News from around our 50 States

From staff and wire reports

One park garners accolades for accessibility in Wyoming, another plans to honor Shirley Chisholm with a statue in New York, and more

Huntsville
Workers are getting ready to repaint one of the tallest structures in Alabama – a full-size model of a Saturn V moon rocket on display in Huntsville. WHNT-TV reports work will start this week repainting the more than 360-foot-tall rocket mock-up outside the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The black-and-white model has stood outside the museum since 1999, and it’s showing signs of age. The center’s chief executive, Deborah Barnhart, says officials plan to restore it and historic rockets at the attraction, and officials have to get clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to use a crane for the paint job. Barnhart says the center is still raising money for the work.

Anchorage
A credit union is launching a pilot program to begin serving marijuana businesses in Alaska, giving the cash-reliant industry a financial option after banks shunned the industry. Credit Union 1 announced Thursday that its move comes with no political or moral position. CEO James Wileman says that safety concerns were a significant factor and that the move would keep large amounts of cash off the streets. Because of the federal prohibition on marijuana, most banks and credit-card processors won’t service marijuana businesses. Kelly Mazzei with the state’s tax division says the agency supports the move as a time-saver.

Phoenix
There’s a new way to get around metro Phoenix, or at least its circumference. Maricopa County has completed a 315-mile hiking and biking trail that circles the city and most of its suburbs. The completion this fall of four small sections of trail on state trust land means the Maricopa Trail now connects to 10 regional parks, including Lake Pleasant Regional Park on the north and Usery Mountain Regional Park in the east. The trail has been 15 years in the making after being proposed five years before that.

Midway
Officials say a fire that caused a mysterious burning hole in Arkansas in September was intentionally set and not the result of a meteorite, methane or work of the devil. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Baxter County authorities used soil samples to identify various flammable chemicals typically found in paint thinners where a 12-foot-tall fire spurted from a hole in the ground and burned for about 40 minutes. Authorities say it may have been a prank. Initial speculation ranged from serious, such as a possible leaking natural gas line, to far-fetched. Officials in Midway, about 120 miles north of Little Rock, easily dismissed suggestions that the fire was caused by Satan or a meteorite.

San Francisco
A San Francisco chef is the first woman in the United States to be awarded three stars from the Michelin Guide. Dominique Crenn celebrated the honor on Instagram with her staff at Atelier Crenn, posting “congratulations to my amazing team.” It was not the only honor for Crenn in Michelin’s Bay Area guide. Michelin also awarded one star to her new wine bar, Bar Crenn. One star means “a very good restaurant,” while three stars signify “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” Michelin’s international director Gwendal Poullennec tells The Mercury News it sends a “very positive message.” Poullennec says Michelin hopes “it will lead to more women operating their own restaurants.”

Colorado Springs
A popular Colorado Springs tourist attraction that takes riders up to the summit of Pikes Peak will reopen again after its fate was in question. The Gazette reports the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is slated to reopen in May 2021 following a nearly $100 million reconstruction next year. Broadmoor hotel President and CEO Jack Damioli said in March that the railway would not open this year and could remain closed permanently, noting it had “run its useful life.” Oklahoma Publishing President and CEO Gary Pierson says the railway reconstruction will include the demolition and rebuilding of the track and a remodeling of the depot in Manitou Springs. The railway plans to decommission four of eight train cars and refurbish the other four.

Bethel
The community will decide whether to allow an atheist banner wishing people “happy holidays” to be erected in a town park where a nativity scene is being displayed. The Bethel Board of Selectmen will vote Tuesday on the request from resident James Naddeo. After meeting with another resident who helped raise money for the nativity display, Naddeo has agreed to revise his original message on the banner, which said, “This season, no matter what you celebrate or why, Happy Holidays! – your atheist neighbors.” First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker tells the News-Times it appears the town cannot legally reject the banner, even though some residents oppose it. He says if Bethel allows a religious display, it cannot deny a nonreligious display.

Dewey Beach
When the University of Delaware football team lost its playoff game last month, UD fans had a new way to drown their sorrows: Ass Kicken Chickens beer. The new Dewey Beer Co. brew caused quite a commotion among fans of the Fightin’ Blue Hens. It didn’t take long for word to spread about the new American pilsner with a distinctive blue-and-gold can featuring a mean-lookin’ blue hen, and it instantly became an unofficial game day beer for some UD fans and alumni. And even though there are similarities between the beer company’s Ass Kicken Chickens and University of Delaware’s YoUDee mascot, Dewey Beer Co. isn’t in a poultry-themed pickle yet. Brewery co-founder Brandon Smith says UD officials have not called to complain.

Washington
For decades, changes in American religious behavior and the District of Columbia’s demographics spurred a slow emptying of city houses of worship. And in recent years, many have shuttered, largely because of skyrocketing real estate prices, an exodus of African-Americans from the city and millennials’ desire for unusual abodes, The Washington Post reports. The year-old nonprofit Sacred Spaces Conservancy has started quantifying the disappearance of houses of worship in the district’s most intensely developed neighborhoods. Using city data, the group has found that between 2008 and 2018, Capitol Hill has lost about 40 percent of buildings owned by congregations of various faith backgrounds and used regularly for worship.

Naples
A Florida conservation group is questioning a plan to develop thousands of acres in southwest Florida that are currently home to the Florida panther. Federal authorities are reviewing a plan that would cluster development on 45,000 acres in northeast Collier County and in return preserve 107,000 acres as habitat for Florida panther and other endangered species. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida says a study it commissioned shows that the proposed development would fragment and sever corridors that panthers use to move from one area to the next. Amber Crooks, environmental policy manager for the group, says the proposal calls for development “smack dab” in the panther’s critical habitat.

Brunswick
As homeowners decorate for the holidays, one Georgia county is trying to help residents plot tours of their local Christmas lights. Glynn County on the Georgia coast has launched an online map of Christmas displays. Homeowners in communities including Brunswick and St. Simons Island can add their addresses and upload a photo showing how they’ve decked their walls, roofs and yards. A handful of people have plotted their homes on the online map so far, along with the elaborate light display at the historic district of Jekyll Island State Park.

Honolulu
People could soon have access to see the aftermath of the Kilauea volcano eruption on the Big Island after a beach park reopens. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Big Island officials are planning to reopen the Isaac Hale Beach Park this week, as well as dismantle the security checkpoint into Leilani Estates. The end of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare is now marked by fissure 8, a 60-foot lava cone created by the eruption. Jay Turkovsky, board president of the Leilani Community Association, says he expects the neighborhood to be overrun by people wanting to see the fissure when the checkpoint goes down. Big Island Mayor Harry Kim says the beach park should offer views of the lava field, and the neighborhood will likely post “residents only” signs.

Lewiston
Fishing outfitters, business owners and community members from two Idaho towns have come together to insert themselves into negotiations or maneuverings that could stop the pending closure of the state’s steelhead fishing season or lead to an earlier reopening. The Lewiston Morning Tribune reports the group collectively created the Idaho River Community River Alliance, elected board members, and hired attorney Bill Mauk of the Boise law firm Mauk and Miller. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is closing Idaho’s steelhead season starting Dec. 8 to stave off a threatened lawsuit from six conservation organizations. The suspended season is expected to harm the economies of the two small towns: Riggins and White Bird.

Chicago
Bono will speak in Chicago about his efforts to combat AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa. The lead singer of the Irish rock band U2 is scheduled to appear at an Economic Club of Chicago dinner meeting Thursday. He’ll participate in a discussion with Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, who is also the club’s chairwoman. Bono is co-founder of ONE, an advocacy organization that lobbies governments around the world to address poverty. He also co-founded RED, which partners with well-known brands to raise public awareness of AIDS. It has raised more than $500 million for AIDS prevention and treatment in Africa. The discussion will be livestreamed on the club’s YouTube channel.

Muncie
Officials are moving ahead with plans to turn a former Muncie middle school into a jail despite some complaints about the project’s symbolism. Delaware County commissioners could vote as soon as Monday on approving the financing for the $45 million project at the former Wilson Middle School building. Plans call for converting the building into a courts-and-jail complex with space for about 500 inmates. The current county jail built in 1992 is approved for 220 inmates but regularly has 300 or more. Inspire Academy executive director Leslie Draper says officials should consider the possible impact of former Wilson students being locked up in the same building.

Templeton
A new whiskey is hitting store shelves just in time for the holiday season. Templeton Rye Whiskey recently announced the launch of a new limited-edition whiskey in celebration of the people and rich history of its hometown, Templeton. Templeton Rye Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey is a tribute and salute to Templeton – deemed a small town with a strong spirit. The distiller says the whiskey is both complex and intriguing and represents the expression in its purest form, being natural, non-chill filtered and bottled at 57.2 percent ABV. The special addition to the Templeton Rye portfolio is a barrel strength edition matured and aged in flame-charred American oak barrels.

Pretty Prairie
The annual Kansas Cattle Drive in Reno County is moving to Pretty Prairie next year. The drive, which draws thousands of people, will be held Feb. 16. The Hutchinson News reports this will be the fourth annual Kansas Cattle Drive in the county and the first one held outside Buhler. The drive drew about 600 people its first year, but that grew to between 5,000 and 6,000 people last year. Reno County Extension agent Darren Busick, chief organizer of the event, says officials always planned to move the event around Reno County. He says Pretty Prairie and three communities outside Reno County wanted to host this year’s drive, which includes livestock, vendors, guest speakers and activities for children.

Frankfort
When Tamara Patterson walked across the stage at her high school graduation, she didn’t get a diploma. She got a certificate, a reminder that she did not pass the state’s exit exam and would have to try again the next year. “That haunted me for a long time,” she said. “Do we want our children to have that same experience?” The former elementary school teacher was one of 17 people who spoke at a public hearing Thursday about Kentucky’s proposed minimum high school graduation requirements. All but one opposed the new standards, which would require students to meet college- and career-readiness standards and demonstrate minimum competency in math and reading.

New Orleans
A pair of visually impaired 2-year-old sea lions has joined the four sea lions already at the zoo in New Orleans. Ayah and Jolee were both malnourished when they were rescued along the California coast in June 2017, according to a news release from the Audubon Zoo. Jolee has cataracts in both eyes and had an injury in her left eye when she was found on an El Segundo jetty. She gets around by following Ayah, who lost her left eye to a small-caliber bullet found in her brain after she came to Audubon. Ayah was found off the Malibu coast. The bullet didn’t cause any brain damage, Audubon says. They’re now swimming with 31-year-old Lilli and three 6-year-olds: male Huey and females Zoey and Roux.

Portland
One of Maine’s most beloved birds is continuing a steady rebuild of its population. Maine Audubon says the results of its 2018 loon count yielded the second-highest estimate of adult loons recorded since the count began in 1984. The estimate for loon chicks is also the fifth-highest on record. Maine Audubon estimates there are 3,269 adult loons and 406 loon chicks in the southern half of Maine, the part of the state served by the annual count. The group produces the count with the help of a group of volunteers who count loons on lakes and ponds every July. Loon populations have suffered in the U.S. due to environmental pollutants, such as lead fishing tackle. Maine banned lead sinkers in 2002 and later strengthened that law.

Easton
A police dog who was missing after taking off after some deer on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has been found. Maryland State Police spokesman Ron Snyder says a tipster spotted Gunner, a bloodhound, not far from where he went missing in Talbot County a day earlier. Snyder says Gunner is back home and in good health. Gunner escaped his collar and chased a group of deer he spotted as he was walked from his handler’s home.

Boston
Boston’s mayor is vetoing landmark status for the city’s iconic Citgo sign, but don’t worry – it isn’t going anywhere soon. Mayor Marty Walsh, the Venezuelan oil company, Boston University and developer Related Beal released a joint statement saying a deal has been reached to keep the sign at its current location “for years to come.” Its future has been in doubt since BU sold the building on which the 3,600-square-foot sign sits to developers. The Boston Landmark Commission this month approved landmark status for the sign, meaning all changes had to be approved by the commission. But the mayor has veto power. The current sign, a red delta on a white background over the company’s name in blue, dates to 1965.

Ironwood
An Upper Peninsula river will be featured in a new set of postage stamps highlighting scenic rivers. The Ontonagon River will appear on one of 12 stamps to be released in 2019. The Daily Globe in Ironwood reports the stamp shows a branch of the river in Gogebic County. The newspaper says sections of the Ontonagon River were designated as part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers system in 1992. Forty-three miles are designated as wild, and 35 miles are listed as scenic. Stamp services director Mary-Anne Penner says stamps highlighting history, entertainment and nature tell “America’s story.”

Minneapolis
The outgoing Republican speaker of the Minnesota House had the power to silence debate with the push of a button. His Democratic successor says one of the first things she’ll do is remove the master mute button. The GOP leadership quietly installed the button after the 2015 session. Speaker Kurt Daudt pushed it during an acrimonious debate in 2016. Democrats have been stewing ever since. They tried last winter to ban the button but lost on a party-line vote. Now that they’ve retaken control of the House, the incoming speaker says the button must go. Melissa Hortman says every other speaker in Minnesota history has been able to maintain decorum with a gavel.

Jackson
Mississippi’s capital city is receiving a $1 million grant for public art focusing on access to fresh food. The money comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies, run by billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg, above right. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, above left, jokingly welcomed the former New York mayor “to the deep-fried South” as they appeared together for the grant announcement. Bloomberg says 200 cities competed for a public art grant, and Jackson is one of 14 winners. He says the art could generate discussion about nutrition. Artists, chefs, farmers, landscape architects and others will work on art installations and programs for the “Fertile Ground” project.

Jefferson City
The votes won’t be cast for another four years, yet Democrats already appear likely to gain seats in Missouri’s Republican-dominated Legislature in 2022. The reason: a one-of-its kind redistricting initiative approved by voters in the recent midterm elections. Missouri’s initiative marks a new frontier in a growing movement against partisan gerrymandering. Other states have created independent commissions and required bipartisan votes to redraw legislative and congressional districts. Missouri will be the first to rely on a new mathematical formula to try to engineer “partisan fairness” and “competitiveness” in its state legislative districts.

Billings
A federal official says reports of grizzly bear attacks on livestock are up in 2018, but coyotes remain the top killer of domesticated animals. The Billings Gazette reports coyotes have caused more than $550,000 in damages this year, killing almost 300 calves, three cattle, four goats, 92 sheep and almost 1,500 lambs. John Steuber, director of Wildlife Services in Montana, says grizzlies accounted for 138 complaints of livestock depredations or injuries. That’s up from the 98 complaints involving grizzlies in 2017. There were 92 complaints of attacks by wolves, down from 100 last year.

Lincoln
A decade ago, billionaire bison rancher Ted Turner said his appetite for buying more grazing land in Nebraska was likely satisfied. But now the state’s largest private landowner – and the second-largest individual landowner in the U.S. – has surprised some people by purchasing another Sand Hills ranch, pushing his holdings in Nebraska past the half-million-acre mark. Turner’s ranching enterprise recently bought the 15,055-acre Kime Ranch, a Sand Hills spread surrounded on three sides by other ranches owned by the founder of CNN, including the first property he bought in Nebraska 23 years ago, the Spikebox Ranch. With the purchase, his seven holdings in Nebraska total 506,935 acres, the Omaha World-Herald reports.

Reno
Drivers have hit and killed 34 bears on Nevada roads so far this year, marking the second-deadliest year for bears on record, according to state data. In comparison, hunters in the state have killed 14 bears this year. Nevada’s deadliest year on record was 2007, with 35 bears killed on roads. Climate conditions are likely contributing to the high number of roadway deaths, says Ashley Sanchez, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Wildlife. The state’s bear country has been unusually dry this year, reducing the amount of natural food sources in the forests. When food is scarce, bears will often travel into urban environments to search for new sources, like fruit trees and trash bins.

Concord
New Hampshire tourism officials are anticipating that upward of 2.5 million travelers will spend just over $1 billion dollars in the state this winter. The projections from the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development would be about a 3 percent increase in both visitation and spending compared to last winter. Victoria Cimino, the division’s director, says the uptick in visitors is a reminder that the Granite State remains a popular destination for those seeking outdoor recreation such as skiing and snowboarding. Tourists also visit for the dining and tax-free shopping.

Montville
A school district is apologizing for a substitute teacher who told first-grade students that Santa Claus isn’t real. Cedar Hill School Principal Michael Raj sent a letter to parents following the incident Thursday at the school in Montville. Raj noted that as a parent himself, he understands the “sensitive nature” of the topic. Montville Schools Superintendent Rene Rovtar said in a statement that she was “troubled and disheartened by this incident.” Rovtar explained that “childhood wonder associated with all holidays and traditions” is special to her. Raj says he has spoken with the teacher about her “poor judgment.” Administrators haven’t released the teacher’s name or said if she would be allowed to work again in the district.

Las Cruces
A District of Columbia clerk and a supervisor refused to accept a New Mexico man’s state driver’s license as he sought a marriage license because she and her supervisor believed New Mexico was a foreign country. Gavin Clarkson, above, said that after he approached the clerk for a license and showed his New Mexico ID, the clerk told him he needed an international passport to get the marriage license. Clarkson said he protested to a supervisor, who also told him that he needed a foreign passport. The clerk finally concluded New Mexico was a state after Clarkson objected three times. The clerk granted the license to Clarkson and his fiancee. Clarkson, an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation, said if he’d had his tribal identification card, he might have had an easier time than showing his state license.

New York
Pioneering lawmaker Shirley Chisholm will be honored with a statue in the New York City borough she served as the first black woman elected to U.S. Congress. City officials announced a monument to Chisholm will be installed at the entrance to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. The Brooklyn-born Chisholm served in Congress from 1969 to 1983. In 1972 she became the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. She died in 2005 at age 80. The statue’s artist will be announced in early 2019, and city officials say it will be installed by the end of 2020. The decision to honor Chisholm grew out of an initiative to erect more monuments to women in New York City’s public spaces. There are now just five statues of historical women.

Raleigh
Federal authorities say they’ll extend their review of red wolf management in North Carolina after a judge ruled that a plan to shrink the territory of the only wild population of the animals violates endangered species protections. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls the additional time an opportunity to evaluate the decision’s implications. A federal judge ruled the agency also violated the Endangered Species Act by authorizing private landowners to kill the animals when they aren’t threatening humans, livestock or pets. The lawsuit by the Red Wolf Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife and Animal Welfare Institute argued that the government’s neglect allowed the population to decline. About 35 red wolves remain in the wild, down from about 120 a decade ago.

Bismarck
The North Dakota Geological Survey is expanding its well-received fossil dig program. After attracting people from 31 states last year, the program doubled in size this year. North Dakota fossil scientists now plan to spend 46 days in the field next year to help people find prehistoric fossils, the Bismarck Tribune reports. North Dakota now has one of the top public fossil dig programs in the country, according to senior state paleontologist Clint Boyd. This year, the program attracted 326 people who spent approximately two days each in the field.

Cleveland
A Cleveland radio station says it has stopped playing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” after listeners said the song heard on countless holiday playlists is inappropriate. They’re certainly not the first to question the song’s undertones and criticize the duet, in which one singer tries to persuade the other to stay, and their exchanges include lyrics like “What’s in this drink?” and “Baby, don’t hold out.” WDOK-FM midday host Glenn Anderson says he recognizes that society was different when the song was written back in 1944, but he doesn’t think it has a place today, especially in the era of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.

Tulsa
A recent court ruling that permits an injured worker to receive compensation benefits with a positive drug test could set a precedent for such cases at a time when medical marijuana may soon be widely available in the state. The Oklahoman reports that the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals ruled Nov. 16 that “the presence of an intoxicating substance in the blood does not automatically mean that person is intoxicated.” The case stemmed from a 2017 accident at Berry Plastics Corp. Employee Dillon Rose’s hand was crushed when a co-worker activated a machine Rose was trying to fix. A drug test after the accident showed that Rose had recently smoked marijuana, which called into question whether the accident was Rose’s fault.

Portland
The Oregon Department of Transportation is examining the possibility of charging tolls on a 7-mile stretch of Interstate 5 near downtown Portland. KATU-TV reports the department’s current plan is looking at tolling the interstate from the exit for Alberta Street to south of downtown at the Multnomah off-ramp. Department officials say it’s too early to say how much the tolls will cost. It could take at least five years before a plan is implemented. Alando Simpson of the Oregon Transportation Commission says officials are examining how they can direct people into other modes of transportation so the current heavy dependence on the highway system can be reduced.

Chadds Ford
The convenience store franchise Wawa says it is partnering with a suburban Philadelphia brewery to create a limited-edition beer. Wawa’s Winter Reserve Coffee Stout, brewed by 2SP Brewing Co., blends Wawa’s Winter Blend coffee into a stout beer. The brew will be launched Thursday at a Wawa store in Chadds Ford – the only Wawa in Pennsylvania that sells beer. And it will be available for purchase during the week of Dec. 10 through Origlio Beverage, which distributes to neighborhood bars and bottle shops in southeastern Pennsylvania. Only 1,000 cases of the brew will be available.

Providence
The Rhode Island National Guard has canceled its annual air show, one of the most popular events in the state in the summer. The Guard says it expects more than 500 troops will be deployed in 2019 during the traditional time frame of the Open House Air Show in Quonset. Maj. Gen. Christopher Callahan says in a statement that organizers could not compromise the training of those being deployed, nor the planning of the air show. This is the first time since the show began in 1991 that it has been canceled due to deployments. The 2013 show was canceled due to federal budget cuts. An estimated 85,000 people attended this year’s event. The Guard says it plans to bring the show back in 2020.

Greenville
South Carolina is getting its first Lego store. The new store opened Friday at Haywood Mall in Greenville, near the center court of the mall, not far from where Santa Claus is sitting. Mall marketing director Brandi Crowe says the closest Lego stores before Friday’s opening were in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina. Lego officials say the store will have typical features including a wall full of bins of bulk Lego bricks in many different shapes and colors and displays of Lego building sets.

Rapid City
The Black Hills National Forest is creating its first trail ranger positions as recreational all-terrain vehicle use gains popularity on the trail system. Deputy Forest Supervisor Jerry Krueger tells the Rapid City Journal that forest officials will begin accepting applications for the five trail-ranger jobs soon. The trail rangers will be spread out among Spearfish, Rapid City and Custer. “I think it’s a function of increased use and a realization that we need to do a better job of engagement with the public, both in terms of public education and compliance,” Krueger says. Forest officials have received complaints about motorized users who damage the area, fail to buy permits, or drive on trails designated only for hiking, biking or horseback riding.

Nashville
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry – and in October, the country music legend will return to the show’s famous stage to celebrate. The Opry has revealed plans for a weeklong celebration in 2019 dubbed “Dolly Week,” which will conclude with two shows Oct. 12 featuring Parton and a cast of very special guests. “Dolly Week” will also include a Thursday “Opry Country Classics” show, as well as a “Friday Night Opry,” which will feature of range of artists paying tribute to Parton. She was inducted into the Opry on Jan. 4, 1969 – just two years after becoming a country star with her debut album “Hello, I’m Dolly.”

Snyder
Big fans of unusual art may have to squint in order to check out 120 pieces of tiny artwork in West Texas. An exhibit called “Tiny Art!” is running through Dec. 22 at the 1818 Arthouse, a gallery in Snyder. “This show is literally about small artwork; the goal here was to see who could create the smallest,” says Laura Greenwood, the gallery’s manager. The largest art on display is limited to 10 inches long, but many pieces are just a few inches tall or wide. Greenwood says the art is more reasonably priced because of its size, so gallery visitors may be more easily able to purchase them for Christmas or other gifts.

Washington
Utah leaders are resigned to the fact that they’re likely never to be repaid the nearly $1 million the state spent in 2013 to keep its popular national parks open during a government shutdown. The Salt Lake Tribune reports it would take an act of Congress to get repaid, and Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop acknowledges other priorities have largely overtaken the issue. The 2013 closure was largely blamed on Utah’s GOP Sen. Mike Lee and others determined to block funding for President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. The Obama administration closed national parks and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers. But with the large role the five parks play in Utah’s tourism economy, state leaders didn’t want to let them go dark.

Montpelier
A newly carved sculpture of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, is now standing on top of the Vermont Statehouse. A dedication ceremony took place Friday before the 14-foot wooden sculpture was raised by crane to the top of the Statehouse’s golden dome. A large crowd turned out for the event. It’s the third Ceres statue to grace the top of the state capitol building. The last one was removed in the spring over concerns that it was rotting after nearly 80 years there. Sculptor Chris Miller carved the new 14-foot statue out of mahogany. Sculptor Jerry Williams created a model.

Lynchburg
Students at the country’s largest evangelical Christian university have started an independent news site where articles won’t have to be approved by school officials. The Lynchburg News & Advance reports that a group of students at Liberty University have started the Lynchburg Torch. The new site was spearheaded by student Jack Panyard, ousted earlier this year as editor-in-chief of the school’s official newspaper, the Liberty Champion. Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. vetoed a student’s column focusing on vulgar comments made by Donald Trump from running in the Champion during the 2016 presidential campaign. Falwell is a strong supporter of Trump and said he pulled the article because it was “redundant” with a pro-Hillary Clinton letter to the editor.

Seattle
The crew of a Coast Guard icebreaker returned to their homeport in Seattle following the ship’s annual Arctic deployment. The Healy returned Friday, welcomed back by family members holding signs and waving. The Healy crew completed three science missions, conducting physical and biological research in the Arctic Ocean in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Office of Naval Research.

Charleston
Some West Virginia cities don’t want any rain on their parades and are changing the dates of their annual Christmas displays. News outlets report Charleston will have its parade Dec. 8, while St. Albans’ parade will be Dec. 15, and Huntington’s will be Dec. 10. And Milton canceled its Christmas in the Park event that had been set for Saturday. Rod Blackstone of the Charleston mayor’s office says in a news release that officials checked with forecasters and parade partners before reaching the decision to postpone the parade. St. Albans also postponed its annual candle-lighting ceremony.

Green Bay
Researchers in Green Bay hope to reduce the cost of fish fry dinners by working with a local nonprofit to set up breeding tanks for yellow perch, which is becoming hard to find in the wild. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and The Farmory hope the project will reduce prices, increase quality and get young people involved in locally sourced food options. University Research Associate Ken Webb says the fish will be bred and raised indoors in tanks that resemble hot tubs. Small fingerlings will be sold to fish farmers, who will raise the fish until they’re large enough to eat. The Farmory hopes to raise $125,000 for the project by the end of the year, with a goal of selling fish early next year.

Jackson
Grand Teton National Park has been recognized for increasing park access for visitors with disabilities. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the park won a 2018 National Park Service Architectural Design Accessibility Achievement Award for its Jenny Lake Renewal Project. The $18 million project restored infrastructure and improved accessibility at one of the park’s most iconic destinations. Jenny Lake attracts nearly 1.9 million people each year. The project included paving a lakeshore area, where visitors can roll wheelchairs into the lake. Eroded shorelines were also transformed into accessible overlooks. At two lakeshore overlooks, raised-relief maps have been installed for the visually impaired.