Across the nation

News from every state.

ALABAMA Decatur: Over 800,000 gallons of untreated sewage spilled from the city’s utility plant and eventually reached the Tennessee River during two days of heavy rains, documents filed by Decatur Utilities show. ALASKA Anchorage: The RavnAir Group, an air carrier that suffered a cyberattack last month, has experienced more disruption than initially projected and says more cancellations and delays are possible. ARIZONA Tucson: Three mountain lions found feeding on human remains near a popular hiking trail have been killed, authorities say. ARKANSAS Little Rock: A judge has ordered the city to reinstate a police officer who was fired for fatally shooting a black motorist at least 15 times through a windshield. CALIFORNIA Corona: A quarantine zone has been expanded in an effort to stop the spread of a disease that threatens the state’s citrus industry. The addition of 107 square miles followed the discovery of a dozen trees with citrus greening disease in Corona, The Press-Enterprise reports. COLORADO Denver: Two affiliated organizations with ties to hospitals and insurance companies have launched a six-figure public relations ad blitz against creation of a “public” health insurance option in the state. CONNECTICUT Hartford: The state’s Department of Consumer Protection is urging consumers to do their homework before signing a contract with a gym or health club. DELAWARE Middletown: The 2020 Hummers Parade went off without a hitch Wednesday following last year’s controversy, though parade watchers said it was not as good as past years.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: An apparently intoxicated man fell onto the tracks of a Metro station Wednesday morning, causing some of the first delays of the new year, according to authorities. FLORIDA Deland: Fifteen cars were shot at while driving along Interstate 4 and Interstate 95 on Wednesday, authorities said Thursday. No injuries were reported, and the damage appears to have been caused by a BB or pellet gun.

GEORGIA Brunswick: The state’s waters are closing to shrimp fishing Jan. 15, but whelk season opens the next day.

HAWAII Honolulu: Hawaiian Telcom painted over an unauthorized mural of a humpback whale on one of its buildings by renowned marine artist Robert Wyland. IDAHO Carey: State land management officials have secured a conservation land use easement on the Cenarrusa Ranch ensuring the land in that area is not developed. ILLINOIS Chicago: The city seems to have closed out 2019 with a drop in the number of homicides for the third consecutive year, police say. INDIANA Indianapolis: The city is a bombed-out disaster area in an upcoming G.I. Joe comic book. Writer Paul Allor says the story presents Indianapolis as putting up a fight against the bad guys of Cobra – longrunning nemesis of the G.I. Joe team. IOWA Fruitland: The Fruitland Community Lions Club plans to build a memorial for veterans near a community center. KANSAS Wichita: The state has been able to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions for a 10th straight year. About 36% of all electricity produced in Kansas is from wind, the highest percentage of any U.S. state, Kansas News Service reports. KENTUCKY Ashland: The city is dedicating several new statues, including two of Roman deities. Friday’s festivities will include a lighting ceremony, live music and a presentation by artist Gines SerranPagan, The Independent reports. LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: Authorities announced Thursday that a man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of three homeless people last month. MAINE Freeport: Coastal Maine has a lot of seaweed and a fair number of cows. A group of scientists and farmers think pairing the two could help unlock a way to cope with a warming world. The researchers are working on a plan to feed seaweed to cows to gauge whether that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions involved in climate change. MARYLAND Annapolis: The governor has indicated he’ll continue to allow refugees into the state. MASSACHUSETTS Boston: The state is extending its electric vehicle rebate program through at least Dec. 31, 2021.

MICHIGAN Delta Township: A rancid smell that had concerned residents was linked to decomposing daikon radishes planted to nourish the soil and prevent erosion. MINNESOTA Minneapolis: State Attorney General Keith Ellison on Thursday called for the Minnesota Board of Public Defense to examine the process that led to the suspension of Hennepin County’s chief public defender, saying he believes Mary Moriarty was targeted for speaking out against racial bias. MISSISSIPPI Hattiesburg: The Hattiesburg Cultural Center hosted a jazz brunch Wednesday in honor and memory of Jeanette Smith, a prominent leader in the city’s civil rights movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s, WDAM-TV reports. MISSOURI Jefferson City: The state’s levees need to be strengthened and repaired, especially in rural areas hit hard by flooding in 2019, says an advisory group appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. MONTANA Helena: Wildlife officials have opened the permit lottery for non-motorized watercraft on the Smith River. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks annually awards floating permits to groups of up to 15 people. NEBRASKA Brownville: Federal inspectors plan to review how well a nuclear power plant handled a water service safety problem blamed on a silt buildup from the Missouri River, which overwhelmed or broke through levees last spring. NEVADA Carson City: The state Supreme Court has ruled that workers’ compensation rates for injured inmates are set at inmate pay rates instead of the minimum wage. NEW HAMPSHIRE Dover: The City Hall clock tower, which officials say has lost its sheen and is sorely in need of a significant cosmetic overhaul, will be getting a full facelift ahead of the city’s 400th birthday celebration in 2023.

NEW JERSEY Howell: A man who set off fireworks near a movie theater as his friend made a marriage proposal Wednesday created panic among moviegoers who mistook the fireworks for gunshots, leading to 911 calls and an evacuation, authorities said.

NEW YORK Victor: Brian M. Kolb, the top Republican in the State Assembly, was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: The state says it has secured an agreement with Duke Energy to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash at six facilities.

NORTH DAKOTA Mandan: Authorities say an ice jam along the Missouri River near the city is causing water to rise, threatening property along the shoreline. OHIO Cleveland: A ban on single-use plastic bags took effect Wednesday in Cuyahoga County, but the ban won’t be enforced with fines until July 1. OKLAHOMA Sand Springs: A man stole a pickup with a sleeping passenger and a goat inside and drove all the way from Missouri to Oklahoma before releasing the terrified victim and animal, authorities say. OREGON Salem: The number of nonaffiliated voters in the state has increased by nearly 60,000 since the beginning of this year, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: The butter sculpture for this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show was unveiled Thursday, featuring three of the state’s professional sports team mascots. The dairy artwork depicts Gritty, Swoop and Steely McBeam, mascots for the Philadelphia Flyers and Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. RHODE ISLAND Providence: State residents must now have health insurance or face a tax penalty.

SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston: The state’s Department of Natural Resources is calling for citizens to recycle used oyster shells and discarded Christmas trees through programs aimed at boosting estuary health and promoting growth of marine life. SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: The state’s minimum wage has increased slightly, to $9.30 per hour, or $4.65 for tipped workers.

TENNESSEE Memphis: Elvis Presley’s Graceland is planning an auction of artifacts to be held during the late entertainer’s 85th birthday celebration Jan. 8.

TEXAS Dallas: A judge on Thursday sided with a hospital that plans to remove an 11-month-old girl from life support after her mother disagreed with the decision by doctors who say that the infant is in pain and that her condition will never improve.

UTAH Salt Lake City: Operators of a copper mine have announced plans to extend operations by using an experimental method of extraction they say is safe despite concerns about groundwater contamination.

VERMONT St. Albans: The state attorney general’s office sued the state’s largest dairy operation Thursday, alleging the farm built a barn addition and a 10 million-gallon manure pit without permission. VIRGINIA Richmond: A bill to abolish the death penalty has been filed in the General Assembly and could see momentum with a new Democratic majority.

WASHINGTON Yakima: The state’s snowpack is less than a year ago, and officials say it’s similar to the start of 2015, the state’s last big drought. WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice on Thursday tapped Everett Frazier to lead the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles.

WISCONSIN Madison: A conservative law firm on Thursday asked a judge to find the Wisconsin Elections Commission in contempt and impose $12,000 a day in fines until it immediately purges more than 200,000 voters from the rolls. WYOMING Casper: The state’s population increased slightly in the second half of 2018 and first half of 2019.