News from around our 50 States

Those walking downtown may have noticed a new addition to the streetscape near the Riverwalk. The historic trolley that was previously behind the Union Station Train Shed has moved out into the open in the old incubator space near Commerce Street. The city said the incubators that previously took up the space had been moved, and leaders thought the spot would be a good location for the “Lightning Line” car. Union Station was originally a stop for the electric trolley, says Tom Pierce, city general services director. The “Lightning Route,” as it was known, was the first of its kind in the nation in 1886. After fits and starts, it was eventually discontinued, but the car from the 19th century remains.

A conference hosted this week by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium aims to help communities adapt by connecting them to others on the front lines of climate change. The annual Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management in Anchorage brings together tribes, nonprofit groups, and state and federal agencies to address environmental issues, KTVA-TV reports. One of the areas of concern is food security. “Most specifically, the one I can think of is ice cellars,” says A.J. Salkoski of the consortium. “Up north, as the permafrost is melting, we want to make sure that food is being stored safely.” The conference has also addressed issues involving solid waste, air quality, water and public infrastructure.

A year and a half after Phoenix pushed a controversial policy change that allows the city to rename derogatory or controversial street names without resident approval, the city has yet to change any names. The road at the base of Piestawa Peak, which was renamed from Squaw Peak to honor fallen soldier Lori Piestewa in 2003, is still Squaw Peak Drive. Squaw is a derogatory term for Native American women. Robert. E. Lee Street, a mostly residential roadway in northeast Phoenix, remains. Several African-American groups object to the recognition of the Confederate general.

Delaware tends to embrace the offbeat and the quirky. Mr. Celery. Burying a hatchet on Return Day. Scrapple. And this year marks a particularly wacky, yet endearing chapter in Dela-Weird history: It’s the 25th anniversary of the Claymont Christmas Weed. For more than two decades, local residents have been decorating a “weed” with holiday ornaments and displaying it on Philadelphia Pike. There’s even a well-attended Christmas parade, which started in 1998, that’s built around the tradition. And a song. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday. Organizer Barbara Harbin expects four to five marching bands, cheerleaders, dogs from Faithful Friends, local politicians, fancy cars, a plethora of fire trucks and, of course, Santa Claus.

A high school with a historic past will soon get a new building in the heart of the city, but not without some controversy. In October, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Benjamin Banneker Academic High School would relocate into a new building at the site of the old Shaw Junior High School by 2021. The move has been applauded by students and parents from the Banneker High community who say their current school building is too old. However, many parents in the Shaw neighborhood are disappointed with the decision. The center city neighborhood has long pushed for a standalone middle school to be built at the Shaw Junior High School site.

Albert Manero, by many accounts a driven engineering phenom, has etched a name for himself and the nonprofit he founded, Limbitless Solutions Inc., at the University of Central Florida. Limbitless designs and manufactures inexpensive prosthetic arms for children using 3-D technology. It has drawn the interest from the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates and actor Robert Downey Jr. Last week Manero took the technology to New York to show representatives at the United Nations. Now an offspring of Limbitless research is in the works. Called Project Xavier, it could have big implications for wheelchair-bound sufferers of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Project Xavier could allow them to navigate a wheelchair via facial movements.

Micron Technology is the nation’s second-largest maker of semiconductors. But on Giving Tuesday, over 100 Micron employees pushed silicon, nickel-oxide and copper aside and replaced them with hardwood, glue and elbow grease. A place known for making memory for technology became a place building the beginning of new memories for hundreds of area children who spend their nights sleeping on the floor. Micron employees joined the dozens of volunteers from Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a local nonprofit organization that builds beds for kids who don’t have one, to help change sleeping habits for children from all over the region. Since its founding in 2012, the nonprofit has churned out nearly 4,500 beds for kids around the country.

John Cusack made baseball movie “Eight Men Out” at bygone Indianapolis ballpark Bush Stadium in the 1980s. William Shatner married former Lebanon High School homecoming queen Elizabeth Martin in Boone County in 2001. Cusack and Shatner will return to Indiana on consecutive nights in February, when the actors will screen popular films from their careers and answer audience questions. Cusack will bring one of his signature movies, 2000’s “High Fidelity,” for a Feb. 7 screening at the Murat Theatre in Old National Centre. Shatner, known for his portrayal of Capt. James T. Kirk, will bring “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” to the Murat on Feb. 8. Tickets for both events go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. For more information, visit livenation.com.

Fifty-eight Iowa inmates are suing state officials in federal court, seeking $25,000 each in damages, claiming they have been denied a constitutional right to pornography. The lawsuit seeks to overturn a new state law that has shut down designated “pornography reading rooms” in Iowa’s prisons. It also prohibits inmates from having nude photos in their cells, including Playboy magazine, which has long been allowed. The suit claims the law was enacted under the guise of “morality,” and it blames “religious tyrants” who have no regard for the U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence. The lawsuit also contends that if female correctional officers can’t handle an environment that includes images of female nudity, “they should find employment elsewhere.”

Baby fever strikes again. Seven Kentucky State Police troopers recently became parents and had a photo shoot to celebrate. “Kentucky is blessed with the watchful eyes of the Kentucky State Police for seven days a week, 365 days a year!” photographer Vicky Puckett posted on her Facebook page. “This year some of our officers were blessed with 7 miracles of their own!” Puckett told media outlets that wives of the troopers “really wanted to show the softer side of the police officers.”

Detroit’s public bike share system, MoGo, has been used for more than 237,000 rides since its launch last year despite the introduction of electric scooters in the city. The number of rides, counted through Sept. 30, was trumpeted in an annual report released Wednesday about the bike share service. It launched in May 2017 with 430 red and black bicycles at 43 stations in 10 Detroit neighborhoods, with the help of a federal grant as well as corporate and nonprofit sponsors. While the report did not answer how electric scooters have affected ridership, Lisa Nuszkowski, MoGo’s founder and executive director, says MoGo actually experienced a membership increase in the months after Bird, Lime and now Spin scooters launched beginning this summer in Detroit.

It might be a blustery 21st-century winter outside, but inside the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum, preparations are underway for a cozy World War I Christmas. The quaint house is the historic boyhood home of American aviator and innovator Charles Lindbergh, best known for flying the first solo, nonstop flight between New York City and Paris in 1927. But in 1918, Lindbergh was a mere 16 years old, spending his days on the farm, imagining ways to apply the latest technology to benefit his family. The special event Friday to Sunday includes the opportunity to write a note or draw a picture for a soldier as a young Lindbergh might have done. Notes will be distributed to Minnesota service members at nearby Camp Ripley in time for the holidays.

Greenwood technically may no longer be the Cotton Capital of the World, but it just might be the Historic Stoplight Capital of the World, according to Barrett Williams, a historic preservationist dedicated to preserving and recreating streetscapes to match the historic buildings that line them. Along with local officials, Williams led a crusade over the past two decades to preserve vintage four-way traffic signals in Greenwood and replace all the modern ones that had crept in over the years. The hooded lights that dangle and sway across most downtown intersections were manufactured by U.S. companies and never used outside the country. Williams and others believe that Greenwood has the largest working collection in the U.S. and thus the world.

Mac and Melody White operate a cattle ranch on the edge of the Crazy Mountains west of Harlowton. Moose and grizzlies are common here, but Gilbert the badger is an unusual pet that’s really the crazy sight to see in these parts. How a stout, cantankerous American badger, listed by Discovery as one of the top 10 most fearsome predators in North America, became part of the family at the McFarland White Ranch was happenstance. White found him, so small at the time he fit in his hand, apparently abandoned, with a hawk nearby. He decided to give Gilbert to his wife for a Mother’s Day present. Melody thought it was puppy when she reached into the cage to grab it 16 years ago. “They’re kind of between a cat and a dog,” White says of Gilbert’s temperament.

Tuesday was a special Camp Fire brewing day at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – and at least one brewer in Reno, too. The nationally known craft brewer spent the day making Resilience Butte County Proud IPA in Chico, California. All proceeds from the beer will be donated to Camp Fire relief, according to a Facebook post signed by owner and founder Ken Grossman. Brewer’s Cabinet of Reno joined the effort Tuesday. The brewer hopes to have Resilience IPA ready to drink Dec. 10, according to its Facebook page. Sierra Nevada asked breweries big and small to join them in making the beer and donating the proceeds. On Tuesday, the brewery said more than 1,000 breweries were participating.

You’d better watch out: Krampus is coming back to town. Since 2015, the Krampus – a wintertime monster with origins in European folklore – has visited Asbury Park’s bustling downtown, punishing the naughty and entertaining the masses. Krampus Asbury Park festivities return Friday and Saturday. Presented by Cookman Avenue mainstay Paranormal Books and Curiosities, the event kicks off with holiday photo ops with Krampus and the Yeti. The Krampus Film Festival will showcase spooky seasonal shorts. Take the Monsters of Yule walking tour, and check out the caroling, homemade mask contest, “reading of the naughty list” and more, all leading up to a Krampus March to Kennedy Park, followed by the Running of the Krampusse and the lighting of the Krampus Tree. For a full schedule of events and more information, visit krampusap.com.

MainStreet will again host Olde Fashioned Christmas, which includes Santa Claus, sleigh bells, Christmas carols and an ice skating rink, in Alamogordo’s historic downtown on Saturday. “It’s a wonderful event. I feel like a little kid every time,” says Alamogordo MainStreet spokeswoman Claudia Loya. There will be an artificial skating rink set up from 2 to 10 p.m. at a cost of $10 per person, including skates. The proceeds will go to Alamogordo MainStreet. The event will also feature Santa’s Village, where children can meet Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas. Santa will arrive at 5 p.m.

Plans for a new Asheville culinary festival have been simmering, thanks to a board of local food luminaries, chefs, artisans and a $75,000 boost from tourism officials. And now, it has a name and date: “Chow Chow: An Asheville Culinary Event” is set for Sept. 12-15 of next year. Chow chow is a sweet, sour and sometimes spicy pickled-vegetable relish popular in southern Appalachia. Though typically incorporating cabbage, its ingredients can vary in accordance with family and regional tastes and, like all preserves, can add warmth to the table even when nothing grows outside. Plans are to have the event centered around Pack Square, with a grand tasting tent, makers’ market and a chef demonstration stage.

The U.S. House of Representatives has decided the fate of the historic Delta Queen Steamboat, and it means Cincinnati’s beloved ship may once again come home, at least temporarily. The U.S. House of Representatives reinstated an exemption to allow the Delta Queen Steamboat to return to service two years after the bill was passed by the Senate. The legislation will grant a 15-year exemption to rules covering wooden ships such as the Delta Queen. The 1966 Safety at Sea law prohibits wooden ships of a certain size – such as the Delta Queen – from carrying passengers on overnight trips. Once the bill is signed into law by the president, major repairs will begin to allow the Delta Queen to return to overnight service, according to the ship’s owners.

Beer drinkers beware: A change in how Pennsylvania taxes craft brews is about to push the price of some beer up just a bit. Starting July 1, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will tax malt and brewed beverage manufacturers who sell retail products out of their establishments. The changes largely affect breweries that sell on site or have a taproom. The same $6 pint of beer will remained untaxed at a restaurant based on how the current law is structured. Craft and independent breweries contributed $6.3 billion toward the state’s economy last year. Pennsylvania craft breweries also produced more beer than any other state in that same time span, according to the National Brewer’s Association.

A flower shop has announced plans to open in downtown Hartford, contributing to economic development in the city. Backdoor Garden is slated to open its first physical location in early 2019 after six years of operating as an online company. Backdoor doesn’t just sell bouquets and arrangements – it operates as an event planning service for weddings, funerals and other gatherings. Owner Rickie Kunzweiler plans to move her business into Hartford’s historic Mundt Building. “This building has been speaking to me for a long time,” Kunzweiler says. “I love antiques, and I love to incorporate flowers with antiques.” Kunzweiler also plans to feature local artists in her store.

A Nashville bar was named the “most beautifully designed bar” in Tennessee by Architectural Digest magazine. Henley, an upscale Broadway eatery that opened last year, snagged the title. “With milk-glass pendant globe lighting above the white Italian-marble bar, the decor swings glam – but the caved ceiling and the ‘bedroom eyes’ mural at this brasserie’s bar evoke intrigue and keep things casual,” AD reported in a breakdown of the best-designed bar in each state. The aesthetic is meant to feel like an old mansion, owners told the Tennessean in July 2017 before the space opened, with a mixture of antique and modern pieces. Some design features include a wall display of antique mirrors from the 1920s and 1930s.

Selena fans are about to get “muy excited” for this. If you didn’t get an H-E-B Selena bag earlier this year, you’ll soon have another chance. The store released a date for the new tote bags on selena.heb.com, just in time for Christmas shopping. Fans will be able to purchase the new design online or in stores starting Dec. 6. Officials say they worked with the Quintanilla family to create a bag with a new design. The bags offered in March sold out in stores the same day they became available. Those first limited-edition bags were also given away for free in April at the Fiesta de la Flor, a two-day festival in Corpus Christi that celebrates the Tejano singer. Bags were going for more than $10 on websites like eBay.

Iron County school officials are considering changing Cedar High’s mascot. A review is underway to determine if the Redmen name and image should remain, and several community meetings will be held next month to gather public input. When the Redmen moniker was chosen in 1943, it was intended it to be an honor. It was selected as a way of “representing the many Native Americans that lived and continue to live in this area,” the Iron County School District said in a statement. Today, however, the term, along with other derivations, has widely become known to be a racial slur.

If you wonder what’s going on inside your teenager’s head, University of Vermont scientists are here for you. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study will follow 12,000 9- and 10-year-old children over the next decade. Of those, 577 kids live in Vermont within an hour’s drive of UVM. The study, happening simultaneously at 21 research sites, has the potential to affect families by finding out what events, behaviors and substances will or won’t affect adolescent development as children enter and live through their teen years. The findings may affect health and education decisions in the years to come. Alexandra Potter, above, of UVM’s Department of Psychiatry, and associate professor Hugh Garavan lead the project.

A new development training program for entrepreneurs is being offered by West Virginia State University starting this week. The program called Opening Soon Inc. is offered by the university Extension Service to new and existing businesses. It starts Saturday at the university’s Economic Development Center. The school says the program is a two-part series. In the first part, participants define, market and plan their business launch. In the second part, participants learn, share and develop their personal idea. The first session is from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, with the second part from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. Participants only need to attend one session. Admission is free, but registration is required online or by phone at (304) 720-1401.

Curt Basina spent nearly 17 years with the Wisconsin State Patrol. He’s never really seen himself as a risk taker. Still, he’s put much of his own money into his next chapter: Copper Crow Distillery. As members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Basina and his wife of 37 years, Linda, worked to create the first distillery and tasting room owned and operated within the boundaries of the reservation just north of Bayfield. The distinction here is that the couple hold the title to the property, notes Basina. It’s a first in Wisconsin – and a first in the nation. Working with his wife and their daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca, they officially began selling their first wheat vodka in April.