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50 STATES
Coronavirus COVID-19

Football fan penalty, first pitch, charcoal treatment: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Flomaton: A police officer has resigned after he posted a threatening message against supporters of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. An investigation began Thursday into a post on Flomaton Police Capt. Scott Walden’s personal Facebook page, news outlets report. Several people complained about Walden’s reply to a woman who said that “idiots that voted for Biden hated Trump enough to throw the country away.” “They need to line up ev1 (every one) of them and put a bullet in their skull for treason,” Walden posted. The post was later taken down from public view Thursday. Walden later posted that he did not mean Biden voters should be shot, just voters who “commit treason.” Mayor Dewey Bondurant told WPMI-TV that “I am glad he resigned, but I would have fired him because what he did was wrong. For a police officer to say he should shoot someone in the head, that is unacceptable. You cannot tolerate that; you just can’t.”

Alaska

Juneau: The governor has announced a new COVID-19 disaster declaration for the state that will take effect Nov. 16 and last 30 days. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced the updated declaration Friday, ahead of the scheduled expiration of the emergency declaration he issued in March. Dunleavy said he took action because of “the rise in cases, and given the uncertainty over the next two to three months.” The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services on Saturday reported that the state hit a daily record in newly confirmed coronavirus cases. The state reported 604 cases, the highest in a single day since Oct. 25. Alaska has had 19,306 confirmed cases and 79 deaths since the pandemic outbreak as of Saturday. Dunleavy said if Alaskans fail to change their behavior, and case rates remain high, hospitals will be overwhelmed, and hospital workers and members of police forces and the military will fall ill.

Arizona

Phoenix: Health providers are braced for stressful months ahead as the state’s COVID-19 numbers are rising and hospitalizations are spiking again. Compounding their worries are three complicating factors: winter visitors coming to Arizona from areas hard-hit by COVID-19, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, and having to compete with health systems in others states for extra, outside skilled hospital labor. As of Friday, new cases in the state had eclipsed 1,000 for 10 of the past 13 days, although case numbers are well below what they were in the summer peak. The Navajo Nation last week warned of “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 within more than 20 of the tribe’s communities and ordered two consecutive weekend curfews. A growing number of school districts in Maricopa County are in the “red zone” for COVID-19, meaning county health officials have designated COVID-19 risk as “substantial” in those areas.

Arkansas

Jonesboro: Arkansas State University on Friday said it will shift to mostly online instruction as new coronavirus cases hit record levels in the state. ASU Chancellor Kelly Damphousse announced the Jonesboro school will make the shift after Thanksgiving. Damphousse said the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations doubled in October in northeast Arkansas and noted that the White House Coronavirus Task Force has put Craighead County and Jonesboro in the “red zone” for new virus cases. “While the number of cases on our campus has remained relatively stable, COVID-19 continues to rise in our region, across the state, and around the country,” Damphousse posted on Twitter. Arkansas ranks 21st in the country for new cases per capita, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations from the coronavirus in Arkansas continued to climb Sunday, reaching a new one-day record high of 741, state health officials said.

California

The Rose Bowl sign, rear, in the shadows of the great Brooklyn Dodgers and UCLA Bruin Jackie Robinson statue, is lit up blue Oct. 29 in Pasadena, Calif., in honor of the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pasadena: The 2021 Rose Parade is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but viewers will still get a show with a two-hour television special on New Year’s Day, organizers said. The Tournament of Roses Association said the TV special will include “live-to-tape musical and marching band performances, heartwarming segments related to the Rose Parade, celebrity guest appearances,” and highlights from past Rose Bowl football games. And of course there will be “spectacular floats from years past,” as well as a behind-the-scenes look into the making of flower-laden displays that are the trademark of the parade, the association said in a news release. The Pasadena association said in July that it was canceling the 132nd parade because of the risk of spreading COVID-19 infections among its huge audience and participants. The Rose Bowl college football game that traditionally follows the parade is still scheduled for New Year’s Day. Since its inception in 1891, the parade has only not occurred during the wartime years of 1942, 1943 and 1945, the association said.

Colorado

Denver: The state will spend about $168 million to send one-time payments of $375 to thousands of residents who’ve lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Jared Polis said late last month. An estimated 435,000 people who formerly earned $52,000 a year or less will receive the payments, Polis said in a statement. Recipients will get the payment alongside their regular unemployment benefits. Polis cited the lack of progress by Congress on a new economic relief package as the reason for the one-time state payments, which he authorized by executive order. The state labor department said most, but not all, unemployment claimants are eligible. Coloradans eligible to receive between $25 and $500 in weekly unemployment insurance benefits between March 15 and Oct. 24 are eligible, it said. Residents should get the payment the first week of December, the department said.

Connecticut

New London: Officials are monitoring a coronavirus outbreak in the city’s fire department, where 10 firefighters have tested positive, and four others are awaiting test results, Mayor Michael Passero said. The outbreak started with one firefighter who was exposed to the virus and tested positive about a week ago, Passero told The Day newspaper. All fire department workers who have since tested positive worked with the first one or two firefighters who became infected, Fire Chief Thomas Curcio said. All 14 department employees who tested positive or are awaiting results are quarantining, and some are expected to return to work next week, Passero said. The mayor also said the city is not closing any of its fire stations. Passero and Curcio said firefighting services have not been affected because other firefighters are working extra hours.

Delaware

Wilmington: As the state awaited the results of the presidential election last week, its number of COVID-19 cases surged to levels unseen since mid-May. State health officials reported 320 new cases Sunday, the most in a single day since May 15. Delaware has had four consecutive days with more than 200 new cases for the first time ever. Over the past week, there has been an average of 211 cases per day, an increase of 70% from the average two weeks earlier, according to The New York Times. The latest surge cannot be solely attributed to increased testing. The seven-day average for the percentage of people testing positive is at its highest mark since May 21. Delaware has reported six deaths over the past week. Jonathan Starkey, a spokesperson for Gov. John Carney, said Friday that the governor will consider implementing new restrictions “if that becomes necessary to reduce the spread, based on advice from the public health experts.”

District of Columbia

Vice President Joe Biden throws out the first pitch prior to the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees’ opening day baseball game at Camden Yards in Baltimore on April 6, 2009.

Washington: The Washington Nationals are making their pitch to President-elect Joe Biden. The Nats have invited Biden to toss out the ceremonial first ball next season on opening day. Washington is scheduled to host the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 1. “We’re excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in our nation’s capital,” the team posted on Twitter over the weekend. Biden last threw out a first ball as vice president, when the Baltimore Orioles hosted the New York Yankees on 2009’s opening day. The right-hander threw a high fastball that brought O’s catcher Chad Moeller out of his crouch. Biden was a Little League shortstop and later played center. William Howard Taft began the tradition of presidents throwing out the first pitch in Washington in 1910. Since then, every sitting president except Donald Trump has thrown out a first pitch when Washington had a major league franchise.

Florida

Tampa: A man who received more than $1.9 million in coronavirus relief funds is accused of laundering most of the money through a fake business and purchasing a luxury car and a pickup truck, federal prosecutors said. Keith William Nicoletta, 48, of Dade City, was arrested last month and charged with bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Tampa. He faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Prosecutors accuse Nicoletta of falsely claiming on a loan application that he had a scrap metal business with 69 employees and a monthly payroll of more than $760,000. Once the emergency loan was secured, Nicoletta transferred the money among various accounts and withdrew more than $100,000 in cash, officials said. Nicoletta then purchased a 2020 Mercedes and a 2020 special edition Ford F-250 pickup. He also wired approximately $537,000 to a property management company in South Florida.

Georgia

Atlanta: A Republican congressman will lead a Georgia recount team for President Donald Trump’s campaign, as the president continues to make unsubstantiated accusations of large-scale voter fraud. U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who gave up his seat and then came up short in his attempt to reach a Jan. 5 Senate runoff, was tapped Sunday to lead the recount team in Georgia, a campaign news release said. Collins said in the statement that the Trump campaign is “confident” the recounting group will “find evidence of improperly harvested ballots and other irregularities.” No evidence has been produced to substantiate the campaign’s claims. The Associated Press has not yet called the race in Georgia, where Joe Biden currently leads Trump by about 10,000 votes. Recounts rarely change outcomes in races where a candidate leads by thousands of votes. Friday was the deadline for voters to fix problems with flawed absentee or provisional ballots, as well as for ballots to arrive from overseas. By Saturday, 37 of Georgia’s 159 counties had submitted certified, final results.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Some Oahu bar owners expressed frustration about a requirement to renew and pay for liquor licenses they cannot use as the businesses remain closed by coronavirus regulations. Bars were closed by the island’s emergency health orders at the outset of the pandemic, but the Honolulu Liquor Commission said voluntarily canceling or not renewing means the termination of a liquor license, KITV-TV reports. Those attempting to regain licenses will be considered new applicants who must go through the application process, which includes obtaining municipal approval and paying a $2,375 application fee. The liquor commission said that as of Sept. 29 there were 1,426 active Oahu liquor licenses compared to 1,496 the previous year. Bill Comerford, the president and founder of the Hawaii Bar Owners Association who owns four bars, said renewing a license can cost $10,000 to $25,000 in related fees.

Idaho

Boise: The state has reported five consecutive days of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, including a record 1,403 new cases Saturday, as the pandemic’s surge sweeps the state and the nation. The Idaho Statesman reports Idaho’s seven-day moving average also reached an all-time high of just over 1,102 cases per day – an increase of more than 33% since Nov. 1, when it was 824 per day. The numbers come after a state panel of medical experts asked Republican Gov. Brad Little for a statewide mask mandate last week. Health officials worry that hospitals are running out of space for COVID-19 patients. At least 683 Idaho residents have died of the coronavirus, and there have been more than 72,000 cases, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Illinois

East St. Louis: The coronavirus pandemic has led to federal civil and criminal trials in southern Illinois being canceled through Jan. 24. U.S. District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel issued an order Thursday canceling the trials due to a recent increase in COVID-19 infections in southern Illinois, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The order also says clerks’ offices will be closed until local conditions improve. Drop boxes for filings will be available, and the ability to electronically file documents is unchanged. Court officials will be discouraging in-person proceedings and encouraging teleconferencing and videoconferencing, and employees will telework whenever possible, the order says.

Indiana

Fans storm the field Saturday after Notre Dame’s football team defeated Clemson in South Bend, Ind.

South Bend: The University of Notre Dame has implemented mandatory coronavirus testing for students and strict penalties for those who don’t comply after students rushed the school’s football field to celebrate a double-overtime upset over Clemson and held numerous weekend parties. The mass of students, players and coaches crammed close together on the field in the minutes following the Fighting Irish’s 47-40 win Saturday night in South Bend over then-No. 1 Clemson. Many of the thousands who stormed the field were not wearing masks or had their masks pulled down. Now, all Notre Dame students are required to undergo coronavirus testing before they leave South Bend for the extended winter break, Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, told students Sunday night. The email announcement didn’t specifically reference the storming of the field but rather “many gatherings” over the weekend.

Iowa

Des Moines: The city’s school district has requested a waiver to move completely to online learning as figures released by the state Monday showed coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in Iowa remained at a high level. The Des Moines school board approved the waiver request during an online meeting Sunday night. Superintendent Tom Ahart noted Polk County’s average virus positivity rate topped a state-mandated 15% threshold for districts seeking to shift to online instruction. Des Moines, the state’s largest school district, had been gradually allowing students in different grades to return to school, and, even if the state Department of Education grants the waiver, high school students who opt for a hybrid plan will start in-person classes this week. However, students will shift back to online learning next week if the waiver is granted. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from just under 25% on Oct. 25 to 48% on Nov. 8, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. That places Iowa’s rate second in the nation behind South Dakota.

Kansas

Wichita: The mayor, City Council and several city staff members are in quarantine after a council member was recently diagnosed with the coronavirus. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple and city manager Robert Layton are among those in isolation for 14 days after council member Brandon Johnson tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday. Johnson had a cough Thursday that worsened Friday, so he went to be tested, he told the Wichita Eagle. He received the results Saturday morning. “I’m fine. I just have a fever,” Johnson said. “My voice sounds a little funny, but I am not experiencing anything bad.” The City Council last met in person last Tuesday. Television station KAKE reported that City Council meetings will be held online until the council can meet in person, and City Hall will open on a limited basis over the coming days.

Kentucky

Radcliff: Dozens of veterans who did not receive military funeral honors during the coronavirus pandemic will be honored during ceremonies this week. The belated funeral honors for 65 veterans who died during the pandemic will be given Tuesday at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central at Radcliff, Fort Knox said. The post and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs worked together to provide the honors. Four ceremonies are scheduled in order to provide social distancing for attending family members. Face coverings are required, and Centers for Disease Control guidelines will be enforced. The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m. The Army Human Resources Command Honor Guard will be featured with funeral honors and remarks from a Fort Knox senior leader. Funeral honors were placed on hold in March when the pandemic began and were allowed to resume June 1.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University is now planning to hold an in-person graduation ceremony this fall after announcing earlier that it would only hold a virtual ceremony due to coronavirus concerns. In a statement Friday, the university announced that the ceremony would be held Dec. 18 in Tiger Stadium and be open to those who graduated last spring, over the summer and in the fall. The university made the change after soliciting feedback from students. School officials made their earlier decision on the advice of health officials and as a way to limit any post-Thanksgiving resurgence of the disease, The Advocate reports. But WAFB reported that many students and families were upset there wasn’t a ceremony and questioned why people could attend the school’s football games but not a graduation ceremony.

Maine

Orono: The University of Maine said 10 employees who work in facilities management have tested positive for the coronavirus. The university said it’s working to contain the virus by temporarily closing the facilities management office building and utilizing contact tracing and testing. All but one of the 10 employees work in an administrative role, and they are all isolating in private residences, the university said. The university on Sunday reported a total of 27 known cases of students and employees across the entire University of Maine System who are currently in isolation due to the virus. Meanwhile, an additional 204 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases has also risen from 41 new cases per day Oct. 2 to 161 new cases per day Sunday.

Maryland

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan warns of a surge in coronavirus cases during a news conference Thursday in Annapolis, Md.

Annapolis: More than 700 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Monday morning, an increase of 52 in a 24-hour period and the highest since mid-June, the state reported. Of the 707 people in the hospital, the state reported 168 were in intensive care. Hospitalizations have climbed in recent weeks. On Oct. 1, there were 331 people hospitalized. Gov. Larry Hogan, who warned of a surge in coronavirus cases at a news conference last week, said Monday on Twitter that the state has reached “a critical point” in the fight against COVID-19. The governor said Maryland’s seven-day positivity rate exceeds 5% for the first time since June 24. “While our state has been preparing for this fall surge for the past eight months, we cannot afford to let our guard down,” the Republican governor said. “Wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance.”

Massachusetts

Boston: City officials are urging people who took to the streets in recent days to celebrate or protest the presidential election outcome to get tested for the coronavirus. “If you were around any large crowds this weekend – or just want to get tested – we have a map and list of #COVID19 testing locations, as well as a list of mobile pop-up testing sites across the City of Boston,” officials tweeted from the city’s account. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has said city officials are working to boost access to testing as virus cases surge in the state and across the country. Last week he announced two mobile testing teams that are available to anyone free of charge, even if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms of the virus.

Michigan

Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan announced major steps Friday to reduce the number of students on campus for the winter term because of the coronavirus, telling families that housing contracts will be canceled. The university said undergraduates living in residence halls should not return after the holidays but rather participate in online classes from home. “The pandemic hasn’t gone away, COVID-19 case numbers continue to increase in Michigan and around the nation, and the winter will bring new and likely greater challenges,” President Mark Schlissel said. Undergraduates who must live on campus will stay in single rooms, and weekly virus tests will be mandatory, the university said. The winter term starts Jan. 19. There are 5,300 undergraduates in dorms this fall, down 45% from a typical year, as the university encouraged students to stay home for online classes.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Gov. Tim Walz said Monday that he plans to announce new restrictions that target active spreaders of COVID-19 in an effort to bring the coronavirus under control as cases have surged to dangerous levels in recent weeks. Walz plans to unveil at least some of his restrictions Tuesday and hinted they would be more “surgically, much more aggressively” targeted than the 51-day stay-at-home order from the spring. “At this point in time, we’ve learned we can do retail, we can do education, some of it in person, if we’re able to test, contain and contact trace those folks to get (their infections) isolated,” he said. New plans also include mobile device tracking that would alert people when they have been exposed to the virus, the Star Tribune reports. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Monday that the state is adding more than a dozen free COVID-19 testing sites around the state over the next two weeks.

Mississippi

Hattiesburg: Voters have narrowly decided in favor of keeping a Confederate monument outside the Forrest County courthouse in southern Mississippi. A referendum on the monument was placed on the Nov. 3 ballot after the Forrest County Board of Supervisors couldn’t agree on what to do with the monument in June. The Forrest County Circuit Clerk’s Office’s unofficial tally Thursday indicated 51% of voters elected to leave the monument where it is. The nonbinding measure was designed to give the Forrest County supervisors guidance on where their constituents stand after some residents called for its removal from public view. Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker and City Council members were among those who voiced their opposition to the monument remaining downtown. However, they have no authority to move the monument; the final decision is up to the Forrest County Supervisors.

Missouri

A jogger passes a sign encouraging social distancing in St. Louis.

O’Fallon: The state’s largest county offered a dire warning to its 1 million residents Monday: New restrictions will be necessary unless the coronavirus surge is brought under control. St. Louis County already requires face coverings and has imposed other restrictions, but Democratic Executive Sam Page said at a news conference that with cases rising again and hospitals filling quickly, more drastic measures could be announced next week. “No one wants to shut down our economy, and no one wants more restrictions,” Page said. “We understand how harmful that will be. But we can’t stand by as this virus continues to rage in our community.” After reaching new records in cases several times last week, culminating with a high of 4,559 on Saturday, the state health department reported better numbers Monday: 3,244 new cases and no new deaths. It’s too early to tell if that was a one-day blip or the start of a trend.

Montana

Great Falls: The state posted 819 new coronavirus cases early Sunday, bringing its total to 39,679. It also added 11 deaths, bringing the total to 456. Cascade County reported eight new cases Sunday. On Friday, Cascade City-County Health Department officials said the county had entered a “critical point” of community infection. They said a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to visit this week to “review our processes and help us find places to streamline, give us ideas on additional technology that can improve our response, and simplify data entry and management.” Fifty-two of the state’s 56 counties have four or more active cases and are now under the governor’s mask mandate, meaning masks and face coverings have to be worn in some indoor and outdoor settings. The Montana Department of Corrections said Friday that two inmates have died recently due to COVID-19-related illness.

Nebraska

Omaha: Gov. Pete Ricketts announced new restrictions Monday requiring masks in certain circumstances to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but he continued to reject the idea of a statewide mask mandate. Under the new restrictions that take effect Wednesday, masks will be required at businesses where employees have close contact with customers for more than 15 minutes, such as salons and massage parlors. At bars, masks will be required when people aren’t drinking or eating. “I think mask mandates just breed resistance from people,” Ricketts said. The new rules also include restricting indoor gatherings to 25% of a building’s capacity, down from the current 50% rule, and attendance at youth sporting events will be limited to the immediate families of participants. But restaurants and bars can continue operating at full capacity as long as they maintain 6 feet of distance between tables and limit groups to eight people.

Nevada

Reno: Unsuccessful in an earlier bid for an emergency injunction, a church is asking the U.S. Supreme Court again to consider its challenge of coronavirus restrictions on religious gatherings as a test case for others brought by churches across the country arguing their First Amendment rights are being violated. “This case is an ideal vehicle to solve the nationwide problem of government discrimination against churches in ad hoc COVID-19 orders,” lawyers for Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley wrote in the unusual new filing Thursday. In a sharply divided 5-4 decision in July, the high court refused Calvary Chapel’s request for a temporary order blocking enforcement of Nevada’s 50-person cap on religious gatherings while its appeal is pending before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

New Hampshire

Concord: Recounts have been scheduled for 15 legislative races and one for the Executive Council, the New Hampshire secretary of state’s office said. Recounts were starting Monday for the state Senate in District 11 and for the House for Hillsborough District 34. Other recounts have been scheduled through Nov. 18. They include Senate districts 9 and 12 and 11 House districts. Last week, Republicans won majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, returning the state to same scenario it faced four years ago: GOP control at the Statehouse and Democratic dominance of the congressional delegation. The Executive Council race facing a recount is District 5, in southern New Hampshire, where Democrat Debora Pignatelli lost to Republican David Wheeler. Both are seeking a sixth term on the council.

New Jersey

Trenton: The surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that began last month has not yet caused a significant spike in the state’s death toll. But health experts say that could change fast if working-age adults who are propelling the wave of new cases begin to gather with older family members as the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s holidays approach. “This is not the time to invite people into your bubble,” said Henry Raymond, an epidemiologist at the Rutgers School of Public Health. “I don’t want to sound like a person trying to take away someone’s Thanksgiving, but I think people have to find alternatives, or there may be consequences.” The holidays are arriving at a time when the pandemic’s second wave is being driven by both college-age people and 30- to 49-year-olds, according to Health Department data. That uptick in age has helped increase hospitalizations, which have tripled since September to their highest daily totals since early June.

New Mexico

Gerald Byers, 62, is pictured in his new office in Las Cruces on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, after Doña Ana County elected him as district attorney.

Las Cruces: Voters in Dona Ana County have elected the first Black district attorney in the state after he ran unopposed, officials said. Gerald Byers, 62, said he believes people will be able to work together toward the elusive goal of total justice. “People expect it, and people deserve it,” he said. “My intention for my office is to focus on the mission of serving the people and pursuing justice. Anything else is secondary.” Byers said the race for district attorney should be the least politicized contest because it shouldn’t be about delivering justice for members of one political party. Henry Valdez, director of the administrative office of district attorneys, has said he isn’t aware of any other African Americans in the state who have held the office. Byers said his first job was at the district attorney’s office in Gallup, and he has worked across the state and in several Texas counties since then.

New York

New York: Students attending college at one of the state’s public universities in the spring will have to quarantine at home for a week first and be tested for the coronavirus, officials announced Sunday. The spring semester will start later than usual, on Feb. 1 instead of Jan. 22, and there will be no spring break, which was canceled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through the end of the academic year. Graduation plans for the Class of 2021 will be similar to those for the Class of 2020, whose diplomas arrived by mail after scaled-back or virtual ceremonies. “The state guidance won’t allow for big gatherings right now, so unless something dramatically changes, we don’t see that,” State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras said. He encouraged campuses to take time they didn’t have last spring to be more creative with the next round of ceremonies.

North Carolina

The North Carolina Arboretum's annual Winter Lights show will be open nightly through the end of the year featuring numerous festive displays using more than 500,000 LED bulbs.

Asheville: The North Carolina Arboretum’s Winter Lights holiday light show, which runs Nov. 20-Jan. 10, is a dazzling and sometime dizzying light display of specially constructed exhibits as well as existing structures and trees dripping in LEDs. But this year, due to COVID-19 safety guidelines and the need to socially distance and limit the number of folks gathering outdoors, the show is moving from a walking tour to a drive-thru, said marketing director Whitney Smith. Another bonus besides not having to walk outdoors in the cold is the pricing is now per car, rather than per person, which racks up a huge savings even with two people per car. The show, which began in 2014, has become such a hit, Smith said, that visitation grew by more than 100% in five years, from 22,000 the first year to more than 45,000 last year. Those numbers just won’t work with Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 3 limit on outdoor gatherings of no more than 50 people.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The state’s position as the country’s COVID-19 leader relative to population showed no signs of improvement Sunday with an 18.25% positivity rate of tests in the past day. Health officials reported 1,111 new positive tests since Saturday, two-thirds of which came from counties with the state’s most populous metro areas: Fargo, Bismarck-Mandan, Grand Forks and Minot. Grand Forks County led the way Sunday with 187 positive tests. Results tabulated Saturday by Johns Hopkins University researchers listed more than 2,148 new cases per 100,000 people in North Dakota over the past two weeks, up from 2,060 cases per 100,000 people the previous day. The state has for several weeks led the country in the number of tests per capita, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The North Dakota Health Department update showed 11 deaths in the prior day, bringing the death toll to 639 since the start of the pandemic.

Ohio

Cincinnati: The University of Cincinnati professor accused of referring to COVID-19 as “the Chinese virus” will remain on leave for at least the rest of the semester, officials said. Adjunct professor John Ucker was placed on leave after third-year engineering student Evan Sotzing, 20, posted on social media an email he received from Ucker after Sotzing had to miss a lab session due to being quarantined for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. “For students testing positive for the chinese (sic) virus, I will give no grade,” the email said. “As an isolated reference, the term ‘Chinese virus’ did not meet the threshold to be designated harassment,” John Weidner, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, said in a statement. “However, it did represent poor judgment, caused offense to members of our community, and distracted from the learning environment.”

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Confirmed coronavirus cases are continuing to soar in the state, with nearly 2,200 new cases and six additional deaths reported Monday. The 2,197 confirmed new cases reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health bring the total number of confirmed infections to 138,455 since the start of the pandemic. The state’s death toll now stands at 1,444, and the number of people hospitalized through Friday with COVID-19 stood at 1,045. Over the weekend, Oklahoma reported a new daily record high of 4,507 confirmed cases, a slight reduction from the more than 4,700 new cases initially reported Saturday, but health officials said that was slightly overinflated because of a backlog of cases and duplicate results. Still, the daily number was more than double the previous one-day record and prompted Gov. Kevin Stitt to issue a statement strongly urging Oklahomans to wear masks, avoid large crowds and socially distance.

Oregon

Hillsboro: The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating reports that a circuit court judge is endangering the health of workers and jurors by ignoring a statewide mask mandate in his courtroom. The Oregonian/OregonianLive reports Washington County Circuit Judge Charles Bailey describes the mask mandate as a “nanny state” requirement. He doesn’t wear a face covering and isn’t requiring others to do so in his courtroom in Hillsboro in western Oregon. Bailey told attorneys and jurors in an Oct. 29 recording that it was up to them whether they wanted to wear a mask. The incident occurred as coronavirus infections surge in the state. “As you all can see, I’m not wearing a mask,” Bailey told prospective jurors. “It’s very uncomfortable for me to wear, so I know they’re uncomfortable for you all. And so when you’re in my courtroom, I treat everybody as adults, which you all get to make adult decisions that you think are the best for you and those around you.”

Pennsylvania

Gannon University freshmen Anthony Constantino, left, and Ryan Phan walk along A.J.’s Way on Monday at Gannon’s downtown campus in Erie, Pa.

Harrisburg: As new coronavirus cases explode, Pennsylvania’s top health official on Monday warned that the state is at a “critical point” in the pandemic and begged recalcitrant residents to wear masks, avoid congregating and take other simple preventive measures to slow the spread. Infections, hospitalizations and the percentage of virus tests coming back positive continue to climb sharply, according to state data reported Monday, indicating the virus is spreading more rapidly than at any point since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. No region of Pennsylvania has been spared, with 38 of 67 counties reporting substantial levels of community transmission. “COVID-19 is right here, and we are at a critical point,” the state health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said at a news conference in Harrisburg. “We all need to take steps to prevent the spread of this virus, and if we don’t, we put ourselves, our families, and our communities and our health systems at risk.” Cases are up more than 70% in the past two weeks, and the state now has an average of nearly 3,000 new cases per day, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Rhode Island

Providence: A judge on Friday rejected a request from the Providence Teachers Union to suspend in-person instruction at a city middle school over concerns about COVID-19. Superior Court Judge Melissa Darigan denied the union’s motion for a temporary restraining order and found no violation of law or state health protocol. The union sued this month in an attempt to force the closure of Nathanael Greene Middle School, where dozens of staff members had been out because of virus concerns. At least three students and two staff members had tested positive, according to the suit, and other faculty members were quarantining. In the suit, the union argued that students and staff members “have an incontrovertible right to work and learn in an environment that is safe” and that meets state and federal health guidelines.

South Carolina

Moncks Corner: An election is being held in the town Tuesday to fill the seat of a councilman who resigned after making a social media post of Hillary Clinton in blackface. ABC News 4 reports that five people are running for the open position on the Moncks Corner Town Council. Chadwick Sweatman resigned in August. Sweatman told the television station previously that the post was meant to be a joke. “In hindsight, I understand it was a poor joke,” he said. At least one candidate expressed concern that voters in the town, which is outside Charleston, may not realize there is an election one week after the presidential election. Mayor Michael Locklier said polls will be open at Town Hall on Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

South Dakota

In the high-risk segregation unit at the South Dakota Women's Prison, inmates are kept alone in single cells, shown at right. They use a shower that is encircled by a curtain, allowing basic privacy, but not as much as in lower-security units.

Sioux Falls: The coronavirus has ravaged the state’s prisons in recent months, and those close to it – from inmates to family and friends – say the system wasn’t prepared for it. More than 1,800 incarcerated people and an unknown number of prison staff have tested positive for the virus since September. Meanwhile, 20 inmates, family members and friends of inmates, and correctional officers representing five facilities said they’ve been left in the dark. They also said they’re fed up with being told to keep quiet. An investigation found that prisons are putting sick inmates in an area usually reserved for solitary confinement; shuffling sick and healthy inmates past each other; moving healthy people into areas where sick inmates were without sanitization; and creating an environment in which both inmates and family members who publicly share concerns about the pandemic’s affect on prison systems are fearful of retaliation.

Tennessee

Nashville: The Tennessee National Guard has administered more than 500,000 COVID-19 tests to citizens throughout the state, according to a news release. The Guard first began helping with the fight against COVID-19 in March, when Gov. Bill Lee requested 250 soldiers and airmen to help the Department of Health operate drive-thru rural testing sites. Over time, the number of guardsmen assisting with the project has grown to 500, and their mission has expanded as well, according to the release. Activated guardsmen are now helping to provide testing at long-term care facilities, county and state corrections facilities, public housing complexes, hot-spot areas, and other locations across the state. The Guard reached the 500,000-test milestone last week and is continuing to provide free testing to any Tennessean who may need it.

Texas

Austin: The state reported 5,404 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, with almost 2,000 of those cases coming from the hard-hit El Paso area, health officials said. Texas’ total number of cases since the pandemic began is nearing 1 million, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, which puts the number of cases at more than 985,000. The true number of infections is likely higher because many people haven’t been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The Texas Department of State Health Services said Sunday that with 43 additional deaths reported, the state’s death toll stood at 18,743. Cases and hospitalizations have been rising in Texas, and the situation has become especially acute in El Paso, with El Paso county’s top elected official shutting down nonessential activities and medical teams being sent in to help. Health officials said more than 6,000 people were hospitalized statewide Sunday.

Utah

St. George: New coronavirus cases leaped in the state in the week ending Saturday, rising 35% as 15,579 cases were reported. The previous week had 11,539 new cases. Utah ranked No. 8 among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. Within Utah, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Utah, Salt Lake and Wasatch counties. Adding the most new cases overall were Salt Lake County, with 6,479 cases; Utah County, with 3,643 cases; and Davis County, with 1,451. Weekly case counts rose in five counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Salt Lake, Utah and Davis counties. The share of Utah test results that came back positive was 17% in the latest week, compared with 16.3% in the week before, a USA TODAY Network analysis of COVID Tracking Project data shows.

Vermont

Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott speaks to reporters after voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in his hometown of Berlin, Vt. Scott said he voted for Democrat Joe Biden for president because he believes the former vice president can do more to bring the country together. He said it was the first time in his life he's voted for a Democrat.

Montpelier: Republican Gov. Phil Scott said Monday that he appreciated President-elect Joe Biden’s immediate attention to the pandemic. Scott’s comments came after Biden unveiled a coronavirus advisory board made up of scientists and public health officials who will develop a blueprint for fighting the pandemic. In a statement, Scott said that since the pandemic began, he has listened to the advice of his health advisers, and the state has consistently had among the lowest virus numbers in the country. As a result, Vermont has been able to gradually reopen its economy safely. Scott’s comments came after he and Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine urged residents to redouble their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus as the state works to clamp down on a spike in transmission. In addition to large numbers of new cases over the weekend, Vermont on Saturday reported its first COVID-19 fatality since late July.

Virginia

Chesterfield: The final cohort of students in the school district began in-person classes Monday amid pushback from teachers and staff about the decision. About 34,000 middle school and high school students from Chesterfield County Public Schools are being separated into two groups for the in-person classes. One group will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the second group is scheduled to meet Thursdays and Fridays, WRIC-TV reports. Students are scheduled to have virtual classes on Wednesdays. Families also have the choice of keeping their children entirely in virtual learning. About 28,600 students from the school system had previously resumed in-person classes, but a recent survey of the school district’s staff showed that nearly 900 staff members felt “uneasy” about more students heading back to the classroom.

Washington

Seattle: Mayor Jenny Durkan has proposed a $5.6 million plan to address trash and maintenance needs in parks and public spaces. The city has strained to meet those needs since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the mayor’s office said Wednesday, according to The Seattle Times. The mayor’s office cited a rise in trash and illegal dumping, a dip in staffing due to COVID-19 protocols, and a reduction in volunteer cleanups. Seattle Public Utilities collected 195% more waste material in public spaces from July to September than April to June, Durkan’s office said. Durkan’s plan requires council approval. It would add about $1.2 million to Seattle’s remaining 2020 budget and about $4.4 million in 2021 to boost trash pickup and maintenance. Council members have been discussing similar ideas.

West Virginia

Charleston: Marshall University is studying whether an activated charcoal regimen can help coronavirus patients. University researchers began the study to test if it can reduce the intensity of the virus’s effects on a patient’s lungs, Marshall said in a news release. About 250 coronavirus patients will be enrolled in each part of the trial. Researchers will provide the medication and monitor symptoms of participants over two weeks. “We think activated charcoal can reduce the formation of chemicals made in the intestine by bacteria, which are capable of worsening the lung disease,” said Dr. Uma Sundaram, a vice dean at the university’s medicine school. Most people have mild symptoms from the coronavirus, but severe cases can include shortness of breath and require hospitalization.

Wisconsin

Madison: State health officials reported another dip in new COVID-19 infections Monday from a record high over the weekend. The Department of Health Services reported 4,360 new confirmed infections. That’s up from 4,280 on Sunday but still dramatically fewer than the record 7,065 cases recorded Saturday. The disease was a factor in another 17 deaths. The state has now seen 271,770 cases and 2,329 COVID-19-related deaths since the pandemic began in March. As of Sunday, the state ranked fourth in the nation in per capita cases over the past two weeks, with 69,244 cases per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. As of Sunday afternoon, 12,939 people were hospitalized with the disease, the department reported. About 5% of cases so far have required hospitalization.

Wyoming

Casper: A carbon capture project intended to permanently store millions of tons of carbon dioxide from coal-based electricity generation facilities in the state underground has advanced into its third phase last month, researchers said. University of Wyoming scientists and industry professionals working on the Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise project launched in 2016 with an 18-month investigation into the geology around Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station near Gillette, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. Researchers first looked into the feasibility of permanently storing carbon dioxide fluids in storage sites deep down in rock formations, officials said. The team then drilled a test well in the area. The third phase of the project includes finalizing data analysis and applying for and obtaining the required permits and environmental clearances to construct.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

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