50 States

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Montgomery: A group for historians has elected its first African American president after more than 70 years in existence. The Alabama Historical Association named Wetumpka native Frazine Taylor president for the upcoming year.

ALASKA Juneau: State environmental officials have launched an ambient air quality study in the capital city to determine if air is being affected by cruise ships or other sources.

ARIZONA Grand Canyon National Park: Scenic State Route 67 will reopen Wednesday in time for the summer season of visitors to the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

ARKANSAS Ponca: For the fourth year in a row, the Buffalo National River will host a free concert by modern folk band National Park Radio, on June 15 at Steel Creek Campground.

CALIFORNIA Los Angeles: Officials say a planned subway project that will connect three rail lines downtown has been delayed again. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the new completion date for the Regional Connector is mid-March 2022.

COLORADO Breckenridge: A huge wooden troll has found a new home in this ski town. The Summit Daily reports the troll has been relocated to a spot behind an ice arena.

CONNECTICUT Hartford: Gov. Ned Lamont has signed legislation that could lead to the production of industrial hemp in the state.

DELAWARE Dover: The state House is set to vote Tuesday on a bill that largely prohibits retailers from providing single-use carryout plastic bags to customers.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: The nation’s capital has the highest use of drugs in the entire country, according to a new report from the personal finance website Wallethub, WUSA-TV reports.

FLORIDA Miami: Residents of South Beach’s Palm View are divided over a push to repeal the area’s historic designation, which protects the neighborhood’s Mediterranean Revival homes and low-rise apartments from demolition. But it also limits property owners’ ability to build more resilient structures, and residents say flooding in the area is getting worse.

GEORGIA Atlanta: A group of students from Spelman and Morehouse colleges who’ve been studying Michelle Obama’s memoir, “Becoming,” had a surprise visitor to discuss the work – the former first lady herself. Obama came to Spelman to talk with the students Saturday.

HAWAII Honolulu: U.S. lawmakers representing the state want a largescale study conducted on the impact sunscreen chemicals have on humans and coral reefs around the world.

IDAHO Boise: Two city parks are being renamed to honor Native Americans from the local past. Now Quarry View Park will be Eagle Rock Park, and Castle Rock Reserve will be known as Chief Eagle Eye Reserve.

ILLINOIS Urbana: The University of Illinois is planning to name its Micro and Nanotechnology Lab after professor emeritus Nick Holonyak Jr., an engineering visionary who created the first practical LED.

INDIANA Porter: Indiana Dunes National Park says visitors can reserve campsites beginning Wednesday.

IOWA Des Moines: Officials say a dog disease that can be passed to humans has been confirmed in the state. The state veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Kaisand, says several cases of canine brucellosis have been confirmed at a commercial breeding facility in Marion County.

KANSAS Kansas City: Nurse practitioners are fighting to get rid of the state requirement that they get permission to work from a physician.

KENTUCKY Louisville: In the past three years, the state has made great strides toward addressing food insecurity in rural communities – and it’s become a model for other states. Earlier this year, Kentucky hosted the first-ever Summit on Rural Child Hunger, organized by the national No Kid Hungry campaign. The state was selected in part because of its Hunger Initiative, launched by Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles in 2016.

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: A federal judge has conditionally dismissed a lawsuit that claimed three ailing death row inmates were being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment through high heat indexes.

MAINE Saint George: A state agency has been awarded $1 million to help acquire an island for conservation. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grants program is making the money available to help preserve Clark Island.

MARYLAND Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan signed a first-in-the-nation measure Monday to make it easier for people without health insurance to find out if they qualify for Medicaid after they file their taxes.

MASSACHUSETTS Boston: A proposed $2 billion wind farm planned for federal waters off Martha’s Vineyard has been awarded a key permit by the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board.

MICHIGAN Dearborn: An exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is offering a glimpse into the world of “Star Trek.” Titled “Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds,” the exhibition runs through Sept. 2.

MINNESOTA Brainerd: A University of Minnesota study links the decline of walleye in Mille Lacs Lake to a loss of habitat due to clearer water.

MISSISSIPPI Oxford: The James Beard Foundation has named Vishwesh Bhatt of Snackbar as its 2019 winner for best chef in the foundation’s South region.

MISSOURI St. Louis: A popular animal at the St. Louis Zoo is celebrating a milestone birthday: Merah the Sumatran orangutan turned 50.

MONTANA Missoula: A vintage plane restored by volunteers has lifted off for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Missoulian reports the 75-year-old Dakota DC-3 known as Miss Montana flew over Missoula on a test flight Sunday.

NEBRASKA Omaha: Tons of sand, sediment and silt – some in dunes as high as 10 feet – have been scattered across the eastern half to twothirds of the state by March floods.

NEVADA Elko: Volunteers plan to return to an 80-year-old youth camp site next month to begin a $1 million rebuilding effort in the wake of an explosive wildfire. Elko Lions Club members hope to reopen Camp Lamoille next year in the rugged Ruby Mountains.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: The schedule is set for a weeklong celebration of the Statehouse’s bicentennial, starting June 2.

NEW JERSEY Palmyra: The sighting of an invasive spotted lanternfly at Palmyra Cove has brought attention from the state and U.S. agriculture departments. Crews are marking Ailanthus trees, which are a crucial host for the species, and treating the trees with herbicide.

NEW MEXICO Carlsbad: School districts have become increasingly reliant on substitutes as they contend with a growing number vacant teaching positions in the state.

NEW YORK New York: Lady Liberty is ready to reveal the biggest upgrade to her island home since she first raised her torch in 1886. The new Statue of Liberty Museum opens Thursday.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: The Carolina Hurricanes have been rolling at home ever since Hamilton started hogging the corner. The 90-pound Juliana potbelly catches games from behind the boards in a personalized wagon. The players haven’t lost with their prized pig in the building.

NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: The Capitol will soon welcome its visitors with a new public entrance. The Bismarck Tribune reports state lawmakers have approved $2 million to remodel the only public entrance.

OHIO New Concord: The John and Annie Glenn Museum will be dedicated as a site on the National Register of Historic Places this month.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: A state investigator says cattle rustling is on the rise.

OREGON Salem: The sergeant at arms of the state Senate has a new regular duty these days: searching the Capitol for Republican senators who have been staying away and brought the legislative body’s business to a halt over a debate about funding education via a business tax.

RHODE ISLAND Providence: Lawmakers are eyeing a bill to waive state college application fees for veterans.

SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston: A program to prevent former inmates from returning to prison has launched in the Lowcountry.

SOUTH DAKOTA Spearfish: A study shows the population of the American dipper, a bird listed as a threatened species in the state, is stable in the Spearfish and Whitewood creek watersheds but not expanding.

TENNESSEE Pigeon Forge: The Dollywood amusement park has expanded with a newly opened land inspired by the magic of nature. Wildwood Grove opened to guests Friday.

TEXAS Corpus Christi: The Texas Historical Commission has approved $150,000 to help with the “stabilization and ultimate reuse” of the historic 1914 county courthouse.

UTAH St. George: Federal officials and environmentalists are joining efforts to boost protection for the rare dwarf bear-poppy, also known as the bearclaw poppy.

VERMONT Montpelier: The state has joined a handful of counterparts in renaming Columbus Day to honor Native Americans.

VIRGINIA Chincoteague: A new walking and bicycle trail connecting Chincoteague and Assateague islands will be named after former longtime Mayor Jack Tarr.

WASHINGTON Westport: A big rebound in the sea lion population has created a constant battle to wrangle the protected animals. At Westport Marina, revenue is being eaten up by the costs to repair broken docks.

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: A West Virginia University researcher is seeking funding to study whether using fentanyl testing strips changes the behavior of drug users.

WISCONSIN Madison: More people are dying in Wisconsin, but the state’s growing elderly population is living longer, finds the annual death report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

WYOMING Yellowstone National Park: Ledge Geyser has roared back to life after three years of quiet.