STATE- BY- STATE

Editor’s Note: This is an abbreviated version of the State- By- State page. The full version will return.

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Birmingham: A former federal prison worker in Alabama has agreed to plead guilty to taking $ 5,700 in bribes from inmates at the women’s prison to smuggle in items.

ALASKA Juneau: Arson is suspected in a playground fire causing more than $ 250,000 damage, The Juneau Empire reports.

ARIZONA Phoenix: Arizona lawmakers want to block the state and local governments from requiring background checks on private gun sales.

ARKANSAS Harrison: A 4- yearold girl fell through the open back door of a moving church bus onto an Arkansas highway but was rescued by a volunteer firefighter who was driving behind the bus.

CALIFORNIA San Francisco: California’s auditor says top University of California administrators hid $ 175 million in a reserve fund. UC President Janet Napolitano denies the claim.

COLORADO Denver: Mayor Michael Hancock has ordered a review of public marijuana smoking that left a downtown Denver park in a “disrespectful state” following a pot celebration, The Denver Post reports.

CONNECTICUT Middletown: Health officials say 24 employees at a Connecticut psychiatric hospital are suspended amid allegations of patient abuse, The Hartford Courant reports.

DELAWARE Dover: A panel charged with finding ways to reduce cancer rates in Delaware is looking at the role physical activity plays in prevention.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Four people were arrested this week after smoking pot on the U. S. Capitol grounds in Washington.

FLORIDA Tallahassee: Under Florida’s Python Pickup Program, anyone submitting the location and a photo of a Burmese python removal on certain state- managed lands will be eligible for monthly prize drawings.

GEORGIA Savannah: A wildfire that has scorched more than 70 square miles in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge may burn for the next six months.

HAWAII Honolulu: The Honolulu Planning Commission has voiced concern about rezoning agricultural land for urban development, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.

IDAHO Boise: The fluke discovery of children’s bones protruding from a badger hole in Idaho has investigators trying to determine if they’re dealing with a double homicide or a disturbed 19th century grave.

ILLINOIS Evanston: Northwestern University has suspended its Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter for violating terms of a disciplinary probation for serving alcohol to minors.

INDIANA Indianapolis: The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that a wounded police officer can’t sue a sporting goods store that sold a handgun later used to wound him, The Indianapolis Star reports.

IOWA Fort Dodge: Officials plan to remove flooring that contains mercury at Fort Dodge Senior High, The Messenger reports.

KANSAS Winfield: Southwestern College freshman Casey Cargill, a certified dog trainer, is challenging school policy that restricts service dogs on campus, KSNW- TV reports.

KENTUCKY Morehead: Kentucky’s “Indian Head Rock” is the subject of a documentary, The Daily Independent reports.

LOUISIANA New Orleans: Louisiana homeowners report swarms of termites earlier than usual, The New Orleans Advocate reports.

MAINE Limestone: Maine’s math and science magnet school in Limestone has cracked the Top 10 in the annual U. S. News & World Report rankings.

MARYLAND College Park: Classes ended early Monday at the College Park campus of the University of Maryland because of a huge nearby fire at a six- story building under construction.

MASSACHUSETTS Framingham: A recount confirms that the people of Framingham, by a margin of 112 votes, want the town to become a city.

MICHIGAN Lansing: Officials are seeking private concession operators for several Michigan state parks.

MINNESOTA Winona: The rehabilitation of a 75- year- old bridge in Winona is expected to finish on time by the end of 2019, The Winona Daily News reports.

MISSISSIPPI Jackson: Auditors say accounting weaknesses at the Mississippi Department of Education allowed a worker to divert millions of federal dollars.

MISSOURI Eureka: A Mexican wolf was born April 2 at a wildlife center in suburban St. Louis, the first- ever for the breed using frozen semen.

MONTANA Helena: A Montana woman intends to plead guilty to second- degree murder in the death of a 13- month- old girl under her care. She originally reported the child was abducted.

NEBRASKA Omaha: A pregnant woman whose baby was due in May went into labor early and gave birth last weekend at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.

NEVADA Reno: For the first time in 20 years, Nevada wildlife officials released trout into Lahontan Reservoir, KRNV- TV reports.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth: A New Hampshire woman is accused of misusing parking credentials for the disabled — including a dead relative — to park for free for seven years.

NEW JERSEY Trenton: The New Jersey commission that oversees the state capitol building has authorized Gov. Chris Christie’s plan for a $ 300 million rehab.

NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: Santa Fe Community College is partnering with the Seattle Film Institute to offer an accelerated degree in film.

NEW YORK Hartwick: A fire heavily damaged the upstate New York mill owned by Cooperstown Bat Co. The cause is under investigation.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: A 2009 law prohibiting Outer Banks retailers from providing plastic bags to customers would be repealed in an environmental measure before the North Carolina legislature.

NORTH DAKOTA Minot: The Souris Valley Animal Shelter in Minot is raising money for a $ 3.2 million expansion and remodeling, the Minot Daily News reports.

OHIO Dayton: Ohio has created the Purple Star Award for schools that show a commitment to helping students and families connected to the military.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed legislation that lets universities sue sports boosters and agents who violate regulations triggering penalties against the schools, The Oklahoman reports.

OREGON Bend: Two Oregon teens face criminal charges after prosecutors say they made thousands of dollars selling fake gold bars and Rolex watches online, The Bend Bulletin reports.

PENNSYLVANIA Reading: A Pennsylvania woman will serve up to 10 years in prison in the death of her disabled boyfriend who had infected foot wounds, The Reading Eagle reports.

RHODE ISLAND Providence: Rhode Island officials are investigating an outage of the state emergency phone system, WPRITV reports.

SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: South Carolina’s House speaker formed a panel to study how the state can fight painkiller abuse.

SOUTH DAKOTA Rapid City: Officials in South Dakota say 15 people were indicted on charges of illegally trafficking eagles and other migratory birds.

TENNESSEE Nashville: A think tank is suing Nashville over a policy to expand affordable housing, The Tennessean reports.

TEXAS Dallas: The operator of a downtown Dallas newsstand faces charges of cashing fraudulently obtained U. S. Treasury checks worth about $ 16 million.

UTAH Salt Lake City: The CEO of the University of Utah’s cancer research institute who was fired last week has been reinstated, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

VERMONT Montpelier: The Vermont Economic Development Authority is doling out $ 57.4 million in financing. The largest recipient, Bennington College, is getting $ 47.5 million.

VIRGINIA Williamsburg: A former student gave the College of William & Mary $ 15 million to renovate Alumni House.

WASHINGTON Seattle: Seattle has broken another rain record: 44.67 inches between October and so far in April.

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: West Virginia lawmakers have increased the potential fine from $ 500 to $ 5,000 for government employers who threaten or retaliate against whistleblowers.

WISCONSIN Madison: Starting next week, airplanes will begin spraying insecticide to combat gypsy moths in Wisconsin.

WYOMING Casper: The Wyoming Department of Education has set an 89% high school graduation rate as a goal, The Casper Star- Tribune reports.