Around the nation
News from every state.
ALABAMA Montgomery: After 15 inmate suicides in 15 months, a federal judge ruled Saturday that the state is putting prisoners in danger by failing to provide adequate suicideprevention measures.
ALASKA Bethel: Donlin Gold is investing in programs for youths and others to fulfill its promise to hire local workers for a proposed mine.
ARIZONA Phoenix: The Desert Botanical Garden has announced its next big show, an installation of more than 1,000 animal sculptures by the Italian collective Cracking Art.
ARKANSAS Little Rock: Officials have formally signed off on the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary, and it could be less than a week before cultivators expect to have product ready for sale.
CALIFORNIA Yosemite National Park: Red-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decadeslong absence, park officials say.
COLORADO Silverton: A tourist railroad has commenced service, bringing hope to businesses isolated by recent avalanches. The Durango Herald reports the first Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad engine of 2019 arrived Saturday in Silverton.
CONNECTICUT Storrs: Firefighters have rescued eight ducklings from a storm drain on the University of Connecticut campus.
DELAWARE Lewes: A home on the market for $1.45 million can be tied directly to the American Revolution and the founding of the nation’s government. Dubbed the Thomas Rodney house, it was built in 1775.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: A new exhibit at an unconventional gallery celebrates barbershop culture and even offers free haircuts, WTOP-FM reports. The Mobile Art Gallery, from nonprofit organization CulturalDC, has unveiled The Barbershop Project, which artist Devan Shimoyama says was inspired by his own experiences as a gay man of color visiting barbershops.
FLORIDA Brevard: “The Right Stuff,” a new TV adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s iconic account of the early days of the U.S. space program, will start filming this fall on the Space Coast.
GEORGIA Atlanta: State transportation officials are planning a series of public meetings on new toll lanes on the perimeter that encircles the city.
HAWAII Lihue: Statues of past island royalty will soon begin their reign in front of the Kauai Museum. Prototypes are standing in while the real statues are under construction.
IDAHO Boise: The governor has announced the pardoning of two men convicted of drug charges in the 1980s. The Idaho Press reports Gov. Brad Little on Friday granted his first two pardons since taking office.
ILLINOIS Chicago: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana next year.
INDIANA Porter: Tourism officials are hoping the recent elevation of the Indiana Dunes to national park status will lure more visitors.
IOWA Des Moines: Outdoor enthusiasts will soon have an option to place an organ donor sticker on their hunting and fishing licenses under a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
KANSAS Salina: Officials estimate it will cost $95 million to clean up toxic-chemical pollution at the Schilling Air Force Base.
KENTUCKY Louisville: Tourism advocates are celebrating a win after the city posted the nation’s largest increase in hotel demand – 11.4% – in this year’s first quarter.
LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University engineering students have designed and made a motorized wheelchair with three fat wheels so a 23-year-old woman can go to the beach with her family.
MAINE Portland: Members of the seaweed industry say a court ruling could dramatically change the nature of the business. The state’s highest court ruled last month that permission from coastal landowners is needed for harvesting rockweed.
MARYLAND Baltimore: A oncecommon farm pesticide, carbofuran, may be to blame for dozens of bald eagles poisoned over the past three years, federal data shows.
MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Wildlife officials are launching a three-year project to help conserve wood turtles in the eastern part of the state.
MICHIGAN Detroit: Detroit Vineyards, the city’s first winery in 60 years, opened its doors Friday in the former Stroh’s Ice Cream facility.
MINNESOTA St. Cloud: A new pilot program authorized by the state Supreme Court will increase Minnesotans’ access to help with the justice system by early 2020.
MISSISSIPPI Meridian: Singersongwriter Steve Forbert is being honored in his hometown. The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience museum unveiled a star for him on its walk of fame Saturday.
MISSOURI Springfield: Missouri State University has signed off on a $2.2 million Ozarks Education Center that will be built on the shores of Bull Shoals Lake.
NEBRASKA Omaha: The City Council will vote Tuesday on a pilot project to bring up to 1,500 dockless scooters to the city, the Omaha World-Herald reports.
NEVADA Las Vegas: A casino company and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, say they’re partnering to create a teaching and practice space featuring a mock casino, hotel rooms, sports betting area and e-sports arena. Caesars Entertainment Corp. and UNLV have dubbed the center “Black Fire Innovation.”
NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: A bill aimed at preventing the spread of invasive aquatic weeds in lakes by requiring boaters to clean their vessels before and after entering is headed to the governor’s desk.
NEW JERSEY Lakewood: The public school district’s newest hire has a spiky white mane and apparently can’t tell a carrot from a microphone. Peanut the pony, who strutted into Lakewood High School last week, and his horse pals will be paid $45 an hour to provide therapy to special education preschool students in the public schools.
NEW MEXICO Farmington: The stars of the latest installment in the “Jumanji” franchise have posted to social media about their experiences while filming in the state. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black shared photos and videos on Instagram and YouTube about their time in the city. “It’s a rad little town,” Black said.
NEW YORK Albany: Gov. Andrew Cuomo will push lawmakers to pass legislation allowing farmworkers to unionize, the state’s top labor official said during a farmworker rally outside the Capitol on Monday.
NORTH CAROLINA Tryon: A house in this small town is being restored to preserve the home and honor its most famous ex-tenant – the late music and civil rights icon Nina Simone.
NORTH DAKOTA Zap: This small community is planning a celebration to remember spring break 1969, when thousands of college students descended for a party that ended with the National Guard clearing out crowds. The Minot Daily News reports organizers are planning a more family-oriented event Saturday to celebrate the original “Zip to Zap” party 50 years ago.
OHIO Cincinnati: The Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, a new permanent space at the Cincinnati Museum Center, opened Monday.
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: Tax officials say medical marijuana sales in the state topped $18 million last month, marking the seventh straight month of growth for the industry.
OREGON Salem: Turtles illegally dumped at Minto-Brown Island Park are threatening to push out native turtles, state wildlife officials say.
PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival is transforming a park at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge into a fantastic spectacle through June 20.
RHODE ISLAND Providence: The city is partnering with federal officials to conserve birds and their habitats. Mayor Jorge Elorza joined U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other officials Monday to sign an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designating Providence an Urban Bird Treaty City.
SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston: Police and other officials in the state are working to bring down a high number of road deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists. The Post and Courier reports a recent report by the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association ranked South Carolina sixth among states for pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people.
SOUTH DAKOTA Madison: Dakota State University says it’s rebranding and will change its colors from blue and yellow to Trojan blue and gray.
TENNESSEE Nashville: The Volunteer State’s 56 state parks have been recognized for their efforts to practice environmental sustainability.
TEXAS Houston: Lawmakers are considering a bill that could grant homeowners a tax break when their property has been damaged by disasters such as 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.
UTAH Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is changing wedding rules in hopes of preventing family members who aren’t members from feeling excluded. The faith says couples who marry in civil ceremonies will no longer have to wait one year to do a temple wedding ceremony that only members in good standing can attend.
VERMONT Montpelier: The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding drivers to be alert to moose crossing roadways this time of year.
VIRGINIA Lexington: Virginia Military Institute isn’t raising student tuition, thanks to increased state funding.
WASHINGTON Olympia: State legislators have taken substantial steps to reshape the mental-health system, including funding for new facilities, legislation to increase the number of qualified workers, and the creation of new types of treatment centers.
WEST VIRGINIA Fairmont: The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University is looking for volunteer docents.
WISCONSIN Madison: The state’s tourism industry generated $21.6 billion last year, according to a report from the Department of Tourism.
WYOMING Jackson: Biologists estimate the state’s overall wolf population at 286 this year, down 61 animals from a year ago.