Across the USA

News from every state

Alabama: Birmingham — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has added the snuffbox mussel to the endangered species list. The freshwater mussel is native to the state. The federal agency will now develop plans to conserve the mussel’s habitat and help it recover.

Alaska: Fairbanks — A Fairbanks woman charged with leaving her two young children in her car after it slid off the road in temperatures at nearly 30 degrees below zero has been released on bail. Alaska state police say Kristin Smith, 25, left the children to walk to her husband’s home, where she took medication and fell asleep. The children are in state custody.

Arizona: Tucson — A 69-year-old woman died in Pima County after the three-wheeled motorcycle she was driving collided with a car. The woman was traveling on a roadway when she drifted across the center line and collided with a sedan. The woman was flown by helicopter to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Her identity hasn’t been released.

Arkansas: Little Rock — There was a spooky reason that Little Rock’s Bale Elementary school closed its doors early on Friday: an infestation of bats. School district spokeswoman Tiffany Hoffman says officials aren’t sure how the bats got into the school, but plans are for classes to resume as scheduled today. Hoffman didn’t know how staffers got rid of the creatures.

California: Sacramento — Elk Grove police say a man driving a go-kart is dead after colliding with a pickup. The accident happened as the man drove the go-kart down a street in Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento. Police spokesman Christopher Trim says the man was wearing a helmet but died after being transported to an area hospital. The truck driver wasn’t injured. Police have not identified either driver.

Colorado: Boulder is look

Boulder — ing at the possibility of allowing the entire community to buy the popular Eco Pass, which allows unlimited rides on Regional Transportation District buses. Expanding the pass to all residents has been a long-standing goal of the city’s transportation master plan. The pass currently gives employees of participating businesses and residents of participating neighborhoods unlimited rides.

Connecticut: Greenwich — Selectman Drew Marzullo is proposing a Sunday ban on gas-powered leaf blowers as a compromise to reduce noise. He also called for stepped-up enforcement of a town noise ordinance with bigger fines on leaf blower use.

Delaware: Wilmington — The state attorney general’s office issued a legal opinion that county sheriffs don’t have the authority to make arrests. Sussex Sheriff Jeff Christopher, who had argued that sheriffs were essentially “peace officers,” had ordered his deputies to stop dangerous drivers and execute arrest warrants.

D.C.:

The non-profit group DC Velodrome plans to build a track cycling

arena competitive on Buzzard races and Point offer that free will classes host for adults and children beginning this summer, The Washington Post reported. The group is launching a fundraising campaign with a goal of $300,000.

Florida: Tallahassee — The House passed a bill that would compensate William Dillon $1.35 million for spending 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. The bill goes to the Senate. Dillon, 52, was cleared by DNA testing in the beating death of James Dvorak on a Brevard County beach in 1981. Dillon was freed in November 2008.

Georgia: Perry — The Go Fish Georgia Education Center drew 15,000 visitors in its first 12 months of operation, far below the 100,000 tourists projected to visit when the center opened in October 2010. Former governor Sonny Perdue pitched Go Fish as an effort to encourage fishing tourism and boost the state’s economy.

Hawaii: Honolulu — Jurors needed less than four hours to find a 19-yearold man guilty in the beating death of a taxi driver. Kilani Derego was convicted in the killing of Charlys Tang in May 2010. Tang died in a hospital after he was found badly beaten in a supermarket parking lot. It was his 41st birthday. Derego is facing life in prison when he’s sentenced in May.

Idaho: Boise — The House has passed a bill to disable parking meters near the Capitol Mall introduced by a Meridian Republican whose son’s car was towed from near the Statehouse for six unpaid parking tickets. Rep. Joe Palmer says he didn’t introduce the bill because of his son’s parking problems, but because he wants to make it easier for constituents to visit the Statehouse. The bill would prohibit the city from operating the meters while the Legislature is in session.

Illinois: Oak Park — The Ernest Hemingway Foundation put the writer’s boyhood home on the market for $525,000 after a plan to turn it into a cultural center fell through. Hemingway lived in the home until he graduated from high school and for a few months in 1919 while recovering from wounds suffered during World War I.

Indiana: Muncie — Ball State University has begun posting names, photographs, identifying information and incident reports of people who have been issued trespass notices by campus police. Spokesman Tony Proudfoot said about a dozen people are barred from campus each year after being deemed safety risks.

Iowa: Ames — Iowa State University President Steven Leath has appointed a committee to conduct the search for the school’s next No. 2 administrator to replace Elizabeth Hoffman. She assumed the post in 2007 under President Gregory Geoffroy, whom Leath replaced last month. New university presidents traditionally hire their own leadership team.

Kansas: Hutchinson — New state guidelines are prompting the Hutchinson Zoo to limit the types of wild animals it will help at its rehabilitation center. The zoo said it won’t take in deer, pigeons, starlings, raccoons or skunks. The state Department of Wild-

life, Parks and Tourism issued new guidelines on caring for wild animals.

Kentucky: Roxy Theatre Franklin is scheduled — The to open historic its doors Ahead, on which Friday will with feature the band Grand A Step Old Opry Chunn. square Country dancers music Larry artist and manager Cheryl Marc ally want Dottore to establish said volunteers a non-profit eventu- organization to oversee the theater.

Louisiana: Lake Charles — The city Housing Authority has announced plans for two low-income housing developments that will cost a combined $14.4 million. Kingsley Court, with 20 units, and Bayou Bluff, with 34, are expected to be open this year.

Maine: Augusta — Several state agencies are promoting National Invasive Species Awareness Week. The most destructive invasive species in the state is the green crab, which eats softshell clams. Others include milfoil that can clog lakes, and purple loosestrife, which degrades wetlands and destroys habitat.

Maryland: Baltimore — The Office of Legislative Audits reported that rides under the Mobility Paratransit Program were given to people who didn’t need them and who didn’t meet the requirements. Maryland Transit Administration records show that the program for people with disabilities provided 1.7 million rides last year at a cost of $59.7 million.

Massachusetts: Dighton — Dighton-rehoboth High School senior Danielle Brodeur, 17, will give away prom dresses to girls in need March10-11 at the St. Nicholas of Myra Church. Brodeur also collected dresses last year as part of her efforts to earn the Gold Award, the highest honor in the Girl Scouts.

Michigan: Grand Rapids — President Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales, and Albion President Donna Randall will unveil on March 7 a bronze sculpture of Ford that will be permanently housed at the college’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service. The statue will be dedicated March 14.

Minnesota: Minneapolis — A former pastor at True Vine Missionary Baptist Church who was convicted of murdering a popular North High School staffer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said Derrick Griffin, 41, killed Kristopher Miller in a drive-by shooting last May in a jealous rage.

Mississippi: Jackson — Federal officials have proposed spending $28.4 million next year to run a high-security federal prison being built in Yazoo City. Local and congressional officials hope the prison will boost the region’s economy. The 1,216-bed, $205 million facility should be ready to open e next year.

Missouri: Jefferson City — As floods and tornadoes wreaked havoc last year, the Missouri National Guard spent $117,100 so Gov. Nixon, a Democrat, and members of his administration could get a birds-eye view of the damage, according to an Associated Press report. About 10 helicopter flights were made between April and July.

Montana: tal Protection Logan Agency — The said Environmen- a project to build access a near fishing here park doesn’t with have handicapped the necessary Engineers. permits EPA from Enforcement the Army Corps Agent of Kenneth Champagne said the town is susceptible to flooding in that area, and agencies weren’t able to consider potential problems with putting the park at the river.

Nebraska: Lincoln — A woman who has had her license to drive suspended 10 times has been sentenced for leaving the scene of an accident. Kimberly Cowell was given 180 days in jail, fined $700 and lost her license for 3½ years. In June, Cowell hit the rear end of a car stopped at a stoplight while trying to answer a cellphone.

Nevada: Henderson — Ethel M Chocolates unveiled a solar garden at its candy plant that will provide all of the factory’s electricity during peak operating hours. The company said the more than 2,000 panels on 4.4 acres make it the largest solar installation by a food manufacturer in Nevada. The company is owned by Mars Chocolate North America, maker of Snickers, M&MS and other candies.

New Hampshire: Manchester — The Currier Museum of Art is providing free admission for all during the school break this week. The museum has a variety of events during the week from storytelling for small children to family tours.

New Jersey: Perth Amboy — The City Council passed a resolution urging Gov. Christie, a Republican, and the Legislature to build a protective fence on the Victory Bridge, where 22 people have tried to commit suicide since it opened in 2004. But state transportation officials said they don’t have the estimated $2 million.

New Mexico: Santa Fe — A study by the Santa Fe Association of Realtors said the recession caused the median home sale price to drop from an alltime high of $425,000 in 2007 to $330,000 for the third quarter of 2011. The study said that although there is little residential building underway in the city, non-profits have been able to pull together funding to increase the number of affordable-housing units.

New York: Ithaca — Many maple syrup producers are tapping their trees early because of a light winter, which can be risky for harvest. State Maple Extension Specialist Stephen Childs of Cornell University said bacteria and yeast can grow, making holes dry up. The seasonal flow of sap depends on a series of freezing nights followed by warmer days.

North Carolina: Raleigh — College graduates interested in becoming high school science, math and technology teachers can apply through April 1 for a lateral-entry certification program approved by the State Board of Education. Candidates in the tuition-free, 15month program will get a year of onthe-job training combined with seminars and online coursework.

North Dakota: Minot — A new student wellness center at Minot State University should be completed by April. The Minot Daily News reports

that construction student activity of the fees 60,000-square- are paying for foot, center $15 was million in the facility. hot, musty The old basement fitness in the old Swain Hall.

Ohio: Findlay — Union members at Cooper to approve Tire a will tentative vote today agreement on whether that could end a lockout. Newer hires would be compensated differently from veteran workers under the proposed five-year deal. More than 1,000 workers were locked out in November.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City — An altercation between the occupants of two vehicles at a fast-food restaurant led to a car chase and deadly accident. Police said Carlos Delacruz, 20, was waiting for an order at a Mcdonald’s drive-through when the car behind him honked. Delacruz later rammed the vehicle, causing his own car to roll. He died at the scene.

Oregon: Philomath — Voters here will decide in a special election March 13 whether to restore fluoride to the city’s municipal water supply. Philomath’s water had been fluoridated since the early 1980s, but the City Council decided last May to stop adding fluoride to the municipal water supply.

Pennsylvania: Chester — The nonprofit food aid organization Philabundance announced that it plans to purchase a building that housed the city’s last supermarket before it closed in 2001 to open a new 13,000-squarefoot “Fare and Square” grocery store. It will cost about $4.5 million to buy and renovate the building.

Rhode Island: Providence — The city is holding a series of training sessions in March for volunteers to run its emergency shelters if a disaster or other crisis strikes. Sessions will be held on CPR and first aid, introduction to disaster services and shelter operations. A live simulation will also be held.

South Carolina: Orangeburg — Jonathan Pinson, the chairman of South Carolina State University’s trustees board, stepped down two weeks after the state’s only historically black public university fired eight high-level employees amid an internal investigation. The probe led university president George Cooper to fire his top lawyer and aide, the vice president for student affairs and the campus police chief.

South Dakota: Sioux Falls — The Robot Geek FIRST LEGO League team won the state championship, two months after losing two leaders and a volunteer in a plane crash. The Patrick Henry Middle School team will now take their robot to nationals.

Tennessee: Memphis — The City Council approved $16 million in funding over the next two years for improvements on Elvis Presley Boulevard. The first half of the funding will be available in 2013 and the rest in 2014. The state will kick in an additional $27 million.

Texas:

Dallas — A man shot and killed by Dallas special tactics officers was award-winning chef Travis Henderson, 52. Police Lt. Scott Walton said Henderson was shot Friday in a church parking lot after he pointed a handgun at officers. He didn’t fire. Henderson

had helped bring The Place at Perry’s to national prominence.

Utah: Salt Lake City —

Christy Wilson, 44, of West Jordan, who was accused of inappropriately touching and headbutting police officers during a drunken-driving arrest, has been charged with assault, sexual battery and driving under the influence. After driving off a roadway and onto a church lawn, she’s accused of kicking and threatening to kill officers, head-butting one of them and rubbing her head on the crotch of another.

Vermont: Waterbury — About 80 former employees of Vermont State Hospital are being laid off in April. The hospital was closed in January because of flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Shumlin’s administration has been working to design a new mental health system with patients distributed to smaller facilities.

Virginia: Midlothian — March 5 is the last day for homeowners, business owners and renters who have damage from the Aug. 23 earthquake to register for aid federal disaster aid. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved assistance for the counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Goochland, King George, Louisa, Orange and Spotsylvania, and the city of Fredericksburg.

Washington: Spokane — Spokane County animal protection officers seized more than 75 starving animals, including horses, llamas and dogs, from a rural property near Elk. The search Friday also found a number of dead animals. The Spokesman-review said officers are investigating potential animal cruelty charges.

West Virginia:

Morgantown — West Virginia University industrial engineering student Richard Woody told the Board of Governors that concession sales were up 84% overall from the previous football season, while food sales were up 60%. He cited the addition of beer sales.

Wisconsin: Green Bay — Seven people are safe after being rescued from an ice floe on Green Bay. They had been fishing on a piece of ice that broke off shore and began floating into open water in the Little Sturgeon area. Brussels and Sturgeon Bay fire departments used boats to reach the stranded people.

Wyoming:

Cheyenne — Wyoming residents now have access to over 20,000 e-book titles for a variety of ereaders through a new online service made available by the Wyoming State Library. The service, called Freading, provides a variety of titles from small and independent publishers.

U.S. territory:

Puerto Rico — Police are trying to find out who dropped off a 6-foot-long military torpedo at a metal recycling center in Quebradillas. A police statement said explosive experts disposed of the torpedo but didn’t provide other details including whether they had to detonate it.