News from across the USA

ALABAMA Auburn: The Alabama Oyster Social raised $ 35,000 for a shellfish lab in Auburn. The Opelika- Auburn News reports that the event last month brought out more than 600 attendees to enjoy around 5,000 raw oysters. ALASKA Anchorage: Voters in the nation’s northernmost town won’t get a chance at the polls after all to repeal its new Inupiat Eskimo name. The council in the town formerly known as Barrow voted 5- 1 against having another referendum on the new name, Utqiagvik. ARIZONA Wintersburg: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has started a special inspection at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix. The inspection comes after an emergency diesel generator failed during testing last month. ARKANSAS North Little Rock: About 80 members of the Arkansas National Guard are on deployment to Kuwait. The 77th Combat Aviation Brigade troops include helicopter maintenance and operation personnel, The Arkansas Democrat- Gazette reports. CALIFORNIA San Francisco: City College of San Francisco will offer free tuition to city residents under a deal made with Mayor Ed Lee, The San Francisco Examiner reports. Lee agreed to spend $ 5.4 million on free tuition for city residents. COLORADO Durango: Wildlife officials captured a mountain lion suspected of killing a deer near a Colorado middle school. The Durango Herald reports that the mountain lion, along with her cub, were released near the Utah line. CONNECTICUT Milford: A man and a 10- year- old boy were rescued last weekend after falling into an icy Connecticut pond. Fire officials say the man saw the boy fall through the ice and was able to lift him out of the water. Police then threw a life safety ring to the man. DELAWARE Dover: A man whose jaw was broken when he was kicked by a Dover police officer received $ 300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The National Zoo in Washington says 3- year- old panda Bao Bao will fly to China this month. The zoo’s cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association requires all cubs born at the zoo move to China by the time they turn 4.

FLORIDA Lake City: More than two dozen kids attending a science competition fell ill last weekend after eating a catered lunch. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says the suspected food poisoning case affected 28 children and 2 adults.

GEORGIA Savannah: The Georgia Ports Authority is selling 500 acres for warehousing and distribution development near the busy Port of Savannah. The land sale comes during a growth spurt at the nation’s fourth busiest container port.

HAWAII Honolulu: The global luxury hotel chain Mandarin Oriental will operate hotel and residential apartments in a new Honolulu tower. The 36- story tower is scheduled to open in 2020. IDAHO Coeur d’Alene: Idaho officials put together a $ 450,000 emergency repair project when pavement on Interstate 90 broke apart this winter. The SpokesmanReview reports that the state Transportation Department patched the cracks over two nights in late January. ILLINOIS Chicago: Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium has euthanized an Australian lungfish that had been on display there for more than 80 years. Aquarium officials cited “a rapid decline in quality of life” suffered by the fish, named “Granddad.”

INDIANA South Bend: The University of Notre Dame has received a $ 25 million donation toward a new music building under construction at the school’s football stadium. Work is expected to be completed in August.

IOWA Dubuque: Canadian Pacific Railway says its line south of Dubuque is back in operation after a derailment. The railroad says 26 cars from a 99- car train derailed early Sunday about 10 miles from Dubuque.

KANSAS Emporia: The Kansas Highway Patrol says a man grabbed the wheel of a charter bus and caused it to veer off the road. No one was hurt, and police praised the bus driver for controlling the vehicle, The Topeka Capital Journal reports.

KENTUCKY Louisville: Kentucky’s two eye banks are merging to better coordinate with donor groups and other eye banks around the country. The eye banks in Louisville and Lexington procure donor tissue and distribute corneas for transplant to patients. LOUISIANA Grand Chenier: Two Louisiana men were fined for illegally collecting over 500 alligator eggs, The Times- Picayune reports. MAINE Litchfield: The Kennebec County hamlet of Litchfield doesn’t have an official social media account. Instead, residents can turn to a pair of dueling Facebook pages for opinions, The Kennebec Journal reports. MARYLAND Randallstown: Baltimore County officials are celebrating the start of $ 1.1 million in major renovations at the Randallstown Library Branch. The project will include more than 30 public computers, free wireless internet and other upgrades. MASSACHUSETTS

Whatley: Two injured owls that were rescued by the same police sergeant over the past four months have been released into the wild. The Republican reports that the owls, named Oscar and Oliver, took flight after rehabilitation at the hands of a bird expert. MICHIGAN Jackson: A worker safety agency is looking into complaints about strong odors and raw sewage backups at a correctional facility near Jackson.

The Detroit Free Press reports that the probe is also looking into complaints about maggots and human waste rising from shower drains.

MINNESOTA St. Paul: Some Minnesota lawmakers are moving to block cities from implementing their own sick leave policies or minimum wage hikes. Mandatory sick leave requirements are set to take effect this summer in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

MISSISSIPPI Biloxi: The Biloxi Boat Show is returning this weekend to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sun Herald reports that 18 boat dealers and 100 booth vendors are set to participate in the three- day show.

MISSOURI Kansas City: A proposal in the Missouri legislature would eliminate tenure for professors at public colleges and universities in the state. The Kansas City Star reports that the plan wouldn’t take tenure away from those who’ve already earned it. MONTANA Helena: An independent auditor has declared Montana’s financial statements error- free. The analysis by the Legislative Audit Division is usually a routine matter. But embarrassing mistakes sometimes come up, such as missing zeros from large numbers. NEBRASKA Omaha: A group of Omaha high school students will participate in a mentor program so they can eventually design a new addition for Norris Middle School, The Omaha World- Herald reports. NEVADA Las Vegas: Nevada game wardens say they’ve seen an alarming increase in illegally killed waterfowl. Two pelicans, 10 cormorants and five swans have been found dead. NEW HAMPSHIRE Durham: The University of New Hampshire is using a $ 3 million donation for an engineering lab wing. The School of Marine Sciences and Ocean Engineering will have study areas for ocean structures, coastal sediments, ocean acoustics and marine robotics. NEW JERSEY Newark: Police in Newark say a man attacked a church pastor during a street encounter after questioning the victim about his religious beliefs. The pastor was treated at a hospital for minor injuries.

NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: New Mexico’s program for inspecting and certifying organic farms is struggling financially, The Santa

Fe New Mexican reports. The program has operated with a $ 100,000- a- year deficit since the state cut its funding in 2010.

NEW YORK New York: New York City’s fire department is pumping $ 10 million into a campaign to help recruitment efforts. The Daily News reports that four firefighters who also work as recruiters, two men and two women, were chosen as the faces for banners that will be hung up at every firehouse. NORTH CAROLINA Chapel Hill: North Carolina’s flagship university has reopened following a weekend water emergency. Problems with over- fluoridation at a water treatment plant and a broken water main were to blame. NORTH DAKOTA Fargo: A student with cerebral palsy filed a federal complaint after being denied admission to North Dakota State University’s pharmacy program. WDAY- TV reports that the student filed the complaint after being denied reasonable accommodations. OHIO Sylvania: A private liberal arts university in Ohio is adding competitive video gaming to its athletic programs. Lourdes University joins about 30 other schools across the U. S. that offer so- called eSports. OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: Oklahoma forestry officials are warning of an increasing risk for wildfires. A number of counties imposed burn bans for various periods. OREGON Medford: A change in how the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers interprets its acquisition regulations could mean privatizing the Cole Rivers Hatchery and six other Oregon hatcheries. The Mail Tribune reports that the agency is considering contracting Cole Rivers to the lowest bidder. PENNSYLVANIA Phila

delphia: Commuters who use a major Philadelphia subway line are facing delays, and some might be forced to ride buses. Cracks were found during overhaul work on two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority subway cars. Other cars are out for inspection as a result. RHODE ISLAND Warwick: Rhode Island police are searching for three men who stole an 11week- old bulldog puppy during an armed home invasion in Warwick. WPRI- TV reports that a handgun, marijuana and cash were also taken during the breakin last week. Two men who live in the house were held at gunpoint. SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: A Columbia firefighter has been suspended after declining to answer police questions about an arson fire that killed an 80- yearold apartment resident. Investigators aren’t calling the unnamed firefighter a crime suspect but say they believe he has important information about the Jan. 29 fire. SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: Authorities are investigating an armed robbery at Happy Jack’s Casino in Sioux Falls. Two suspects were caught on security cameras last Friday stealing cash from a register and safe. TENNESSEE Nashville: A Tennessee lawmaker wants to exempt churches from having to report campaign spending on “public or private morality.” The proposal would relate to referenda on alcohol, drugs, abortion, marriage and gambling. TEXAS South Padre Island: The biggest beach bar in Texas is being sued by a songwriters and publishers group. ASCAP claims that Clayton’s South Padre Island beach bar is one of 10 U. S. businesses violating copyright law by not having an annual license for music. Clayton’s says it pays a monthly license, The Brownsville Herald reports. UTAH Bountiful: The Bountiful City Council has rejected a 4,000signature petition to let voters decided on a new $ 16 million city hall. The Deseret News reports that critics say the project is unnecessary. VERMONT Burlington: Vermont’s congressional delegation says a review of the F- 35 program ordered by the Trump administration isn’t expected to derail plans to put 18 of the fighter jets in the state. The Burlington Free Press reports that the planes are due to arrive in 2019. VIRGINIA Richmond: Virginia hunters who use dogs have scored a victory. The House on Monday narrowly voted down a bill to fine hunters whose dogs go on private land without the landowners’ permission. WASHINGTON Olympia: A Washington state official is trying to push the presidential primary earlier in the year. The Everett Herald reports that Secretary of State Kim Wyman supports having the primary on the second Tuesday in March instead of the fourth Tuesday in May. WEST VIRGINIA Salem: A nowclosed Harrison County boarding school is being sued by two exstudents who say a “culture of silence and secrecy” led to widespread abuse. The Charleston Gazette- Mail reports that plaintiffs in the suit against Miracle Meadows School claim neglect and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. WISCONSIN Milwaukee: A study says the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has underreported wolf poaching, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Researchers found that 64% of radio- collar wolf deaths were due to human causes. WYOMING Laramie: The University of Wyoming College of Law is offering in- state tuition to some out- of- state applicants. The Laramie Boomerang reports that the school’s Board of Trustees approved a motion to allow three such tuition waivers each year.