50 ★ States

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Montgomery: Republican Gov. Kay Ivey recognized Ashley M. Jones, the state’s first Black poet laureate.

ALASKA Anchorage: The remains of a man found on Fire Island just west of Anchorage in 1989 have been identified through DNA and genome sequencing,

ARIZONA Phoenix: A 25-foot-tall white pine installed in the state Capitol’s executive tower lobby was lit for the first time Wednesday.

ARKANSAS Little Rock: A federal appeals court upheld the 20-year prison sentence for a former pathologist at an Arkansas veterans hospital who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a patient he misdiagnosed.

CALIFORNIA Riverside: Police are looking for a man dubbed the “snake burglar” who wriggled his way through a Southern California business and fled with several thousands of dollars.

COLORADO Fort Collins: Rocky Mountain National Park will have a timed-entry permit system for the third straight season, pending approval from the National Park Service.

CONNECTICUT Hartford: Connecticut collected about $1.7 million during its first partial month of legalized online gambling and sports wagering, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

DELAWARE Dover: Children can now visit inmates at Delaware correctional facilities for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: When United flight 2701 from Chicago landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, it became the first commercial flight to use 100% sustainable aviation fuel, WUSA-TV reported.

FLORIDA Miami: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami is making face coverings optional for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated students whose parents sign opt-out paperwork.

GEORGIA Grovetown: A nutrition manager at Cedar Ridge Elementary School has been arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine found at the school.

HAWAII Honolulu: The Hawaii State Department of Health said a laboratory has detected petroleum product in a water sample from an elementary school near Pearl Harbor.

IDAHO Sugar City: State wildlife officials have euthanized three lion cubs in southeastern Idaho.

ILLINOIS Chicago: The city dropped its lawsuit against the police union over city employee COVID-19 vaccine orders, saying the complaint is unnecessary as more officers complied.

INDIANA Lafayette: Six African penguins died at the Columbian Park Zoo after falling ill with avian malaria, zoo officials said.

IOWA Cedar Rapids: Former television news anchor Tiffany O’Donnell has been elected mayor of Cedar Rapids.

KANSAS Wichita: A lawsuit filed against a Wichita car dealership by the wife of a police officer injured when he was run over by a sport utility vehicle from the business has been settled for an undisclosed amount.

KENTUCKY Louisville: Gov. Andy Beshear said he will propose devoting $10 million to support an expansion of Waterfront Park into western Louisville.

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: In two weeks, Miss Louisiana, Julia Claire Williams, will compete on the national stage for Miss America.

MAINE Kennebunk: The federal government is providing a small meat processor in Maine with $200,000 to help rebuild from a devastating fire last year.

MARYLAND Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan outlined preparation plans in the state for the omicron variant of COVID-19, urging people to get vaccinated or get a booster shot.

MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Massachusetts is deploying three mobile units to administer monoclonal antibody treatment to high-risk individuals who have been exposed to or have COVID-19.

MICHIGAN Grand Rapids: An 11year-old girl who survived a plane crash that killed her father and three other people was released Wednesday from a rehabilitation hospital.

MINNESOTA St. Paul: The Minnesota Department of Health said it’s not approving anxiety disorders as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana, unlike neighboring North Dakota and three other states.

MISSISSIPPI Tupelo: A downtown Tupelo neighborhood has joined the National Register of Historic Places.

MISSOURI Independence: The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum was scheduled to reopen with limited hours Thursday.

MONTANA Billings: Wildlife workers and volunteers scrambled Wednesday to save trout and other fish stranded by an abrupt drop in water levels on a river that’s renowned among anglers.

NEBRASKA Omaha: The number of people hospitalized in Nebraska with the coronavirus continues to climb and reached 555 on Tuesday, the highest total since last winter.

NEVADA Reno: A union for drivers and the operator of metro Reno’s transit bus system said they have reached a tentative agreement to settle a contract dispute.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Exeter: The 23rd annual Festival of Trees benefiting the Community Children’s Fund kicked off in-person Wednesday morning at the Town Hall after a fully virtual event last year.

NEW JERSEY Trenton: Republican lawmakers scorned statehouse rules requiring proof of either COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to enter the building and sought to halt the mandate with a lawsuit.

NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she will pursue a 7% pay increase for educators and staff at K-12 public schools, as well as higher minimum salaries for teachers at various career stages.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation that would bar officials from counting mail-in absentee ballots received after Election Day, even if their envelopes were postmarked on or before that date.

NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted his request for another extension of the hours of service waiver for drivers of commercial vehicles transporting water and livestock feed to help North Dakota livestock producers affected by continuing drought conditions.

OHIO Columbus: The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund is asking lawmakers to boost the required employer contribution rates to the retirement system.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: A human skull found in southwestern Oklahoma 16 years ago has been identified as that of a missing Muskogee woman, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said.

OREGON Salem: A Canadian energy company canceled a controversial natural gas pipeline and marine export terminal on the southern Oregon coast after failing to obtain all necessary state permits.

PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: TV stations in Philadelphia, New York City and Cleveland said they are taking down the “Dr. Oz Show,” now that the show’s host, Mehmet Oz, has formally become a candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

RHODE ISLAND Portsmouth: An animal shelter has tripled its reward to $15,500 for help identifying the people who abandoned two dogs found by the side of a road in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning.

SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston: Laura Cantral, the executive director of the Coastal Conservation League, one of South Carolina’s most influential environmental groups, is stepping down, prompting a nationwide search for her replacement.

SOUTH DAKOTA Wagner: Wagner High School principal and activities director Neil Goster, who was accused of making racist comments toward Native Americans last summer, resigned along with his wife, Cindy, a fourth-grade teacher.

TENNESSEE Sewanee: Reuben Brigety, the University of the South’s vice chancellor and president, said he will resign later this month and would accept a position as U.S. ambassador to South Africa if offered.

TEXAS Houston: An appeals court halted a federal judge’s order that stopped Texas from enforcing its ban on mask mandates in the state’s schools, allowing the prohibition to remain in effect.

UTAH St. George: Nate Brooksby was selected as the Washington County sheriff after the local Republican Party gathered in a special election.

VERMONT Colchester: More than 300 Vermont National Guard soldiers are beginning to return to the state, many after nearly a year deployed overseas.

VIRGINIA Richmond: Virginia has launched a new system to improve the response to mental health emergencies.

WASHINGTON Olympia: Republican state Sen. Keith Wagoner said he plans to challenge newly appointed Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs in next year’s election.

WEST VIRGINIA Huntington: Union maintenance and service workers at Cabell Huntington Hospital ratified a contract late Wednesday to end a month-old strike.

WISCONSIN Milwaukee: FPC Live, a division of Madison-based Frank Productions and one of the world's largest concert promoters, announced plans to operate a builtfrom-scratch music venue in the Historic Third Ward, adjacent to the southern end of Maier Festival Park.

WYOMING Cheyenne Gov. Mark Gordon made state District Court judge John G. Fenn his first appointment to the state Supreme Court.