulators. When used outside of prisons, the digital therapeutics can incentivize users through nonmonetary rewards and retail gift cards. Behind bars, participants will earn digital badges and rewards including “increased canteen spending, homework passes, increased tablet time, no duties or chores,” according to Shain.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Gov. Kristi Noem asked a state ethics board to dismiss a complaint against her without a public hearing and to seal off certain records, documents released Friday by the state’s Government Accountability Board show. The Republican governor, who is widely seen as eyeing a 2024 White House bid, argued in an April motion that the state’s then-attorney general, a fellow Republican who filed the complaint, was out for political retribution and should be removed from the complaint. Noem had pushed former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to resign and later for his impeachment over his involvement in a fatal car crash. The attorney general’s complaint was sparked by a report from the Associated Press last year that Noem had taken a hands-on role in a state agency. Shortly after the agency moved to deny her daughter, Kassidy Peters, a real estate appraiser license in July 2020, Noem held a meeting with Peters and key decision-makers in her licensure. Days after the meeting, Peters signed an agreement that gave her another opportunity to meet the licensing requirements. The South Dakota Legislature’s audit committee, controlled by Republicans, unanimously approved a report in May that found Noem’s daughter got preferential treatment.

Tennessee

Knoxville: The University of Tennessee is hosting a sustainable transportation forum and an electric vehicle summit in November, and registration is now open, officials said. The Drive Electric Tennessee initiative will host the first DriveElectricTN Momentum Summit on Nov. 7 at the Knoxville university’s student union, state officials said in a news release. Then, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition will hold the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo on Nov. 8-9 at the student union, officials said. Research, technology, planning and policy developments to be shared at the forum will aim to improve transportation efficiency, reduce vehicle emissions and address mobility needs, officials said. Speakers and panelists at the forum will address topics such as alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies, mobility and transportation justice, and the intersections of transportation with public health and emergency response, among other issues, officials said. The DriveElectricTN Momentum Summit will focus on transportation electrification efforts and include breakout sessions on community outreach, electric vehicle infrastructure, policies and programs, and innovation, officials said.

Texas

Austin: State child-abuse investigators are still pursuing families with transgender children and, in at least one case, have expanded the investigation beyond Gov. Greg Abbott’s ordered scrutiny of gender-affirming medical care, a new court filing says. The filing included affidavits from two mothers who, using pseudonyms to protect their families from harassment, described the devastating effect the child-abuse investigations have had on their children. One, 13-year-old Steve, was pulled out of class Aug. 30 and questioned by a state child-abuse investigator, leading to anxiety attacks and missed classes, disrupting his education and upending hard-won improvements to his mental health, mother Carol Koe wrote. “This is extremely upsetting given he has been doing so well in school this year, both socially and in his classes,” she wrote. The other, 14-year-old Whitley, has never received gender-affirming medical care, but the Department of Family and Protective Services has declined to close its investigation after more than six months – and instead added a new requirement, telling mother Samantha Poe on Aug. 25 that investigators wanted proof that Whitley is well-adjusted.

Utah

Salt Lake City: A professional bull rider was killed overnight Monday in what police are calling a domestic violence homicide. Demetrius Omar Lateef Allen, who went by the name Ouncie Mitchell as a pro bull rider, was found shot outside an apartment complex in Salt Lake City, police said in a news release. Allen, 27, was taken to a hospital, where he died. Police arrested LaShawn Denise Bagley, a 21-year-old woman, on suspicion of murder. Bagley and Allen had been in a relationship. Allen had come to Utah to attend the state fair and was staying with Bagley. The two got into a fight at a bar, and Allen went to Bagley’s apartment to get his things, where he was shot, police said. Bagley was booked into jail. No charges had been filed as of Monday afternoon. It was unknown if she had an attorney. Sean Gleason, commissioner of Professional Bull Riders, said in a statement that Allen is the same person who goes by the name Ouncie Mitchell. He said the organization was saddened to find out about the death of a rider who had become a familiar face on the PBR Velocity Tour and competed in the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. He was from Fresno, Texas, according to his bio on the PBR website. “Ouncie got his name because he was born small,” Gleason said. “He grew up to compete with a huge heart.”

Vermont

Burlington: The University of Vermont announced Tuesday that it will build 295 apartments in South Burlington over the next four years to alleviate the school’s housing needs. UVM will partner with local developer Snyder-Braverman to build “Catamount Run” in South Burlington’s City Center. Students and employees at UVM can look forward to the first 100 apartments being completed by summer 2024, another 65 units by summer 2025 and another 130 units by 2026. The apartments will hold nearly 500 beds. A tight job market and tighter housing market have some Vermont employers creating employee housing. “This initiative will increase access to housing within close reach of campus, primarily for students in our graduate and professional programs and for the talented employees we are attracting to UVM and the Greater Burlington area,” UVM President Suresh Garimella said in a press release. “The university expects this project to help address the housing shortage that poses real challenges to nearby communities.” Garimella said he had repeatedly heard from students, staff and faculty that they were having to look farther and farther away for housing because of the extremely low supply in the Burlington area.

Virginia

Portsmouth: The Portsmouth Humane Society is letting the dogs out. A new program called Paws Around P’Town pairs shelter dogs with community members for daylong field trips to the beach, a park or even a person’s couch, The Virginian-Pilot reports. Alison Fechino, executive director of the Portsmouth Humane Society, said she hopes the program will emphasize that helping shelter pets is possible for everyone, including those with a busy schedule. “It helps us by, first of all, getting the dogs out of their cages,” Fechino said. “And it gives them the one-on-one time they deserve.” Anyone who’s at least 18 can participate. Individuals can select a dog after reviewing its documented personality traits, or shelter staff can work to find the right fit. One recent Saturday, Suffolk residents Cassie and Hailey Caldwell picked up Morgan, a 5-year-old female pit bull mix, for a day of fun. The mother and daughter cannot have animals where they live, so weekend trips are a great way for them to enjoy time with some furry friends. They said after grabbing a “pup cup” of whipped cream for Morgan, a trip to the beach or a local park was on the itinerary. Amanda McQuarry, the shelter director, said 70 is the maximum number of dogs the facility ideally can support, but 90 is the absolute cut-off. The shelter has reached 90 this summer, but the program has alleviated some of the burden the staff experiences.

Washington

Seattle: A running dispute over LGBTQ-related policies took a dramatic new turn Monday at Seattle Pacific University. A group of students, faculty and staff at the Christian university sued leaders of the board of trustees for refusing to scrap an employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs at SPU. The 16 plaintiffs say the trustees’ stance – widely opposed on campus – is a breach of their fiduciary duties that threatens to harm SPU’s reputation, worsen enrollment difficulties and possibly jeopardize its future. The lawsuit, filed in Washington State Superior Court, requests that the defendants – including the university’s interim president, Pete Menjares – be removed from their positions. It asks that economic damages, in an amount to be determined at a jury trial, be paid to anyone harmed by the LGBTQ hiring policy. “This case is about six men who act as if they, and the educational institution they are charged to protect, are above the law,” the lawsuit says. “While these men are powerful, they are not above the law… They must be held to account for their illegal and reckless conduct.” The Free Methodist Church, a denomination whose teachings do not recognize same-sex marriage, founded SPU in 1891.

West Virginia

Charleston: Lawmakers were scheduled to convene at the state Capitol outside of their regular session Monday to discuss putting millions of dollars into road maintenance and creating a new industrial plant program within the state economic development office. The new special session is set to begin more than a month after the Republican supermajority failed to reach consensus on a sweeping bill that would have barred access to abortions in most circumstances. A version of the bill passed the House, but it stalled after the Senate adopted its own version with amendments, one of which removed criminal penalties for physicians who perform illegal abortions. Instead, delegates asked for a conference committee to iron out differences. Republican Gov. Jim Justice put out a call Saturday for another special session beginning at 1:30 p.m. Monday, while lawmakers are gathered in Charleston for previously scheduled September interim committee meetings. He asked lawmakers to consider legislation that would establish a “Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development Program” within the Department of Economic Development. It would be charged with encouraging the development and construction of high-impact industrial plants “in certain circumstances where the availability of electricity generated from renewable sources is demonstrated to be necessary,” according to Justice.

Wisconsin

Madison: Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels announced Monday that they have agreed to debate just one time ahead of the Nov. 8 election. The debate will be Oct. 14, hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, held in Madison and broadcast statewide. Both campaigns put out a joint statement announcing the agreement. The debate will include journalists from across the state, according to the statement. “There are plenty of differences between the two candidates, but we agree that voters deserve this opportunity to hear directly from each candidate,” Evers’ campaign manager, Cassi Fenili, and Michels’ campaign manager, Patrick McNulty, said in the joint statement. “This will be the only debate between the candidates before the November election.” In 2018, Evers debated then-Gov. Scott Walker twice in October. Michels, co-owner of construction company Michels Corp., participated in two televised debates with his Republican challengers this summer. One was in a traditional debate format, and the other was a town hall where questions came from people in the audience. Michels also did a radio debate with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and state Rep. Timothy Ramthun.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: A legislative committee is considering a controversial bill that would allow public inspection of some personnel files in K-12 schools. The Joint Education Committee is considering that more drastic step and another piece of legislation as lawmakers try to address harassment and bullying allegations against teachers, WyoFile.com reports.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New water crisis, drag show threats: News from around our 50 states