STATE-BY-STATE

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Athens: An Alabama man unearthed pieces of history when he discovered parts of an old steam engine in Limestone County. The News Courier reports that Tommy Mitchell was using a metal detector when he made the discovery near the former site of a mill. ALASKA Petersburg: The U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with a project to restore a stream south of Petersburg. Alaska Public Media reports that Ohmer Creek was damaged by logging and road-building dating back to 1960. ARIZONA Ajo: An organization that helps migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border says volunteers found five skeletal remains in the Arizona desert within a week. No More Deaths says the discoveries highlight the plight faced by migrants. ARKANSAS Ponca: Arkansas highway officials plan to put up new signs warning of steep hills in the Ozarks. Residents say they’re seeing more crashes involving big trucks. CALIFORNIA Laguna Beach: The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach has been seeing some familiar sea lions that were rehabilitated and released but are back with new Register ailments. The Orange County

reports two such cases — one found with a shark bite. COLORADOswastikas were Longmont:found carved Severalinto playgroundmiller Park in equipment Longmont. at The Loo

Times-Call reports that a resident discovered the vandalism Monday. CONNECTICUT Southington: Some people said it sounded like an explosion. But authorities in Southington were unable to determine what caused the loud noise Monday. Police and fire crews didn’t find anything unusual. DELAWARE Dover: City Council meetings will temporarily remain off the air as Dover moves to take over the TV broadcasts itself. The

Delaware State News reports that broadcasts will likely resume in March. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: A tip from an anonymous caller led District of Columbia police to an abandoned truck full of ATMs. The truck had been reported stolen. It wasn’t clear whether any money was in them. FLORIDA Key West: The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority has asked federal nuclear regulators to deny Florida Power & Light’s request for two new reactors at Turkey Point. The Citizen reports that the facility threatens the Keys’ water supply. GEORGIA Atlanta: Star Wars fans returning from a tribute to the late Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher say their custommade movie costumes were stolen from their vehicle. Bobby Shively says his Darth Vader costume and another fan’s Stormtrooper costume were stolen. Shively and other 501st Legion members dress up to raise money for charity. HAWAII Honolulu: Hawaii residents concerned about pesticides want the state to strengthen regulations for them. Advocates back full disclosure requirements for when and where pesticides are sprayed and mandated buffer zones around schools and hospitals. IDAHO Burley: A woman born on New Year’s Day 1993 gave birth to a baby girl this New Year’s Day in Idaho. The Times

News reports that Cataleya Sia Alvarez arrived 10 days early at Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley, but mother Briana Leon says everything is OK. ILLINOIS Chicago: Chicago State University officials say the school will burn through its cash reserves and eventually will need to make additional cuts. The Chi

cago Tribune reports that documents show a $3.5 million deficit by the end of the school year. INDIANA Indianapolis: Indianapolis tourism officials say they’re not overly concerned about a drop in advance hotel room bookings. The Indianapolis Business

Journal reports that hotel bookings fell in 2016 to the lowest level since 2013, but exceeded 800,000. IOWA Durango: Authorities say a man was killed and another was injured while repairing a tractor. The Dubuque County Sheriff ’s Office says the accident occurred Monday when the tractor slipped into gear during repairs and ran over both men. KANSAS Kansas City: The University of Kansas Hospital and Hays Medical Center are officially partners. The Kansas

City Star reports that the partnership allows medical residents in Kansas City at the state’s only academic/teaching hospital to work in Hays. KENTUCKY Burlington: Work is progressing toward an early spring reopening of the Rabbit Hash General Store in Boone County. The Kentucky landmark was destroyed by fire last February. LOUISIANA Reserve: A barge spilled about 500 gallons of diesel oil into the Mississippi River during a fuel transfer in Reserve, upstream from New Orleans. The Coast Guard tells NOLA.com/

The Times-Picayune that a fuel line burst. MAINE Portland: Maine has a new vaccine requirement for seventh graders. The Portland

Press Herald reports that starting in September, the middle schoolers must get a second dose of Tdap that protects against tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria. Maine has one of the highest rates of pertussis— a contagious respiratory disease —in the nation. MARYLAND Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan this week announced plans for millions of dollars of environmental initiatives in Maryland. They include increased tax credit funding for people who buy electric cars and charging stations. MASSACHUSETTSHampden County has Springfield:its first new decades. sheriff Nick in Cocchimore than was four inaugurated Michael this Ashe, week, 77, takingwho was over firstfor elected to the job in 1974. MICHIGANship: A suburban Plymouth Detroit Town- community is ditching its $20,000-plus snowmaking machine bought last year for a local sledding hill. Plymouth Township official Kurt Heise tells The De

troit News that the “ski resort quality” machine used a lot of water and symbolized government waste. MINNESOTA Shakopee: Police say a man found in a grain bin at a malt production plant died. Officers were called to Rahr Malting Co. in Shakopee on Monday, where the worker was found. Investigators say his death was apparently accidental. MISSISSIPPI Hattiesburg: A woman facing charges linked to the deaths of two Hattiesburg police officers is asking for a change of venue, citing pretrial publicity. The Clarion-Ledger reports that Joanie Calloway is alleged to be an accessory after the fact of the May 2015 slayings. MISSOURI Branson: The first phase of a makeover for a fivemile stretch of highway in Branson could be finished by Memorial Day. The Joplin Globe reports that the project aims to alleviate traffic congestion by creating a wider, continuous pedestrian walkway. MONTANA Helena: Montana’s fish and wildlife agency is appealing a ruling that it broke state ethics laws by allowing its material to be used to oppose a ballot initiative. The agency was fined $1,500. The Montana Trappers Association used agency displays to oppose an anti-trapping initiative in 2014. NEBRASKA Lincoln: A coalition of property owners and elected officials wants Nebraska policy- makers to rely less on property taxes. Reform for Nebraska’s Future collected nearly 12,000 signatures calling for action this year. NEVADAofficials say Lasa count Vegas: found Wildlife more wild year desertthan last bighornyear in lambs Nevada’s this Riverstill struggles Mountains. with But bacterialthe herd pneumonia, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth: A judge says a local auto dealership incurred damages caused by a city sewer line. The Portsmouth

Herald reports that part of Toyota dealer James Boyle’s property became flooded due to years of failed city maintenance. NEW JERSEY Andover Township: Three teens are charged with cyber harassment after police say they were responsible for a social media post with “alarming comments” toward Andover school students. Police said the teens, ages 13 and 14, posted their comments on Instagram. NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: A charter school in Santa Fe has abruptly ended its free and reduced-price lunch program due to state education funding cuts,

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports. NEW YORK Argyle: Police say a man died after crashing his snowmobile on a frozen lake in upstate New York. The Post-Star of Glens Falls reports that Joshua Bemis, 35, was on Cossayuna Lake when he hit a rock sticking out of the ice, sending his snowmobile into trees along the shore. NORTH CAROLINA Belmont: The bus ride back to school after the holidays turned out to be jarring in Gaston County. But officials say no one was hurt when the bus overturned Tuesday west of Charlotte. NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: North Dakota lawmakers are back in Bismarck for a session that will deal with depressed crop and crude oil prices. When it comes to controlling state spending, newly elected Gov. Doug Burgum says “everything is on the table.” OHIO Cleveland: A Franklin County judge says Ohio’s oil-andgas regulator must allow brine pumping to resume at a fracking operation. The injection well was ordered closed by regulators in 2014 after small earthquakes occurred nearby. OKLAHOMA Tulsa: Tulsa police officers fatally shot seven people last year. That’s after zero deadly force incidents in 2015, The Tulsa

World reports. OREGON Hubbard: Crews responding to a fire report found three separate structures burning in Hubbard. They also found a body. Investigators are trying to identify the body. PENNSYLVANIA Gettysburg: A shuttered Pennsylvania museum that features wax figures of all 44 U.S. presidents and their first ladies will display the figures before they’re auctioned Jan. 14. The Hall of Presidents and First Ladies Museum in Gettysburg closed in November. RHODE ISLAND Providence: Rhode Island has revised its regulations on horseshoe crab harvesting, the Westerly Sun reports. The crabs are used as bait and for their blue blood, used to make sure medical products aren’t contaminated with bacteria. SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: South Carolina transportation officials warn that construction will cause traffic delays on Interstate 95 south in the Pee Dee region until spring. Many trucks will have to take an 11-mile detour. SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: A South Dakota businessman is closing an entertainment complex he built last year for $20 million following passage of a 36% interest cap on payday loans. Chuck Brennan also will close his 11 payday lending stores. TENNESSEE Martin: Two children died in a Tennessee house fire. Martin Fire Chief Jamie Summers says the victims were trapped on the second floor. Two adults and two other children escaped. TEXAS San Antonio: Last year was a deadly one in the home of the Alamo. San Antonio police say they investigated 151 homicides in 2016, the most in more than two decades. UTAH Salt Lake City: A Utah lawmaker wants to make the state’s DUI threshold the strictest in the nation. The proposal would lower the blood-alcohol content limit to .05%. VERMONT Montpelier: Outgoing Gov. Peter Shumlin issued pardons Tuesday to 192 people convicted of minor marijuana violations before Vermont decriminalized the possession of small amounts of pot. VIRGINIA Prince George: Authorities in Prince George County say no foul play is suspected in the death of Circuit Court Judge Nathan Curtis Lee, who was found dead in his office last weekend. WASHINGTON Richland: Radioactive contamination is spreading inside a section of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A report recommends that $181 million be spent on interim cleanup, The Tri-City Herald reports. WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: The inaugural committee for Gov.-elect Jim Justice says he’ll receive the public in the state Capitol in Charleston following his inauguration on Jan. 16.

WISCONSIN Madison: The state Department of Natural Resources is proposing higher hunting and fishing fees or linking the fees to inflation as options for generating more wildlife management revenue.

WYOMING Cheyenne: The Laramie County Clerk’s Office says as many as 27 people may have fraudulently registered to vote in the Nov. 8 election. The

Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that the total includes 11 possible felons and 16 non-citizens.