STATE-BY-STATE

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Tuscaloosa: A lost service dog was reunited with her owner, a military veteran. The

Tuscaloosa News reports that the yellow lab, named Dixie, was found wandering near the University of Alabama campus. ALASKA Anchorage: The U.S. Postal Service closed its Eagle River post office after vandalism damaged the main lobby. KTVATV reports that employees found mail products strewn around the lobby as well as blood. ARIZONA Phoenix: The federal government has reached another settlement for cleanup work at abandoned uranium mines across the Navajo Nation. The agreement is with two affiliated subsidiaries of Freeport-McMoRan. ARKANSAS Little Rock: The Arkansas House has approved a delay in launching the state’s medical marijuana program. The vote gives state agencies until early May rather than March to finalize rules. CALIFORNIA Fresno: The mother of a special-education student who was given a bleach solution through her feeding tube is suing the school district. The Fresno

Bee reports that the 10-year-old student suffered permanent damage to her trachea, esophagus, stomach and lungs. COLORADO Denver: Some lawmakers are skeptical of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s request to raise pot sales taxes for public schools. The governor cites an expected deficit in K-12 funding. But critics worry that a tax hike could drive pot sales to the black market. CONNECTICUT Uncasville: Mohegan tribal officials have presented plans for redeveloping a former state psychiatric hospital into an indoor water park, a synthetic ski area and other nongambling attractions. DELAWARE Dover: Delaware public health officials are encouraging people to get flu shots. Officials held their annual free flu vaccination event earlier this week, but vaccinations also are available through doctors, pharmacies and public health clinics. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: A 3year-old boy died this week after he stopped breathing at the Child Development Center at the Department of Labor. A medical examiner will determine the cause. FLORIDA Tampa: Tampa’s state attorney says he won’t prosecute seven people accused of serving food to the homeless without a permit. The volunteers were arrested Jan. 7. GEORGIA Atlanta: Police arrested the owner of two pit bulls that killed one child and injured another in Atlanta. The children were attacked while walking to a bus stop Tuesday. HAWAII Honolulu: National Park Service officials say a paper crane signed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe symbolizing peace and reconciliation between Japan and America will be featured at the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center. IDAHO Idaho Falls: The U.S. Department of Energy says it’s likely to miss another deadline to remove nuclear waste stored in Idaho. Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper says there’s more waste ready to ship than the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant can accept by the end of 2018, The Post Reg

ister reports. ILLINOIS Chicago: Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office says Chicago community colleges will be the first in the nation to offer cybersecurity training modeled after federal government programs. The pilot program will offer a boot camp this spring at Wilbur Wright College. INDIANA Terre Haute: Vigo County commissioners have endorsed the idea of bringing a casino to Terre Haute. Supporters cite jobs and tax revenue, plus new restaurants and hotels,

The Tribune-Star reports.Opponents say casinos can produce health and other problems. IOWA Marion: The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has warned Marion to stop enforcing an ordinance that requires a permit to hold a political sign on a sidewalk. The ACLU says the First Amendment protects the rights of picketers. KANSAS El Dorado: Officials seized 10 gaming machines from two El Dorado businesses last week. KAKE-TV reports that Butler County Sheriff ’s officers and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission seized machines from True Lies Bar & Grill and the Jump Star Convenience Store. KENTUCKY Louisville: The Coalition for the Homeless says it needs volunteers to conduct its annual homeless count in Louisville on Jan. 26. LOUISIANA Amite City: Some Louisiana strawberry growers were hit by floods, wind and freezing temperatures. But others are optimistic about the season, the LSU AgCenter says. MAINE Harpswell: The Coast Guard is replacing obsolete foghorns with radio-activated sound signals at seven lighthouses along Maine’s coast. The Portland Press

Herald reports that the sound signals will be installed in May. MARYLAND Hagerstown: Fire officials say a sprinkler system could have prevented the death last week of Francisco Louis Albright. The Hagerstown Fire Department says Albright, 41, died of smoke inhalation as a result of a fire in his apartment’s kitchen, The Herald-Mail reports. MASSACHUSETTS Beverly: Beverly City Hall and several other buildings were evacuated after an underground electrical fire released dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide. The Salem

News reports that no one was injured. MICHIGAN Detroit: Habitat for Humanity Detroit is restructuring operations. The changes include layoffs and closing two discount stores. MINNESOTA St. Paul: Minnesota’s ban on Sunday liquor sales is in the cross hairs again. A wave of legislative newcomers includes many who say they’d like to get rid of it. MISSISSIPPI Jackson: A consulting group recommends that Mississippi adopt a new school funding formula. If adopted, the proposal could put more money into educating low-income students. But some districts could expect a smaller share. MISSOURI Kansas City: A Kansas City man will serve three years in federal prison for pointing a laser at a police helicopter in 2013. The pilot of the helicopter reported eye strain in the incident. MONTANA Helena: A state lawmaker is offering legislation to change Montana’s open container law. Rep. Daniel Zolnikov says that allowing passengers in a vehicle to drink alcohol is a common-sense matter, Lee Newspapers of Montana reports. NEBRASKA Ralston: City leaders have decided that proceeds from keno operations will underpin Ralston Arena finances. The arena has failed to meet revenue projections, losing $2.5 million in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. NEVADA Carson City: Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is proposing more than $115 million in new spending for higher education and a raise for all state workers. In large part, the money would come from a 10% tax on recreational marijuana sales. NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: The New Hampshire State Library — the first state library in America — is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. NEW JERSEY Trenton: The New Jersey Supreme Court says towns have an obligation to provide affordable homes to make up for those that weren’t built during some 16 years when the state failed to issue low-income housing rules. NEW MEXICO Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico has told its College Republicans group to pay a $3,400 security charge for a campus appearance by far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos. The group’s head calls that a “free speech fine” for the Jan. 27 event. NEW YORK Uniondale: Ringling Bros. officials say the circus’ final show this May at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island is sold out. Newsday reports that $191 lower-level tickets are priced on the secondary market at $2,000 for the last show. NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte: North Carolina neighbors of Duke Energy’s unlined coal ash pits are being offered future water bill payments plus $5,000 to households concerned that their wells could be polluted with metals. NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: North Dakota lawmakers are considering a hiring freeze on state government jobs through April. But some agency officials and the union representing state workers oppose the idea. OHIO Dayton: The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority and the union representing its drivers and mechanics have approved a new contract, the Day

ton Daily News reports. The system serves about 30,000 riders daily. OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: The Oklahoma City Zoo says a California sea lion named Moe has died of age-related health complications. Zoo officials say Moe developed cataracts in both eyes and took medication for gum disease. OREGON White City: A man who pulled his wife and niece from their blazing home in Oregon died when he returned to rescue their dogs. The Mail Tri

bune reports that James A. “Jimmy” Nickerson III went back into the house last weekend for three dogs. One survived. PENNSYLVANIA Tyrone: A woman who allegedly failed to give her 10-year-old daughter daily anti-rejection drugs after a kidney transplant has been charged with felony child endangerment. The Altoona Mirror reports that Nicole Kissell’s daughter developed life-threatening complications. RHODE ISLAND Providence: Mayor Jorge Elorza has unveiled a five-year capital improvement plan that calls for substantial spending on infrastructure repairs and improvements, The

Providence Journal reports. SOUTH CAROLINA Greenville: A Greenville couple plans to buy and restore one of the city’s oldest structures so that it’s once again a home. The Greenville

News reports that Ryan and Jori Magg plan to pay $600,000 for the Beattie House, which was built in 1834. SOUTH DAKOTA Mitchell: A group of Dakota Wesleyan University students traveled to Uganda during winter break to help communities grow and manage food and provide assistance with medical care. The university’s Alisha Vincent tells The Daily

Republic that the students raised enough money to buy 14 pigs for farmers who, in turn, will give the pigs’ offspring to other families. TENNESSEE Greeneville: A former Tennessee postal worker who kept nearly 2,700 pieces of undelivered mail in her home won’t have to spend time behind bars. The Kingsport Times-News reports that a judge sentenced Kathy Gross to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service. TEXAS Austin: The demand to lease Texas public land for energy exploration has increased since last summer, despite low oil prices. But the land generated lower average prices. The state’s land commissioner says his office auctioned leases for about 14,000 acres for around $84 million, an average of less than $5,900 per acre. UTAH Salt Lake City: Utah officials are refusing to release details of the state’s tax-collection agreement with online retailer Amazon.com. The state says releasing the details would help Amazon’s competitors, The Salt

Lake Tribune reports. The Libertas Institute asked for the information, arguing that taxpayers have the right to know the terms for collecting a not-legally-required tax. VERMONT Barre: A man who went to a Vermont police station to pick up a woman accused of drunken driving was arrested on the same charge. Police say William Holmes, 43, showed signs of impairment during a conversation with Barre police after he arrived to pick up Mechelle Metzler, 35, last weekend. VIRGINIA Virginia Beach: Sentara Healthcare says more than 5,000 patient records were compromised after one of its vendors experienced a cybersecurity breach. The breach may have included patient names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other personal information. WASHINGTON Seattle: An appeals court says a convicted arsonist must pay nearly $3 million in restitution and other costs when he gets out of prison. The

Seattle Times reports that Martin Pang argued that the judge who sentenced him in the fatal 1995 warehouse fire case never asked if he could pay restitution. Pang is serving a 20-year sentence. WEST VIRGINIA Mullens: Drivers of electric or hybrid vehicles can now use a charging station at the lodge at Twin Falls Resort State Park in Mullens starting this week. Twin Falls joins two other West Virginia state parks, Pipestem and Cacapon, with electric charging stations. WISCONSIN Cornucopia: The National Park Service says it’s too dangerous to explore the Apostle Islands ice caves off the Wisconsin shore of Lake Superior. The caves drew more than 138,000 tourists during a 2014 deep freeze. WYOMING Powell: A bus driver and four Gillette College women’s basketball team players were treated at a hospital after their bus collided with three cows and a power pole last weekend. Coach Will Rider says dark, fog and snow flurries concealed the cows until just before the bus hit them.