Heifer finds sanctuary, rooster kerfuffle, deadly avalanche: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Mobile: Alabama’s oyster industry has had its best wild harvest in years, more than doubling the catch from 2020 with the opening of a new territory in Mobile Bay. Scott Bannon, head of the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, told al.com that the total haul was about 45,000 sacks of oysters at the end of the day on Dec. 20, compared with 22,070 sacks last season. “That’s about $3 million-plus to the catchers. So it’s been a phenomenal season, more than double our harvest from last year,” he said. Still, this year’s catch is only a fraction of historical harvests from the middle part of the 20th century, when healthy oyster reefs remained in the upper part of Mobile Bay. Those numbers steadily declined from the 1950s onward and crashed after 2000, with the state unable to have an oyster season from 2018 to 2019 because of a lack of mature oysters. This year’s wild oyster season opened Oct. 4, and an ending date hasn’t been set. Marine Resources officials told oyster harvesters before this season that they expected this year to be about the same as last year based on preliminary surveys. But a new area that was opened for harvest proved fertile. Refinements to a grid system that helps oyster boats know which areas have been worked thoroughly also helped with the harvest, he said.

Alaska

Juneau: Communities across Alaska will have thousands of free at-home COVID-19 test kits to distribute during the holidays, officials said. Sarah Hargrave, Southeast regional public health nurse manager for the state, told KTUU that close to 100,000 kits have been sent across Alaska. Sixteen public health centers in the state will have the kits. School districts have ordered them, as have fire departments and universities. Corey Allen Young, a spokesperson for Mayor Dave Bronson’s office, said Anchorage had secured 25,000 kits from the state that will be available at testing sites and places like libraries. Earlier in the year, the municipality bought 25,000 rapid at-home test kits that it gave to adult living facilities for staff and residents. The City and Borough of Juneau is distributing the at-home kits at its three libraries and at City Hall, among other locations. About 1,100 are being sent from the state to Juneau each week. But health officials estimated Juneau will need double the amount each week in coming months, particularly with an expected omicron variant case surge.

Arizona

Tucson: A fire broke out inside a Tucson Walmart on Christmas Eve, forcing the big-box store to close. The Tucson Fire Department said the blaze was reported around 7 a.m. Friday. The first crew on the scene found no visible flames outside. Employees inside led firefighters to the back where fire and smoke were coming from at least three aisles. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly with the help of a working sprinkler system. Crews remained for several hours to check for hot spots. Fire officials said no one was injured. The cause is under investigation. Photos posted by Tucson Fire’s Twitter account show much of the damage was in aisles carrying paper goods. Completely charred paper plates, bowls and towels are scattered below broken shelves.

Arkansas

Fort Smith:The city Solid Waste Services Department will collect live trees on the curb during the yard waste week through Dec. 30 and Jan. 10-14, said Shari Cooper, communications manager for the city. All ornaments, lights, garland, plastic, tinsel, tree stands and decorations must be removed before a tree is placed on the curb. For those who want to bring the tree as brush to the city landfill, at 5900 Commerce Road, there is a fee of $39.51 plus tax per ton and no minimum fee. For example, Cooper said “if a tree weighed 50 pounds, it would be $1.00-plus tax. Same rules apply of no ornaments, lights, garland, plastic, tinsel and tree stands.” If the tree still has decorations, it will be considered trash, which has a flat fee of $23.48 for pickups. For vehicles pulling a trailer, there will be a $44.11 fee per ton, with a $20 minimum, plus fees and tax.The Solid Waste Services Department will mulch properly disposed of live trees, along with additional yard waste collected during the year, Cooper said. For more information on the Solid Waste Services Department, visit solidwaste.fortsmithar.gov.

California

San Diego: Satu, a male orangutan at the San Diego Zoo, died Wednesday. He was 26. The zoo announced Satu’s death on social media on Thursday, saying the orangutan’s cause of death was likely to be related to cancer. Satu had been under veterinary care for serious illness, the zoo said, but collapsed and was unable to be resuscitated. The zoo called Satu a “much-loved ape” and “charismatic primate.” Other details were not immediately available. Satu was born at the zoo in 1995. He sired two offspring, a male named Cinta and a female named Aisha. “Satu was known to be patient, curious, engaging and sensitive. He will be greatly missed by the wildlife care specialists, medical team, volunteers, and guests alike,” the zoo said in a statement. The zoo now has three orangutans, Aisha, Karen and Indah, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Bruno, a male orangutan at the Los Angeles Zoo, died earlier this month at 42. Native to the jungles of Indonesia and Malaysia, there are three species of orangutans, all of which are critically endangered.

Colorado

Fort Collins:A backcountry skier died in an avalanche near Cameron Pass on Christmas Eve, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The avalanche, which occurred at 10,500 feet on the southeast portion of South Diamond Peak, occurred “1 to 3 feet below the snow surface and was about 250 feet wide.” “The victim’s partner was able to locate him with a transceiver and probe pole and extricate him from the snow, but he did not survive,” the CAIC said in the official incident report. After heavy snowfall in the mountains on Thursday and into Friday morning, the avalanche reportedly broke on a layer of “faceted snow” about 2 p.m. Friday. The skier’s body was located and recovered after dark on Friday night, and his name has not yet been released. The fatality was the first avalanche death in Colorado this snow season. A backcountry skier also died on Diamond Peak in a nearby area during a Dec. 2019 avalanche near the pass, which is about 60 miles up Colorado Highway 14 from U.S. Highway 287. Many parts of the Colorado high country are under avalanche watches or warnings. The area around Cameron Pass and Diamond Peak remains under an Avalanche Watch until at least 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 26.

Connecticut

New Haven: A new study has concluded that licensed child care centers in Connecticut have been missing out on millions of dollars in federal funds for food and nutrition. UConn’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health surveyed more than 230 centers in 2019 about a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that reimburses for food that meets specific nutritional standards. The program supplies qualifying child care programs with nutritious meals and snacks. The researchers found a lack of awareness, lack of knowledge about eligibility and burdensome reporting requirements as factors that weighed against participation. The study estimated more than 20,000 children from low-income homes may have missed out on the program’s benefits and that families could have saved an average of $31 per week per child. More than a third of providers said they thought they weren’t eligible for the program because they didn’t have a sufficient number of low-income children, the study found. But the study also concluded many providers lacked a full understanding of the program and its requirements.

Delaware

Camden:A dozen people were left homeless and two were injured Friday morning after fires struck two separate mobile homes less than 4 miles apart in the Camden area. The Camden-Wyoming Fire Company was first called to the first block of Laws Lane near South State Street at about 4 a.m., Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio said. No injuries were reported, but an estimated $100,000 in damage was done to the home, four vehicles and two nearby mobile homes, Chionchio said. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Less than 8 hours later, the Camden-Wyoming Fire Company put out a fire on the 1000 block of Barney Jenkins Road, Chionchio reported. Firefighters found a 44-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman suffering from smoke inhalation and took them to Bayhealth Kent Campus in Dover. The man – who is also being treated for burns – is in “serious condition,” Chionchio said. That fire started when a cigarette caught a bed on fire, Chionchio said. The mobile home did not have any smoke alarms. The Red Cross was called to help the 12 people displaced by the fires.

District of Columbia

Washington:A Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bus river suffered minor injuries when a gunshot shattered glass on the bus he was driving near Capitol One Arena on Sunday night, WUSA-TV reported. A spokesperson from WMATA confirmed one of their bus operator on the 70 route was struck by a bullet during the shooting and was treated at the scene. There were no other reported injuries. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department are seeking the identity of a person they believe is connected to the shooting. Police were called to the 700 block of H. Street Northwest about 6:30 p.m. aftger reports of shots fired in Chinatown near the arena, which was playing host to an NBA game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. Through surveillance footage, police were able to capture stills of a person they believe is connected to the incident. Anyone with knowledge of the incident is urged to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

Florida

Orlando: Job growth in Florida will outpace the national economy, and unemployment will continue to decline in 2022, according to a new economic forecast for the Sunshine State. Florida’s unemployment rate, which stood at 4.5% in November, is expected to continue falling in 2022, and housing starts will pickup, but not quickly enough to satisfy robust demand in the short run, according to the forecast released earlier this month by the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida. Inventory for single-family homes is so scarce in Florida that it would take only 1.3 months to use up the current supply of homes at the current rate of demand. Nationally, the supply was at 7.1 months in October. Typically, a six-month supply is considered a healthy and balanced market. In contrasts to the Great Recession more than a dozen years ago, the housing market won’t be an “albatross” around Florida’s economy during the continued recovery from the pandemic, the report said.

Georgia

Valdosta: City and county residents looking to dispose of their old Christmas trees can do so at a recycling event that runs Sunday through Jan. 7. The “Bring One for the Chipper” event is sponsored by the city and Lowndes County. Collected trees, without ornaments and tinsel, will go through a recycling process to make mulch and potting soil, The Valdosta Daily Times reported. City residents can drop off their trees at Mathis Auditorium or place trees by the street on the day of residential sanitation pickup. County residents can drop off trees at Deep South Collection Center, Advanced Disposal Lakes Collection Center or Advanced Disposal Pine Grove Collection Center. Trees dropped off at county sites will be accepted during center hours. For more information or questions, call the City of Valdosta Public Information Office at (229) 259-3548, or Lowndes County Public Information Office (229) 671-2491.

Hawaii

Honolulu: A magnitude-4.9 earthquake struck a submerged volcano south of Hawaii’s Big Island on Friday. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the temblor hit at 1:32 a.m. about 26 miles southeast of Naalehu, at a depth of 7.5 miles. There were no immediate reports of any damage. The submerged volcano was long been called Loihi, but has since been renamed Kama’ehuakanaloa. Ka Wai Ola, the newspaper of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, reported that Hawaii Board on Geographic Names voted unanimously in July to change the name. Cultural practitioners proposed the renaming after noting use of “Kama’ehu a Kanaloa” in Hawaiian language newspapers from the 19th and early 20th centuries. “Kama’ehu a Kanaloa” refers to any undersea volcano – a child born in Kanaloa, the ocean – the newspaper said, citing Ku’ulei Kanahele of the Edith Kanaka’ole Foundation.

Idaho

Boise: Traffic fatalities in Idaho were at a 15-year high in 2021 after declining for four years, according to data from the Idaho Transportation Department. The Idaho Statesman reported preliminary data indicated that through Thursday, there had been at least 258 people killed in crashes this year, the most in any year since 2006. In 2020, 214 people died in traffic accidents. Since 2016, when 253 fatalities were recorded, the figure had declined each year before rising again in 2021. “A lot of people feel it has something to do with the pandemic,” said Bill Kotowski, a grant officer with the Office of Highway Safety. “Anecdotally, if you talk to some of our law enforcement partners … people are speeding more, we’re hearing substance abuse has been an issue during the pandemic.” It’s not only Idaho that is seeing an increase in deaths. The U.S. Department of Transportation reported earlier this year that the first six months of 2021 saw the largest increase in the number of people who died in motor vehicle crashes, with 18.4% more deaths than were recorded over the same period in 2020.

Illinois

Chicago: Chicago Public Schools officials have purchased 100,000 new laptops in anticipation of more students needing to take classes remotely in January if cases of the coronavirus surge. But district officials said they still hope to avoid a system-wide return to remote learning, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Leaders of the nation’s third-largest school district this month asked its Board of Education to spend more on computers than initially planned in an August 2020 agreement that totaled $12 million over three school years. The new plan increases the total to $296 million over three school years. The district also said this week that it purchased another 100,000 laptops for about $39 million. Spokeswoman Sylvia Barragan said that purchase was “in preparation for more classrooms to switch to remote learning if needed amid a possible COVID-19 surge in January.” CEO Pedro Martinez has repeatedly said the district will not close down unless there is a citywide order requiring it and will continue making closure decisions based on individual schools or classrooms. But there is heightened concern about a spike in new coronavirus cases following the district’s winter break and the omicron variant’s arrival.

Indiana

Indianapolis: A film shot in Indianapolis in 1902 that captures a menagerie of Ringling Bros. circus animals parading through the city’s downtown has landed a spot on the National Film Registry. The 3-minute-long silent film, titled “Ringling Bros. Parade Film,” is part of a class of 25 films recently added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Released by the Selig Polyscope Company in July 1902, it is the 11th-oldest movie in the registry, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. It features elephants, camels and caged lions traveling on Capitol Avenue past the Indiana Statehouse before the parade passes along Washington Street past the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s future home. When announcing this year’s class of films on Dec. 14, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said Black residents seen along the parade route factored in the movie’s selection for the National Film Registry. “African Americans were rarely shown in films of that era, and then only in caricature or mocking depictions,” Hayden said. An Oakland, California, couple who said they found the film in their basement in the 1970s donated it to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California, in 2011.

Iowa

Clear Lake: A northern Iowa sixth-grader could have enjoyed a windfall after finding a $100 bill, but instead, he decided to use the money to buy Christmas gifts for needy children. The Mason City Globe Gazette reported that Jacob Boller of Clear Lake was on his way home from school earlier this month when he spotted the $100 bill on the ground. His family checked with police and no one reported the missing money. The family waited several days to see if someone came forward, but they didn’t. Boller knew right away he wanted to use the money to help children who might not get Christmas presents. The family went to the store and purchased toys and games, then gave them to a local CPA firm that matched the donations – doubling the amount of goods given out. All told, 14 toys were donated.

Kansas

Topeka:A panel of lawmakers charged with distributing the state’s federal COVID-19 aid approved the creation of a $50 million program to give low-income families grants to help students secure books, technology or tutoring to overcome pandemic learning loss. It comes as part of the latest round of aid spending, which totaled more than $150 million, and also includes investments in economic development and broadband. The dollars caame out of more than $1 billion in aid allocated to Kansas from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed in March. Some members of the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas Executive Committee, a group of lawmakers and business leaders who approve how the federal aid is used, saw the plans as half-baked, however, and raised concerns that it would result in other projects being denied dollars down the line.But Lt. Gov. David Toland, who chairs the SPARK committee, said the policies presented a suite of needed investment. And, most important, it came as an urgent response to Kansans who pushed for the lawmakers to begin pushing money out sooner rather than later.

Kentucky

Owensboro: An initiative in Owensboro to connect Black students with industry mentors, their peers and school faculty had a successful first run, officials said. Owensboro Black Expo, Owensboro Public Schools and the Owensboro Community & Technical College partnered to launch the Academic Career Exploration program in August and it just completed its first cohort with positive outcomes, the Messenger-Inquirer reported. The program was offered to Owensboro High School and Owensboro Innovation academy students this year, but plans call for it to expand to the county school system, said Sharmy Davis, program organizer and director of cultural diversity at the community college.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Louisiana is doubling cash payments available to poor families through its welfare programs next year, the first increase in more than two decades, the state’s social services department said. Benefits will be boosted to the national average for people receiving cash assistance through the federal Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program and Kinship Care Subsidy Program. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services said the new payment amounts – intended to help families with food, shelter and clothing – will begin in January. “We know there are many more families who could benefit from the programs, not only for the much-needed cash assistance but also for the valuable workforce development and educational opportunities these programs offer. We hope this increase in benefit amounts will attract more people,” agency Secretary Marketa Garner Walters said in a statement. The latest data provided by the department showed 1,484 households receive cash assistance through the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program and 1,338 households get kinship care subsidies. Those are available to relatives caring for children whose parents don’t live with them. A three-person household that gets $240 in welfare assistance will see that amount grow to the national average of $484, according to the social services agency. People who are under the age of 60 and who aren’t disabled or caring for someone who is disabled are required to work or participate in an education or job training program aimed at helping them find employment. Kinship care subsidies will grow from $222 per child to $450.

Maine

Portland: Many businesses are scrambling to install gas detectors ahead of Saturday, when a state law goes into effect in response to a 2019 propane blast in Farmington. Detectors must be installed in any room where there’s a gas- or propane-fueled appliance for many businesses, hotels, motels, nonprofit organizations, shelters and rental properties. Those who don’t comply face a $5,000 fine. “It will undoubtedly help protect people with any gas leakage in the buildings. But it’s going to take a while to bring everybody into compliance,” said Jason Grant, of the Portland Fire Department, told WGME-TV. Lawmakers acted after a deadly propane blast in Farmington on Sept. 16, 2019, which killed a firefighter and injured others. The gas detectors are different from fire and smoke detectors. The problem, said Brit Vitalius with the Southern Maine Landlord Association, is that many landlords are just learning of the requirement. “We want our buildings to be safe,” Vitalius said. “But we’re not thrilled with the way that this was just passed at the state level with no education, no outreach, nothing else attached to it to make sure that it’s actually successful.” Local hardware stores say they’re already seeing an increase in purchases.

Maryland

Hagerstown:Longtime Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong, 75, is retiring from the legal profession after 49 years. Strong’s last day as state attorney is Friday, leaving with a full year remaining in his term. The circuit court judges are charged with naming a replacement, according to Administrative Judge Brett R. Wilson. He and the other judges were to meet to discuss how to proceed. Wilson said they could immediately appoint a permanent replacement to fill the remainder of Strong’s term or name an interim state attorney who would serve until a permanent replacement is found. He said there has been “some interest” expressed in the vacancy, but he could not elaborate. Strong took a job as a law clerk in the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office and was sworn in as an assistant state attorney there after he passed the bar in 1972. He found that his true interest is in criminal law, and that doing “something for people” as a prosecutor has proven to be satisfying. Strong worked on his most memorable case while he was still a law clerk. He was part of the team that prosecuted Arthur Bremer on charges that he shot Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972 during a campaign event in Laurel, leaving Wallace paralyzed from the waist down. Bremer was convicted and served 35 years in prison before he was released in 2007.

Massachusetts

Beverly: A husband and wife who operate a small farm in Beverly have gone to court to keep their roosters. Brian and Anita Deeley in their complaint filed in Essex Superior Court last week said the city Board of Health overstepped its authority by ordering them to remove the roosters from their 19-acre farm, The Salem News reported Friday.The Deeleys said the city has “intimidated and coerced” them, and the roosters are crucial to the farm for breeding and protecting hens from predators. The city health director ordered the Deeleys to remove the roosters after a neighbor complained about noise and the couple was prohibited from having roosters by a permit issued in 2015. The Board of Health in October denied the Deeleys a new permit that would have allowed them to keep the roosters. The Deeleys in the suit said the power of a local health board is limited when it comes to commercial farms and the “crowing of roosters” does not constitute a nuisance under state law. The suit seeks damages and a reversal of the board’s decision. The city in response said it has the authority to revoke the animal permit for cause and asked that the suit be dismissed.

Michigan

Lansing: The Michigan Supreme Court is accepting public comment on a proposal to raise dues for most lawyers by $70 a year to $385 or 22%. The State Bar of Michigan has not had a dues increase since 2003. The increase would help “continue the valuable services and resources the Bar provides for its members,” the court said. Lawyers help pay for the operations of the State Bar and the attorney discipline system. The state’s Supreme Court is accepting comments until April 1. It also will hold a public hearing.

Minnesota

Hutchinson: A man who attacked a Menards employee after the worker told him to wear a mask and then assaulted a responding police officer with a hammer has been sentenced to a year in prison. Luke Oeltjenbruns, 61, of Hutchinson pleaded guilty to charges of first- and second-degree assault for the April incident. In addition to the prison time, he was ordered to serve 10 years of probation, perform community service, attend therapy and write letters of apology to the victims. Oeltjenbruns is accused of hitting the lumber store employee multiple times in the head with a piece of wood after the employee would not check him out unless he put on a mask. Later, following a slow-speed case in the suspect’s pickup truck, Officer Steven Sickmann got up on the truck’s running board and reached through the window. Oeltjenbruns closed the window on his arm, trapping him, and hit Sickmann in the head with a hammer. Robbie Lynn Oeltjenbruns said during sentencing that her husband suffers from depression, anxiety and PTSD from his time in the military.

Mississippi

Belden: The founders of a company that makes custom-fit jeans are trying their hand in the multibillion-dollar bedding and mattress industry. Blue Delta Jeans co-founders Josh West and Nick Weaver are among the investors in Sandman Bedding, a maker of mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. The company is renovating a facility near Belden, representing a $2.3 million investment. Operations are expected to start in January, and the company expects to employ 25 people within a few months. Sandman Bedding will manufacture products for e-commerce and retail, and develop its direct-to-consumer mattress product under the Nest and Wild brand. Sandman Bedding also will design and manufacture sleep products for other brands across the U.S. The Mississippi Development Authority is providing a $75,000 grant to help with building and infrastructure improvements. MDA also certified the company for the Advantage Jobs Rebate Program, which is for eligible businesses that create jobs exceeding the average annual wage of the state or county in which the company locates or expands.

Missouri

Springfield:In the last year, Springfield police have had more than 1,100 reports of stolen catalytic converters, which is up from 408 in 2020 and 95 in the previous four years combined. “It’s been an ongoing issue for well over a year,” Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams said. “It’s not unique to us, this is a nationwide issue as well. Lots of places around the country are dealing with the same thing.” Experts said a significant increase in the prices of the precious metals housed inside of catalytic converters is driving the spike in thefts. The drastic increase in catalytic converter thefts over the past two years has led to a task force being created in Springfield and bills being filed in Jefferson City. But local law enforcement officers said the problems persist. ‘It’s kind of like a little chemistry lab’ Though just one part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, catalytic converters play an integral role in keeping harmful chemicals from being emitted from a car.” Made up of precious metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium, a catalytic converter takes harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides and converts them into less harmful chemicals such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water (in the form of steam), according to McLaughlin. According to McLaughlin, the toxic chemicals pass through the precious metals on the inside of the converter — which look like honeycomb made of metal — the precious metals strip the more harmful chemicals out and leave the less harmful ones.

Montana

Great Falls:COVID-19 was the leading cause of death among Native Americans in Montana and the third-leading cause of death among all Montana residents in 2020, according to a December Department of Public Health and Human Services report. The report found 1,022 Native Americans in Montana died in 2020, compared to an average of 676 deaths each year during the five previous years (2015 to 2019). Of the 1,022 Native people who died in 2020, 251, or about 25%, died from COVID-19. Heart disease, unintentional injury and cancer were the second-, third- and fourth leading causes of death, respectfully. Forty-seven Native Americans died from diabetes in 2020, 36 died by suicide and 21 died from homicide. Throughout the pandemic, Indigenous communities in Montana have consistently implemented stricter COVID-19 safety protocols than the state, including curfews, remote learning and quarantine orders. Yet, Native Americans have also consistently been over-represented among Montana’s COVID-19 victims. A previous report revealed that between March and October 2020, Native Americans accounted for 19% of Montana’s COVID-19 cases and 32% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths, yet Indigenous people make up 6.7% of Montana’s population.

Nebraska

Lincoln: A child welfare provider that struggled financially as it served Omaha-area families was beset by mounting debt, poor money management and other problems even before it won a state contract, according to an audit by the group’s home state of Kansas. The audit of Saint Francis Ministries released Thursday showed a nonprofit in financial disarray, with managers who spent money on themselves instead of programs and a chief executive at the time who enjoyed lavish trips paid for by the organization, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The audit also stated that Saint Francis has since taken steps to correct those issues. A Saint Francis spokesperson reiterated the organization is now financially stable. “We are proud of the work done in the past year and the cultural changes we have seen at Saint Francis,” Morgan Rothenberger, executive director of marketing and communications, said in an email. “We will continue to be diligent in our efforts to provide healing and hope to children and families, working closely with our community members.” Those recent changes have come amid continued setbacks in Nebraska, where Saint Francis was contracted to oversee the care of abused and neglected children in Douglas and Sarpy counties starting in 2020. St. Francis later conceded it underbid that contract. The state announced earlier this month that it would terminate its contract with Saint Francis Ministries, but continue to use the group for child placement services.

Nevada

Reno:A series of winter storms blasting cold air and dumping snow in Northern Nevada has affected travel, with mountain passes closed, canceled or delayed flights and state offices shut down. The Nevada Highway Patrol reported several crashes Monday morning. Five flights at Reno Tahoe International Airport were canceled or delayed Monday as weather and COVID-19 have affected travel across the country. Interstate 80 from the Nevada state line to Applegate in California remained closed Monday. The 70-mile stretch was shut down Sunday. U.S. 395 also was closed in Washoe Valley. On Sunday, there were at least two pileups causing injuries and at least six people were transported to hospitals, according to Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. On Sunday night, Gov. Steve Sisolak mandated that all nonessential state workers stay home. The University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College also canceled on-campus in-person operations, including classes that are running for a mini-winter break session. A winter storm advisory was in effect until 7 p.m. Monday, with the storm expecting to leave as much as 3 more inches of snow in lower elevations. Cold temperatures are forcast to linger for most of the week. High temperatures on the valley floor are expected to hover in the upper 20s, with lows barely reaching the teens.

New Hampshire

Concord: Snowmobile riders from outside of New Hampshire will have the chance to explore the more than 7,000 miles of trails in the state during Open Snowmobile Registration Weekend in March. From Friday, March 4, through Sunday, March 6, sleds legally registered in other states and Canadian provinces will be able to operate on the state’s trails. State laws and regulations regarding the operation of snowmobiles will be enforced. “It’s a great opportunity for residents and visitors alike to explore some of the most beautiful parts of the state that can be most easily accessed by snowmobile in the winter,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Captain Michael Eastman, who coordinates snowmobile and off-highway recreational vehicle enforcement, registration and safety education.

New Jersey

Wantage:A young cow that escaped from a New York City slaughterhouse last week has been taken to an animal sanctuary in New Jersey. The (Morristown) Daily Record reported the 400-pound Hereford heifer, estimated to be about 9 months old, ran away from a Queens business Friday. The animal was corralled by rangers later in the day at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The next day, Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue center in Sussex County posted that “Stacy” was in temporary quarantine at the 230-acre facility in Wantage. “Little Stacy is doing well, getting used to us as she awaits test results that will hopefully give her the OK to go in with some other kids,” the center said. Director Mike Stura said the heifer will then join 93 other bovines among the 450 permanent residents at the center. Skylands said it offers homes to animals “from slaughterhouses, live markets, farms, extreme neglect, abuse, religious ceremonies, abandonment and are even found wandering streets.”

New Mexico

Albuquerque: A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of a bear with a bow and arrow near Taos in October. The Albuquerque Journal reported Friday a man was charged in Taos Magistrate Court with unlawful killing of big game by shooting from the road and failing to tag the bear, both misdemeanors. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said last month it was investigating the Oct. 29 incident in Arroyo Seco. Bears are a protected species in New Mexico, but bear hunting was allowed in that area at the time of killing, officials said previously. But the newspaper reported court documents stated the Taos-area man shot the bear, which was in a tree, with a bow and arrow, and then shot it a second time after a bystander told him to “shoot it again” so it wouldn’t suffer. The man then “left the area where the bear was killed and made no attempt to retrieve the bear,” authorities alleged. The next day the Taos Volunteer Fire Department removed the bear from the tree with a ladder truck.

New York

Red Hook: Red Hook has joined a list of Dutchess County municipalities with laws in place regulating short-term rentals. The Red Hook Town Board on Wednesday unanimously passed a local law that limits the number of days hosts can rent their space, requires permits when hosting and specifies rules for what sort of renting is allowed in each zoning district. The law was passed after weeks of negotiation, public comment and resistance from some hosts. Similar laws have been passed in Beacon, Clinton, Pawling, Rhinebeck and Milan. Other Dutchess areas, including Poughkeepsie and Pine Plains, are considering following suit. Beacon is planning to revisit its regulations to potentially add limitations next year. The regulations are intended to keep neighborhoods from filling up with houses and apartments that are rented for part of the year with transient guests and sometimes no homeowner on site. Town officials said they can help ensure housing is not bought specifically for short-term rental use, at a time when there is a growing need for affordable apartments and homes. The laws are also meant to legalize short-term rentals through appropriate zoning while keeping a check on nuisances such as “party houses” and unsafe conditions. In Red Hook, rentals limited to one bedroom are being permitted in all zoning districts, and are limited to 210 days a year. Other rentals outside of dense residential neighborhoods are permitted for more than one bedroom, as long as they are the primary residence of the host, and are limited to 120 days a year.

North Carolina

Linville:Firefighters spent Christmas Day protecting a small neighborhood from a 350-acre forest fire that has closed popular trails in the Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area near Wilson Creek and Grandfather Mountain. First reported on Christmas Eve, the fire was 20% contained as of Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It was burning in the Grandfather Ranger District in Avery County near Bee Mountain, about 10 miles southeast of Linville. Twenty U.S. Forest Service firefighters are working to improve fire lines, said Lisa Jennings, recreation and trails program manager with the Forest Service. The fire is suspected to be human-caused, with no reported lightning strikes recently, though Jennings said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Recent rain dampened the fire some and more rain is expected Wednesday for the area, keeping humidity levels high, she said. All roads, including Roseboro Road, which connects the area to Linville, and Brown Mountain Beach Road, which follows Wilson Creek, are open, Jennings said, but several trailheads accessed via Roseboro and Pineola roads are closed.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Wayne Stenehjem, a Republican who is the longest-serving attorney general in state history, said he will not seek reelection in 2022. Stenehjem, 68, said at a news conference he plans to retire to spend more time with his wife, the Bismarck Tribune reported. “I have had over the years many, many difficult decisions, but none really as difficult as this one,” he said. Stenehjem first took office in 2001 and has held it for six terms. His career in North Dakota politics has spanned more than four decades, starting with his election to the House in 1976. He ran for governor in 2016 but lost in the GOP primary to Doug Burgum, who went on to become governor. Stenehjem carried his last election in 2018 with nearly 68% of the vote. His term will conclude at the end of next year. His departure was expected to set off a scramble among Republicans vying for the statewide office next year. Among those considering a run are North Dakota district Judge Wade Webb and former U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley, KFGO-AM reported.

Ohio

Akron:Citing “an abundance of caution,” the Akron Symphony Orchestra said it is rescheduling two concerts as COVID-19 cases rise in northern Ohio. The Baroque Virtuosos, originally scheduled for Jan. 15 at E.J. Thomas Hall, is being moved to 8 p.m. May 14. The planned Gospel Meets Symphony, scheduled for Feb. 12, will be held on at 7:30 p.m.June 18 at E.J. Thomas Hall. The orchestra’s other concerts on the schedule have not been changed. Tickets already purchased for the impacted concerts will be honored on the new dates. Vouchers for other concerts are available through the orchestra’s box office. Visit AkronSymphony.org for more information.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: A federal judge has granted a stay of execution for a death-row inmate who was scheduled to receive a lethal injection in March. In his order last week, U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot agreed to stay the execution of 49-year-old James Coddington. The order reinstates Coddington as a plaintiff in a case with other death-row inmates who are challenging Oklahoma’s three-drug lethal injection protocol. A trial in that case is scheduled to begin before Friot in February. Coddington initially was removed from that case because he failed to select an alternative method of execution that Friot required of the plaintiffs. But Coddington’s attorneys were able to prove to the judge that Coddington had selected firing squad as an alternative method. Firing squad is one of several authorized execution methods under Oklahoma law, along with lethal injection, electrocution and nitrogen hypoxia. Lethal injection has been the only method used in Oklahoma since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976. Coddington’s public defender declined to comment on the judge’s order, and a spokeswoman for state Attorney General John O’Connor didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Oregon

Portland: State health officials and disability advocates have come to an agreement on a dispute over admission to the state’s psychiatric hospital. In court records filed Dec. 17, plaintiffs Disability Rights Oregon and Metropolitan Public Defender with the Oregon Health Authority agreed to have an outside expert study long running capacity issues, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Even before the pandemic, many people in the criminal justice system with a mental illness who needed hospital level care waited for that care while in local jails. Advocates and state health officials said staffing issues, hospital management and a surge in demand have exacerbated the crisis. Lawmakers and advocates for people with disabilities have said the state needs more community based treatment and housing options to prevent people from reaching a crisis, or to support them as they leave hospital care. Dr. Debra Pinals has been hired as a neutral party to study the hospital and provide recommendations on how to alleviate the hospital’s capacity problems, officials said. Pinals works for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as the medical director of behavioral health and forensic programs. Friday’s agreement also limited the amount of time people found guilty except for insanity will wait for admission to four months.

Pennsylvania

Bellefonte: A church with a 221-year history held its final service and is scheduled to close at the end of the year because of declining membership and attendance. The First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service on Christmas Eve. The church was established in 1800 by the same men who founded Bellefonte in 1795 at a time when there were only 16 states and counted among its members two former Pennsylvania governors. The church met at the courthouse for almost two decades and then in a stone edifice; the current structure was built shortly after the Civil War. Dannaker estimated the church had about 40 members before the pandemic, a number that is down to about 25, and had no in-person worship from March 2020 until Easter Sunday. When Dannaker joined 34 years ago, she said, there were about 200 people in attendance then. Pam Benson, 77, a member for 73 years, said that when she was born during World War II, many businesses were closed Sunday and few events were scheduled. She said she also believes fewer parents have insisted that their children attend services and that churches haven’t always been competitive in recruiting new members. “It was so different. It was just what you did. Unless you were really sick, it was just what you did,” Benson said. “It’s just change, it’s progression. It’s what happens. Not that I like it, but it is what it is.” The 15,000-square-foot church is scheduled to close for the last time Dec. 31. Dannaker said the future of the building hasn’t been determined.

Rhode Island

Providence: Rhode Island Hospital is getting $600,000 in federal funding to launch the state’s first Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program, according to the state’s congressional delegation. The hospital was awarded the funding from the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime, the state’s congressional delegation said. The federal funding will enable Rhode Island to provide equitable access to quality, trauma-informed medical and forensic care for survivors of sexual assault and support community resources that prioritize healing and justice, the delegation said. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said the grant will ensure evidence is properly collected and analyzed, thereby reducing trauma for sexual assault survivors and strengthening the state’s capacity to effectively prosecute cases. Rhode Island Hospital is part of the Lifespan health system. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Lifespan is building a new program to provide comprehensive support to survivors of sexual assault.

South Carolina

Ridgeland: A Jasper County town is being paid nearly $920,000 by the South Carolina prison system to end a four-year dispute over a facility’s water and sewer bill. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling told the State Fiscal Accountability Authority earlier this month that he didn’t want to pay the bill, but he felt like he had no choice because state law allows the increase. “They literally came to us and said they’d shut the water off,” Stirling said, a move that would cause chaotic and dangerous conditions behind bars. Stirling asked the five-member authority that oversees agency spending, made up of the governor, treasurer, comptroller general, House Ways and Means chairman and Senate Finance chairman, to put pressure on legislators to do something to prevent another town from taking advantage of the state. Ridgeland Town administrator Dennis Averkin declined to comment, telling The Post and Courier the lawsuit over the water rates was still pending.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Staff members and guests at a homeless and transitional facility each received $100 bills for Christmas from an anonymous donor. The St. Francis House in Sioux Falls has 90 residents, one of whom is recovering from cancer and suffering from Parkinson’s disease. St. Francis House Executive Director Julie Becker said it was humbling to be selected by the donor and delivered a message when handing out the bills, KELO-TV reported. “Please know that this donor wanted to let all of you know that you guys are all special people, okay?” Becker said. “Your circumstances do not define you. You are all here for a reason, and it’s all different, and everybody is working their plan to get on to a better way of life.” She also asked them to continue paying it forward, such as putting a couple of bucks in the Salvation Army kettle or buying someone a cup of coffee.

Tennessee

Nashville: The George Jones – a museum, restaurant and venue dedicated to the late country music legend – permanently closed its doors, according to a social media post from the business. A post to Instagram Dec. 19 indicated that COVID-19 hurdles, workforce shortages and the aftermath of last year’s Christmas morning bombing contributed to the closure of the museum on Second Avenue in the bustling Lower Broadway entertainment district. “It has been a difficult [two] years for so many — our company has been no different,” the post read, adding: “As many business owners know, between the workforce shortages and difficulty with consistency of products, it is a challenge day to day (to say the least) to make a business viable.” With artifacts and interactive displays, the museum celebrated Jones – a rich-voiced Country Music Hall of Fame singer known for “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “The Race Is On,” and countless others. The attraction featured outfits, instruments, awards, platinum albums and Jones’ famous John Deere riding lawnmower. Museum items will be handled with care, according to the closure announcement; a new location for the exhibit is yet to be announced. The George Jones opened in 2015, two years after the singer’s death.

Texas

Corpus Christi:The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said last week it is looking for public input to proposed rules changes for spotted seatrout on the middle and lower coast. A release from the department stated the proposed rules would reduce the spotted seatrout bag limit to three fish and restrict the allowable size to 17 to 23 inches for two years. “The goal of this rule is to leave more spawning fish in the water for two spawning seasons in order to help the populations recover quickly from the 2021 winter storm,” the release said. The changes would affect Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre systems. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will vote on the adoption of the rules during its January meeting.

Utah

Park City: Officials said 167 skiers were stranded for several hours before being rescued from a broken lift at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. Officials said the Carpenter Express chairlift experienced a mechanical failure about 2:38 p.m. Friday, KUTV reported. Mountain operations staff got the chairlift moving again and implemented lift evacuation procedures by 3:15 p.m., officials said. Some skiers tweeted the ski patrol started evacuating people about an hour after the lift initially stopped running. Deer Valley ski patrol, mountain operations, lift maintenance, lift operations, mountain hosts and ski school responded to the incident and successfully evacuated all of the skiers by 5:20 p.m. Deer Valley officials said. Video from skiers posted to social media showed staff members using ropes to help lower stranded skiers to the ground. Deer Valley officials thanked their staff for their efforts and said their work was “heroic.” The Carpenter Express chairlift is located at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Base. It transports skiers to Snow Park-area ski runs and provides access to ski runs connecting to the midmountain area at Silver Lake.

Vermont

Lyndon: The Select Board in Lyndon has tripled the fines for height and weight limit violations on two covered bridges, hours after the latest vehicle collision with one of the bridges. Drivers that exceed the limits will face fines of $5,000 for a first offense, $10,000, for a second offense and $15,000 for third and subsequent offenses, the Caledonian Record reported. The increased fines are meant as a deterrent and to fund mitigation measures for the Miller’s Run bridge, which was struck for the sixth time this year on Dec. 20, the newspaper reported. The town plans to install steel I-beam structures at either end of the bridge to block tall vehicles. The town is also considering adding surveillance cameras to capture offenders’ license plates. The change in fines will go into effect in 60 days.

Virginia

Richmond: The Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said there have been 90 homicides in the city in 2021, the most of any year since there were 95 in 2004, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Meanwhile, 13 people have been killed in Richmond in December, including eight slain in an eight-day period. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Learned Barry said the city has seen 24 more homicides this year than in 2020, and he drew a comparison to a 10-year stretch spanning the 1980s and 1990s when Richmond had 100 or more murders every year. “We have a problem again,” said Barry, a veteran homicide prosecutor. “That becomes the No. 1 problem for the city.” In the past three years, at least 98 children under age 18 have been shot in the city. Of those, 14 died. At least nine people under age 18 have been charged in homicide cases this year, compared to just five for 2019 and 2020, according to police statistics. “We’ve got to stop this because our children are dying,” said Tracey Scott, one of many community advocates to speak up during a recent meeting aimed at stemming the city’s gun violence.

Washington

Seattle: Emergency warming shelters were opened throughout western Washington and Oregon as temperatures plunged into the teens and forecasters said an arctic blast would last for several days. Utilities reported about 6,000 customers without power in western Oregon Monday morning and about 3,300 in western Washington. Sunday’s snow showers blew into the Pacific Northwest from the Gulf of Alaska, dumping up to 6 inches across the Seattle area. More snow is predicted for Thursday, but probably not quite as much. More than a foot was reported near Port Angeles across the Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula. Icy roads will make the commute challenging in Seattle. Frigid temperatures in the region broke daily cold records. The National Weather Service said Seattle’s low Sunday was 20 degrees F, breaking a mark set in 1948. Bellingham was 9 degrees F, three degrees colder than the previous record set in 1971. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an emergency order on Christmas Eve that allows for incentive pay for city workers who will be providing direct services during the cold snap.

West Virginia

Charleston: A new equestrian campground with a covered corral and 20 stalls is being developed at North Bend State Park, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. Department of Resources Director Stephen McDaniel announced the project, which he said was prompted by a surge of interest in trail riding during a recent meeting of the Shiloh Trail Riders. When the project is completed, McDaniel said, it will be the largest of three equestrian campgrounds in West Virginia. The new campground will include a loop of 12 pull-in campsites large enough to accommodate campers and trailers with power and water hookups. It is being built adjacent to the Cokeley Campground at North Bend, and visitors to the campground will be able to use the bathhouse there.

Wisconsin

Milwaukee:The National Weather Service has confirmed a rare December wind storm spawned eight tornadoes across west-central Wisconsin. The Dec. 15 storm swept across multiple states. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday the storm produced three tornadoes rated as EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, three EF-1 tornadoes and two EF-0 tornadoes. The EF-2s touched down in Clark County and in Stanley, a city in Chippewa and Clark counties. An EF-1 touched down in Homer, Minnesota, before ending on a Mississippi River island on the Wisconsin side. The other EF-1s touched down in Levis, along the Trempealeau and Jackson County line and in Clark County. The EF-0s touched down in Eau Claire County and in the village of Trempealeau. The Enhanced Fujita Scale is a numerical scale that measures a tornado’s wind speed and destructive power. An EF-2 packs winds ranging from 113 mph to 157 mph. An EF-1 can produce winds between 73 mph and 112 mph. An EF-0 can produce winds ranging from 40 mph to 72 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Having the desire to take on a nontraditional workforce, Justin Smith became the first woman to graduate from Laramie County Community College’s new commercial driver’s license program last summer. She began her journey with the hope of finding a self-sustaining job that would allow her to spend more time with her two daughters, and find work-life balance. Before she even attended LCCC for the training, she had a job lined up with a local wheat company, backed by the efforts of Climb Wyoming. Now, she has her own semi truck and runs a business, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported. “You just got to be patient,” she said. “But anything can be done.” Smith was among the first students in the community college’s driving program, which was created after Gov. Mark Gordon approached LCCC President Joe Schaffer in the wake of the workforce shortage. The first class was offered in March, and she was one of 10 students who completed the program in June.