50 ★ States

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Mobile:

A team of Alabama Historical Commission researchers began a 10-day evaluation Monday of the remnants of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to bring captive Africans to the United States more than 160 years ago.

ALASKA Anchorage:

The state’s largest school district has updated its policy to allow students to wear items expressive of their cultural heritage and identity during graduation.

ARIZONA Tucson:

University of Arizona researcher Jessica Tierney has earned a prestigious, $1 million National Science Foundation award for her efforts to use prehistoric climate signals to reconstruct ancient conditions and help predict the future.

ARKANSAS Fort Smith:

Talk surrounding moving a Confederate monument on the Sebastian County Courthouse lawn has stalled, leaving the statue in place.

CALIFORNIA Gasquet:

A truck that crashed on a remote highway spilled 2,000 gallons of hot asphalt binder in a Northern California forest last week, and the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said.

COLORADO Denver:

The father of JonBenet Ramsey is supporting an online petition asking Gov. Jared Polis to intervene in the investigation into her death more than 25 years ago by putting an outside agency in charge of DNA testing in the case.

CONNECTICUT Torrington:

A man has been charged with a hate crime after telling police he set a vehicle on fire early Monday because he didn’t like the owner’s Mormon faith.

DELAWARE Wilmington:

A man who spent about half his life behind bars for a murder he said he didn’t commit has finally been released from prison after prosecutors decided to essentially dismiss his case.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington:

Researchers are seeking participants for a maternity study to help them understand how inequitable access to hospitals in Southeast D.C. affects care for pregnant women, especially Black women, WUSA-TV reports.

FLORIDA Juno Beach:

The big turtle tanks at Loggerhead Marinelife Center have been empty since early April amid water quality issues and a run of departures from staff members.

GEORGIA Atlanta:

A special grand jury was selected Monday for the investigation into whether ex-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia.

HAWAII Honolulu:

A committee of state senators and representatives on Friday agreed on legislation that would raise Hawaii’s minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2028.

IDAHO Boise:

Gov. Brad Little on Friday approved an emergency drought declaration for 34 of the state’s 44 counties.

ILLINOIS Springfield:

The Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum will use a state grant to expand exhibits, create a community meeting room and add climate-controlled storage facilities.

IOWA Burlington:

The Burlington Public Library is taking a step toward inclusivity by becoming one of the state’s first sensory-friendly public libraries.

KANSAS Topeka:

Conservative lawmakers have approved a measure that would prohibit the state, cities, counties or school districts from imposing mask mandates to control the spread of any infectious disease.

KENTUCKY Louisville:

The state’s new “omnibus” abortion law went before a federal judge Monday who is deciding whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the law she’s already temporarily blocked.

LOUISIANA New Orleans:

The city is paying to relocate all remaining residents of a bankrupt apartment complex where people said a landlord’s neglect forced them into unsanitary living conditions with rampant mold, rodents and a broken pipe that spewed raw sewage.

MAINE Kittery:

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification of a suspect in vandalism discovered aboard the USS Texas at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in late March.

MARYLAND Baltimore:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $40 million on Monday to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

MASSACHUSETTS Boston:

A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that the city violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside City Hall.

MICHIGAN Lansing:

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation that would have required voter registration applications to include a statement that the applicant understands it is a felony to try to vote more than once in an election.

MINNESOTA Duluth:

Hundreds came together Sunday to honor the lives of four family members killed in their home last month.

MISSISSIPPI Jackson:

The city is liable for the wrongful death of a woman who was killed after she called 911, and the operator did not tell her to remain on the line, the state Supreme Court said in affirming part of a jury’s verdict.

MISSOURI Bonne Terre:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the execution of inmate Carman Deck, and Gov. Mike Parson said he will not grant clemency.

MONTANA Great Falls:

The Montana State Fair has announced its 2022 concert lineup, with musical acts including The Beach Boys and Dwight Yoakam.

NEBRASKA Beatrice:

A police officer shot and wounded a man in a confrontation in which police say the man yelled he had a gun and reached for his waistband, according to officials. The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the shooting.

NEVADA Las Vegas:

A massive, drought-starved reservoir on the Colorado River has become so depleted that the city is now pumping water from deeper within Lake Mead where other states downstream don’t have access.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord:

Two cemeteries dating back to the 1800s have been named to the state Register of Historic Places.

NEW JERSEY Trenton:

Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that the state will invest $10 million of federal funding into technology geared toward helping fight an increase in violent crime and car thefts.

NEW MEXICO Las Cruces:

A police officer shot and killed a 75-year-old woman April 16, but a delay in confirming the killing and lack of details and transparency have raised further questions.

NEW YORK New York:

Some Broadway theaters are ending the policy of requiring customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh:

A longtime state fiscal officer, Nels Roseland, is Gov. Roy Cooper’s choice to become the next state controller.

NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck:

A company that sells wholesale electricity announced Monday that it has purchased the state’s largest coal-fired power plant from a company that had intended to close the facility if no buyer could be found.

OHIO Columbus:

“Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance spent months fighting for ex-President Donald Trump’s endorsement, only to get mixed up with another candidate. “We’ve endorsed ... J.P., right?” Trump said of the Ohio race at a rally Sunday in Nebraska. “J.D. Mandel. And he’s doing great.” Former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel is among Vance’s GOP primary opponents.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City:

Supporters of a petition to legalize recreational marijuana will begin collecting signatures to get on the statewide ballot Tuesday.

OREGON Salem:

A man who set a speed record on Mount Hood – climbing and then skiing back down the state’s tallest mountain in just over an hour and a half Sunday – did so only half-dressed.

PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia:

A fired police officer has been charged with murder in the shooting of a fleeing 12-year-old boy, who prosecutors said Monday was on the ground, unarmed when the officer fired the fatal shot.

RHODE ISLAND Providence:

The number of babies being born in the Ocean State has ebbed to its lowest point in more than a century.

SOUTH CAROLINA North Charleston:

Residents can ride buses for free this month as the region’s public transportation system launches a campaign aimed at encouraging new ridership.

SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls:

An ethics board on Monday moved to hire an outside attorney as it considers a pair of ethics complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem.

TENNESSEE Nashville:

Three watershed and flood prevention projects in the state are receiving $2.9 million from the federal government.

TEXAS New Braunfels:

Robert C. Krueger, who followed two U.S. House terms with a brief interim appointment to the Senate before launching a sometimes-hazardous diplomatic career, has died at age 86, his family said Sunday.

UTAH St. George:

New “community” pianos painted by local art and music teachers will soon be sprinkled around the area.

VERMONT Montpelier:

Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bill Monday that won unanimous preliminary approval last week in both the House and Senate to reform the state’s pension system.

VIRGINIA Bristol:

The Virginia Lottery Board has granted a license for the state’s first casino, which developers intend to open in 2024.

WASHINGTON Grandview:

The state Department of Agriculture is starting treatments this week to eradicate an invasive Japanese beetle infestation in central Washington.

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston:

Federal funding is available for economic development projects along abandoned mine lands in the state.

WISCONSIN Milwaukee:

A mining company wants permission to explore for gold and other minerals in Marathon County.

WYOMING Dubois:

A pandemic-delayed grand opening has been set for May 28 for the National Museum of Military Vehicles, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.