Wildfire break, social media suits, hate crime reporting: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Tuscaloosa: A 54-year-old residence hall for more than 40,000 young women at the University of Alabama will come tumbling down this summer. Its replacement has been rising next door, not as tall or distinctive but with greater depth, breadth, and contemporary tech and comforts. The second Julia Tutwiler Hall – a distinctive, splayed-Y-shaped modernist tower – is planned for demolition on Independence Day. The last of the 13-story dorm’s residents moved out at the end of exams this month. The new Tutwiler, a $145 million project underway since summer 2019, is on pace to open in the fall. The new residence hall, the culmination of a 10-year plan, follows the Georgian neo-classical style more common to Capstone edifices. Unlike the second Tutwiler, the third Tutwiler is wider than it is tall, about half the height of the old tower, with a green-space quadrangle at the heart of the building. In addition to updated basics, electricity and plumbing and the like, the new 1,284-bed Tutwiler will include enhanced connectivity, safety and security measures. In addition to the double-occupancy rooms, it will also offer study, lounge and fitness rooms, with a 16,600 square-foot multipurpose space that doubles as a Federal Emergency Management Agency-rated storm shelter capable of housing all its residents. Former residents – or anyone nostalgic – can still take on a piece of the old Tutwiler through Aug. 31. Room numbers are being sold for $50 and commemorative bricks for $100.

Alaska

Anchorage: Razor clam fisheries in parts of the Cook Inlet area will remain closed for sport and personal use this year, continuing a years­long trend of closures as the clam population has struggled to regain numbers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says eastern Cook Inlet beaches from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit are closed to clamming through the end of 2022, Anchorage TV station KTUU reports. The department said in a statement that surveys completed at Ninilchik and Clam Gulch beaches this month and last showed numbers below the threshold required to allow for limited clamming. The department said the abundance of adult razor clams at Ninilchik was 64% below where it needed to be to allow for public clamming, while the Clam Gulch population was 17% below. Razor clam fisheries closures on the eastern side of Cook Inlet date to 2015. State biologists and Fish and Game officials have struggled to explain what is causing the low numbers, but officials have pointed to a November 2010 winter storm as playing a role. The storm turned up hundreds of thousands of clams along the shores, worsening a trend of declining populations in the area.

Arizona

Phoenix: An impassioned effort by some Republicans in the state Senate to ban the use of ballot drop boxes failed Monday. Scottsdale Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita’s efforts to change a proposal requiring drop boxes to have video monitoring was blocked by fellow GOP senators who knew House Republicans weren’t on board with the harsher proposal. And the whole exercise ended up being in vain after Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, joined all Senate Democrats in rejecting the measure outright. Ugenti-Rita said drop boxes are rife with possibilities for “ballot harvesting,” a pejorative term for dropping off completed ballots for other people. The Legislature in 2016 made it a felony to return another person’s mail ballots unless it is for a family member or if the person returning the ballot is a caregiver. She pointed to a recent documentary that alleged thousands of ballots were illegally cast in 2020 battleground states. Fact-checkers have shown the arguments made in “2000 Mules” are full of unsupported allegations that thousands of ballots were illegally deposited into drop boxes. “If you think ballot boxes contribute to ballot harvesting and can be manipulated, you would ban them, not require that we tape them,” Ugenti-Rita said. “It’s too late at that point.”

Arkansas

Fort Smith: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Chancellor Terisa Riley has announced the appointment of Shadow JQ Robinson as the school’s next provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, effective July 1. Ken Warden, associate vice chancellor for compliance and legislative affairs, who chaired the search, said the team was able to bring five highly skilled finalists to campus from a variety of backgrounds. “We worked diligently to ensure all UAFS constituents had the opportunity to engage with each of them,” he said. “The committee worked tirelessly to complete a thorough search, and the process resulted in a great hire with Dr. Robinson. His energy and excitement for our work is infectious. I think he is a perfect fit, poised to lead us into our next phase of greatness.” Robinson, raised in rural Kentucky in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, said the Ozarks feel like home. And thanks to the work of those who came before him, he said, the UAFS campus and its position in the higher education landscape feel both inviting and inspiring.

California

Sacramento: The state could soon hold social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products, permitting parents to sue platforms like Instagram and TikTok for up to $25,000 per violation under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Monday. The bill defines “addiction” as kids under 18 who are harmed – either physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally or materially – and who want to stop or reduce how much time they spend on social media but can’t because they are preoccupied or obsessed with it. Business groups have warned that if the bill passes, social media companies would most likely cease operations for children in California rather than face the legal risk. The proposal would only apply to social media companies that had at least $100 million in gross revenue in the past year, appearing to take aim at social media giants like Facebook and others that dominate the marketplace. It would not apply to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu or to companies that only offer email and text messaging services. “The era of unfettered social experimentation on children is over, and we will protect kids,” said Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham, a Republican from San Luis Obispo County and author of the bill.

Colorado

Pueblo: Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law Monday at Pueblo City Hall to ensure that parents who use assisted reproductive technology have equal protections under the law, regardless of their gender. “This bill is very simple,” Polis said at the signing. “It just makes it easier and reduces paperwork for counties and for both parents of a child through assisted reproduction to be the parents of a child, instead of one parent having to do an adoption process, which takes time and costs the county money. “This makes it automatic, just like it is for non-assisted reproduction.” Formerly called the “family affirmation act,” the bill was renamed in honor of the baby daughter of Colorado House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and her wife, Heather Palm. “When I was carrying Marlo as the birth mother, my wife realized that even though she was the biological parent, she had no actual legal rights to Marlo unless she went through a stepparent adoption, which we thought was incredibly unfair,” Esgar said. Adoption is a costly, lengthy process, involving steps such as in-home evaluation and background checks, Esgar said. Most parents do not have to go through that process, she noted.

Connecticut

Hartford: State officials hope timely, stepped-up reporting of hate crime investigations by local police to a new State Police investigative unit will help lead to the prevention and detection of such crimes before something violent happens. A new law requires all local and tribal police departments, resident state troopers, and constables with law enforcement duties to notify the new Hate Crimes Investigative Unit of a broader list of crimes involving bigotry and bias within 14 days, using a new standardized system, beginning Jan. 1. They must continue to share information about their local investigations with the State Police unit. “Pretty much every week, every month we get a new national report about the extent of the increase in hate crimes,” said Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee. “These crimes are among the most corrosive ones we have because they go after the bonds that ties together as communities and as a state.” The law, signed March 10 by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and highlighted during a ceremonial signing Tuesday, comes days before the State Bond Commission is scheduled to release a second $5 million allocation for security grants for houses of worship and eligible nonprofits at risk of being the target of a hate crime or violent act.

Delaware

Dover: Gov. John Carney on Tuesday vetoed a bill to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use. In vetoing the measure, Carney reiterated his previously expressed concerns about legalizing recreational pot – concerns that did not dissuade fellow Democrats from pushing the legislation through the General Assembly. “I recognize the positive effect marijuana can have for people with certain health conditions, and for that reason, I continue to support the medical marijuana industry in Delaware,” Carney said in returning the bill to the state House. “I supported decriminalization of marijuana because I agree that individuals should not be imprisoned solely for the possession and private use of a small amount of marijuana – and today, thanks to Delaware’s decriminalization law, they are not. That said, I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people.” Carney’s veto comes just days after legislation to establish a state-run marijuana industry in Delaware failed to clear the state House for a second time. It’s unclear whether Democratic lawmakers will try to override Carney’s veto, which would be a rare occurrence, with a veto-override effort last popping up in 1990 and last succeeding in 1977.

District of Columbia

Washington: The D.C. Nurses Association and Howard University Hospital have reached an agreement following nine months of a labor dispute, WUSA-TV reports. The agreement was ratified May 19, after months of negotiations between the two departments. DCNA and the hospital said the agreement will help to advance patient care and provides nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and dietitians with new resources, which will include high-quality care and services for district residents, increased compensation and benefits, and further their ability to administer safely. “It was only through the efforts and collective action of our members, with support from the community, that we were able to achieve agreement on a fair and equitable contract that recognizes our hard working healthcare professionals and their commitment to caring for patients who come to HUH for care,” Edward Smith, DCNA executive director, said in a media release. The news comes after nine months of actions from nurses at HUH that included petitions to negotiate a fair contract, an informational picket in January and a 24-hour strike in April. The agreement ensures that there will be no pay cuts for senior health care professionals in the overall compensation. The agreement will continue to maintain patient care.

Florida

Sanford: Two political operatives and an independent candidate who opponents say hardly campaigned and only entered a state Senate race in central Florida in 2020 to siphon off votes from a Democrat were criminally charged Tuesday. Prosecutors filed election finance charges against the candidate, Jestine Iannotti, as well as Seminole County GOP chairman Ben Paris and political consultant James “Eric” Foglesong in Seminole County, a suburb of Orlando. Some candidates with no party affiliation, “commonly referred to as ‘ghost’ candidates, have been used by political parties as a way to close elections or siphon off votes,” State Attorney Phil Archer, whose jurisdiction covers Seminole County, said in a statement. “While not illegal per se, many have questioned the ethics of the practice. However, when that candidate and the partisan political operatives involved violate election finance laws by illegally funding those races and filing false reports, it is the responsibility of government to act.” The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to the FDLE, Iannotti illegally accepted a $1,200 cash donation from Foglesong for her campaign. The two falsely used the names of others as contributors in state campaign finance reports in order to skirt Florida laws on campaign contributions, the FDLE said.

Georgia

Atlanta: A prosecutor on Monday said he would not prosecute police officers involved in a May 2020 confrontation with two college students who were stunned with Tasers and pulled from a car while they were stuck in traffic caused by protests over George Floyd’s death. Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim, two students at historically Black colleges in Atlanta, were confronted by police in downtown Atlanta on May 30, 2020. Within days, then-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced arrest warrants had been obtained for six officers. “Not only was law enforcement acting within the scope of their legal authority in their actions to obtain compliance, their actions were also largely consistent with the Atlanta Police Department’s own use of force policy,” Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Samir Patel said in a statement Monday. Patel dismissed the warrants filed against the officers involved: Ivory Streeter, Mark Gardner, Lonnie Hood, Roland Claud, Willie Sauls and Armon Jones. He said he is “unable to find probable cause to prosecute the officers involved for a crime under Georgia law.” Lance LoRusso, a lawyer representing Streeter and Gardner, said his clients “have been vindicated” and look forward to returning to full duty.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Gov. David Ige on Monday signed legislation providing freedom of speech and press protections to students publishing school-sponsored media at the state’s K-12 public schools and the University of Hawaii. The “Hawaii Student Journalism Protection Act” also protects advisers from retaliation for refusing to infringe upon student press freedom. Ige told lawmakers and students gathered for a bill-signing ceremony at McKinley High School that he was the page one editor of The Messenger at Pearl City High School. “Providing student journalists with the same protections that exist for them in the industry gives them real-world opportunities and provides them a more enhanced laboratory for democracy and learning,” Ige said. Althea Cunningham, a recent McKinley graduate and student reporter at The Pinion, submitted written testimony saying students should be able to chase and report the truth with confidence. “Schools are supposed to help prepare students for the future. How is letting administrators get away with killing articles they don’t agree with helping our future journalists?” she said. Supporters say similar laws already exist in 15 other states.

Idaho

Boise: A local woman was sentenced Tuesday to two months in jail for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol building. Pam Hemphill, of Boise, will also be on probation for three years and must pay a $500 fine, U.S. District Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said. Hemphill pleaded guilty earlier this year to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional misdemeanor charges. During Hemphill’s sentencing hearing, Lamberth said it’s “tempting to be lenient,” but he can’t justify letting her just walk away after her offenses at the Capitol. Like many other defendants who have been charged in connection with the siege, Hemphill posted videos to social media sites that showed her in Washington, D.C., in the days surrounding the insurrection and at the Capitol when it was happening. In one video, she compared breaking windows at the federal building to actions protesters at the Idaho Statehouse had taken the previous year. In another, she said she avoided getting into trouble after being found inside the Capitol by telling police she became lost after being pushed into the building by the crowd. The videos were later removed. “Sometimes when I see those videos I want to give you the maximum,” Lamberth said.

Illinois

Oakbrook Terrace: A former suburban Chicago mayor pleaded guilty Monday to taking kickbacks to support the use of red-light cameras in his community. Tony Ragucci, who resigned in 2020, admitted to getting $88,000 when he was leading Oakbrook Terrace. He pleaded guilty to fraud and tax crimes. It’s the latest conviction related to how SafeSpeed LLC dealt with some Chicago-area communities that installed cameras to record traffic violations. SafeSpeed said that it didn’t authorize payoffs and that any kickbacks were part of a scheme by people who are no longer associated with the company. In April, Louis Presta, who was mayor of Crestwood, was sentenced to a year in prison for accepting $5,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durkin said Ragucci is cooperating with investigators, assistance that could help him when he gets a sentence. He was a police officer before being elected mayor in 2009. Oakbrook Terrace’s red-light cameras produced nearly $17 million in revenue from 2017 to April 2021, the Chicago Tribune reports. Ragucci had defended the cameras as a way to encourage safe driving.

Indiana

Warsaw: A pastor who confessed to “adultery” years ago with a teenager publicly informed his congregation last weekend after church leaders confronted him, the church said Tuesday. John Lowe II has resigned, New Life Christian Church and World Outreach in Warsaw said in a statement on its website. Lowe, 65, told church members Sunday that he had “committed adultery” and wanted their forgiveness. Moments later, a woman stepped to the microphone and said the pastor had a sexual relationship with her when she was 16, according to video. “It was 27 years ago, not 20. … I was just 16 when you took my virginity on your office floor. Do you remember that? I know you do,” she said as Lowe stood nearby. She said the “lies and the manipulation have to stop.” The church said leaders confronted Lowe recently after the woman told others about a “long-held secret.” The church said the sexual conduct continued into her 20s. “We are hurting and broken for a woman who has lovingly attended and served in the church for many years, as well as for her husband and family,” the church’s statement said. “It is our deepest prayer and commitment to love, support, encourage and help her through a process of healing in any way in which we are able.” The church said “none of this” was previously known by staff.

Iowa

Des Moines: After decades of efforts, Iowans are about to see a major change in how and where they can turn in their empty pop cans and beer bottles to get back the nickel deposit paid at the point of purchase. Iowa lawmakers’ agreement to reframe the recycling program comes as supporters and opponents alike have warned the system is on the brink of failure and could have collapsed without legislative action. Frustrated by years of work without tangible progress, key lawmakers also had threatened to repeal the entire law – known as the bottle bill – if they failed to reach a deal this year. The Iowa Senate voted 30-15 Monday to pass Senate File 2378. The House previously passed the bill in April on a 73-17 vote, so it now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature. Under current law, Iowans can return empty cans and bottles to grocery stores and other retailers to get back a 5-cent deposit that they paid when buying the drink. The new legislation would triple the handling fee collected by the roughly 60 redemption centers around the state and authorize mobile redemption options in an effort to make their businesses financially viable. Meanwhile, grocery stores, gas stations and other retailers could refuse to accept empty bottles and cans under most conditions.

Kansas

Topeka: The Legislature adjourned for the year Monday without handling efforts to legalize medical marijuana and enact a major overhaul of the state’s election laws. But after two years in which Gov. Laura Kelly rejected more bills than any governor in recent memory, Republicans once again overrode her veto and enacted two pieces of legislation into law. One would delay the renegotiation of $4 billion worth of contracts with private firms that serve as managed care organizations for the state’s Medicaid program. They also pushed through a bill that would prevent the governor from entering into legal agreements that change state election law without legislative approval. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed several remaining pieces of legislation, including a framework for the state’s new 988 suicide prevention hotline and a property tax break for small businesses affected by COVID-19 orders. Lawmakers did not need to pass a new set of congressional district maps, as many feared, after the Kansas Supreme Court last week upheld the original lines enacted earlier this year.

Kentucky

Louisville: A man who was fatally shot by a deputy U.S. marshal during an arrest attempt was shot during a foot pursuit, the city’s police chief said Monday. Omari Cryer, 25, was wanted on an arrest warrant for assault, strangulation and terroristic threatening when he was tracked to a residence in Louisville on Friday, police Chief Erika Shields said at a press conference. “There was a brief foot pursuit. They ran upon a fence. Subsequently, the marshals opened fire striking Mr. Cryer,” Shields said. Shields said Cryer was in the possession of a handgun at the time he was shot. She said she anticipates any “body-worn camera footage to be released in the near future” after “essential” interviews are conducted. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has described the cause and manner of death as “gunshot wounds/homicide.” A group of roughly 30 protesters gathered in downtown Louisville’s Jefferson Square Park on Monday evening. Many called for more transparency from Louisville police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Antiya Parker, the mother of Cryer’s 2-year-old son, also attended the rally, holding a poster showing photos of Cryer and another with the words “Black Lives Matter.” “We’re all confused,” she said. “You got these people who are saying one thing; you got some people saying another.”

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Driving while using a handheld cellphone could become a traffic violation punishable by a ticket and fine under legislation approved Monday by the state House. State Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, got the bill passed with a 55-38 vote after failing to win passage earlier in the legislative session. The bill goes next to the Senate. Huval has two weeks to get it through a Senate committee hearing and floor vote before the session’s June 6 deadline for final adjournment. Amendments adopted in the House ensure that a violation will result only in a citation and fines, not arrests. Huval said the measure is needed to increase highway safety. He won House passage after recounting stories from friends and colleagues of accidents involving drivers holding cellphones. Drivers using hands-free devices would not be in violation of the proposed law.

Maine

Monson: Infestations of ticks contributed to a record-high death rate for young moose tracked by wildlife managers in the state’s rural areas. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife collared 70 moose calves in remote sites last winter, and 60 of them had died by the beginning of May, Maine Public reports. The 86% mortality rate was the highest since the agency started the tracking survey. Lee Kantar, the moose biologist with the wildlife department, said the winter ticks are to blame. The ticks, also called moose ticks, are a worsening problem in the areas of the northern U.S. and southern Canada that moose call home. Short winters and long falls have given the ticks more time to seek out moose, and the moose have accumulated larger numbers of them, biologists said. The ticks can gather on moose in the tens of thousands and can bleed the animals to the point of death. Maine moose are also coping with other parasites, such as brainworms. The giant animal, the largest member of the deer family, is Maine’s official state animal.

Maryland

Ocean City: The brand-new Oceans Calling Festival is promising a star-studded lineup. The Lumineers, Alanis Morissette and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds are headlining the event, organizers announced Monday. And the slate of entertainers is deep for the three-day festival, set to come to the resort town from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Matthews and Reynolds headline the first night, with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dirty Heads, O.A.R. and more on the bill. Playing ahead of the Lumineers are bands including Cage the Elephant, Jimmy Eat World and Pup Punk. And joining headliner Morissette on the final night are Cyndi Lauper, Sublime, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and more. One-day and three-day pass tickets for the festival go on sale Wednesday at www.oceanscallingfestival.com. One-day passes start at $99 for general admission and range up to $795 for “platinum” tickets. Three-day passes start at $185 and soar to $1,250 for “platinum” tickets. The festival is being put on in partnership with the band O.A.R., which has roots in Maryland, and will also include a culinary component featuring world-renowned chefs and cooking demos that celebrate regional cuisine. Amusement park Jolly Roger at the Pier will be inside the festival grounds.

Massachusetts

Boston: The city is taking additional steps to help people experiencing homelessness, substance abuse disorder and mental health issues to deter a recurrence of the humanitarian crisis at the city intesection that was once home to a sprawling homeless encampment, Mayor Michelle Wu said Tuesday. She unveiled the city’s 11-point plan amid concerns warmer weather will bring more people to the area known as Mass and Cass. The plan, developed after 20 meetings with about 250 stakeholders, addresses immediate public safety and public health needs. “As the weather warms, we are taking concrete steps to ensure safety and health,” Wu said. “Boston is creating a continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder with pathways from living on the streets to permanent housing.” In January the city cleared out tents where up to 140 people had been living near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, where drug dealing and use often occured in the open. Some business owners and residents said the problems persisted. The new plan includes an increased presence of public health and public safety outreach teams; more street cleaning and beautification efforts; transportation and referrals to day centers outside the neighborhood; and increased access to permanent housing.

Michigan

Lansing: The state’s elections bureau said late Monday that five Republican candidates for governor, including two leading contenders, failed to file enough valid nominating signatures and should not qualify for the August primary. The stunning recommendations immediately transformed the race in the battleground state and dealt a major blow to former Detroit Police Department Chief James Craig, who has led in primary polling despite campaign problems, and businessman Perry Johnson, who has spent millions of his own money to run. Democrats had challenged their petitions, alleging mass forgery and other issues. Another GOP candidate, Tudor Dixon, had also contested Craig’s voter signatures as fake. The bipartisan, four-member Board of State Canvassers will meet Thursday to consider the elections bureau’s findings of fraud across five gubernatorial campaigns. The Republican candidates, who are vying to face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November, could end up going to court if they do not make the ballot. Bureau staff also determined that three other lesser-known GOP candidates – Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown and Michael Markey – did not turn in enough valid signatures. If the canvassers agree with the recommendations, the 10-person field of political newcomers would be cut in half to five.

Minnesota

Duluth: The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul has been activated for service in the U.S. Navy. A weekend commissioning ceremony was held in Duluth for the Freedom class littoral combat ship. It measures nearly 400 feet long and can travel at speeds greater than 40 knots, the equivalent of about 46 mph. According to officials, the ship is designed to have significant maneuverability and will utilize a state-of-the-art system that combines diesel and gas turbines with steerable water jet propulsion, KBJR-TV reports. Gov. Tim Walz had a special message for the crew during the commissioning ceremony Saturday. “To the crew, when you sail the world’s oceans to whatever nation calls you, in order to defend the freedoms that we enjoy, know that the pride and patriotism of all Minnesotans sails with you. May the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul protect you,” Walz said. The ship has a flight deck that’s about 1.5 times larger the most naval warships and can accommodate a crew of 140 service members. The ship was built in Marinette, Wisconsin, using Iron Range iron ore. Its commissioning, originally planned for 2021, was delayed by a problem with its propulsion system.

Mississippi

Jackson: Citing safety concerns, the Real Cowboy Association said it’s canceling the 19th Annual Black Cowboy Association Rodeo that had been scheduled for July 16 at the Mississippi Coliseum. “Unfortunately I have to announce that the 19th Annual Jackson Black Rodeo is canceled,” said a post on the group’s Facebook. “Reasons are due to previous incidents on the Fairgrounds that will restrict the event from being what it has been. I stand for the safety of All RCA Fans, Cowboys, and Cowgirls.” The Real Cowboy Association has held the annual event in Jackson for the past 19 years. The association’s goal is to influence and help promote leadership, scholarships and provide a increase in business involvement in the community, according to the group’s website. Michael Lasseter, director of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, said providing safety for such events is mandatory. “We do not want this event to be canceled,” Lasseter said. Last week organizers of JXN Fest announced cancellation of their event, citing “unforeseen circumstances beyond our control” and “the climate of today’s times.” The moves come after a May 1 shootout between rival groups of teenagers, with a law enforcement officer fatally shooting a teen suspected of firing shots, at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival – also at the Fairgrounds.

Missouri

Springfield: A state lawmaker charged with fraud involving medical treatments has been sued by a patient over the care she prescribed for him to relieve back pain. Rep. Tricia Derges, a Nixa Republican, is scheduled to go on trial in federal court next month on charges that she sold fake stem cell treatments, fraudulently used pandemic aid and wrote illegal prescriptions. In a lawsuit filed in state court this month, a patient alleges Derges, an assistant physician, used amniotic fluid injections to treat his back pain at her clinic in Springfield in 2020. He alleges he was charged over $6,000 for treatments that did not help. Derges’ attorney, Al Watkins, said the plaintiff had no problems with his treatment until the federal indictment was publicized and called the allegations “absolutely erroneous.” In that indictment filed last year, Derges is accused of claiming nearly $900,000 in federal payments for COVID-19 treatments that were not performed or had already been performed. It also alleges that she promoted amniotic fluid as a treatment for COVID-19 and other diseases by falsely claiming it contained stem cells. In February, Derges’ narcotics license was placed on probation for three years.

Montana

Billings: State health officials say transgender people can’t change their birth certificates even if they undergo gender-confirmation surgery, in defiance of a court order that had blocked the Republican-controlled state’s bid to restrict transgender rights. The state health department said late Monday in an emergency order that it would no longer record the category of “gender” on people’s birth certificates, replacing that category with a listing for “sex” that can be changed only in rare circumstances. Sex is “immutable,” the order said, while gender is a “social … construct” that can change over time. The order came a month after a state judge temporarily blocked enforcement of a law that required transgender people to have undergone a “surgical procedure” before being allowed to change their gender on their birth certificates. Judge Michael Moses ruled the law was unconstitutionally vague because it did not specify what procedure must be performed. The law also required transgender people to obtain a court order indicating they had had a surgical procedure. Moses’ order forced the state to revert back to a process adopted in 2017 that said transgender residents could apply to change the gender on their Montana birth certificate by filing sworn affidavits with the health department. But state health officials said the April 21 ruling put them in “an ambiguous and uncertain situation.” The new order exceeds the restrictions on transgender rights imposed by the Republican-dominated Legislature.

Nebraska

Lincoln: The University of Nebraska’s game-day tradition of football fans releasing helium-filled red balloons to celebrate the Cornhuskers’ first touchdown is ending. Balloons have been handed out to fans near the stadium entrance before games since the early 1960s. Athletic director Trev Alberts said on his radio show Monday night that a global shortage of helium led to the decision to end the practice. Russia is one of the top helium suppliers, and Alberts said U.S. sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine have caused a shortage. Alberts said university leaders want the helium that would have been used in the balloons to go to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for medical use. The release of balloons at football games has drawn criticism for at least a decade because of environmental concerns. A lawsuit filed in 2016 claimed the balloons were a health hazard to birds and other wildlife when they return to the ground. The university’s student government, in a symbolic move, voted in November to end the tradition. The Huskers’ home opener is Sept. 3 against North Dakota.

Nevada

Las Vegas: State and national advocacy groups say 83 children remain missing in the state – 25 more than last year at this time. Officials with the Las Vegas-based nonprofit Nevada Child Seekers said a majority of the children reported missing to law enforcement in the state each year are from Las Vegas, and many are considered endangered or abducted. “We’re a 24-hour entertainment city,” Heather Doto, program manager of Nevada Child Seekers, told the Las Vegas-Review Journal. “There’s a lot to do out here. We’re a hub, and these streets are dangerous. Unfortunately, where there’s more people, you’re more likely to have more predators.” Nevada Child Seekers works on about 500 cases per year and reports a 90% success rate in finding children, according to Doto. She said the pandemic led to a rise in predators using the internet to lure children away from their homes because “predators go where children go.” Doto said Nevada Child Seekers avoids the term “runaway” on its missing children posters because it leads to the public paying less attention to those children. She said children who leave home are, in most cases, “running to something, or they’re running away from something.”

New Hampshire

Dover: The city’s petition to challenge the constitutionality of the state’s legislative redistricting plan was denied by the New Hampshire Supreme Court last week, but the city isn’t giving up on it just yet. Dover’s Ward 4 voters will be affected by the state’s House Bill 50, which was signed into law earlier this year and divides Ward 4 residents into two districts combined with other towns. Despite meeting the requirements in the New Hampshire Constitution that require a dedicated district for wards with sufficient population, Ward 4 was left without its own representative. City Attorney Joshua Wyatt said it’s currently unclear why the state Supreme Court denied the motion, as no rationale was presented in the rejection document. Dover had petitioned for the complaint to go straight to the high court to expedite the process, with the June 1 filing period for the state House looming. That’s been done before in redistricting cases, Wyatt said. In its legal filing, the city asked the court to address the matter directly so that, ideally, a ruling could be made in advance of the elections. Wyatt said he does not think the city will see relief or a ruling before the 2022 state House election, but the goal at that point would be to petition for new maps to be drawn before the next census.

New Jersey

Atlantic City: The city’s casinos collectively saw their profitability increase in the first quarter of this year compared not only with a year earlier but also with the pre-pandemic period, according to figures released Monday. But only four of the nine casinos indivdually reported higher gross operating profits than they did in the first quarter of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the casinos and their online arms collectively posted a gross operating profit of $155.6 million in the first three months of this year. That’s up 63% from the first three months of 2021 and nearly 79% from the first quarter of 2019. The pandemic forced Atlantic City’s casinos to close for 3¹/₂months starting in mid-March of 2020, so 2019 is a more useful point of comparison. Yet the news was not all good. Only four casinos – Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean and Tropicana – were more profitable in the first quarter this year than at the start of 2019. Gross operating profit represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and other expenses and is a widely accepted measure of profitability in the Atlantic City gambling industry. Eight of the nine casinos – all but Bally’s – were profitable in the first quarter of this year.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: The largest wildfire in North America came to a near-standstill overnight amid light rain and frosty temperatures as firefighters scrambled Tuesday to clear flammable vegetation and deployed aircraft to douse smoldering forests. The blaze that started about seven weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains foothills east of Santa Fe was 41% encircled by clearings and barriers that can stop a wildfire from spreading farther. Gusty winds continued to carry hot embers across barrier such as roadways, as fire crews race to extinguish small spot fires. The fire has consumed more than 486 square miles of timber, grassland and brush, with evacuations in place for weeks. It’s among six active large fires in the state that have burned across 536 square miles. So far this year, wildland fires have burned across roughly 2,650 square miles (of the U.S. That’s roughly twice the average burn for this time of year, according to a national center for coordinating wildfire suppression. Climate change and an enduring drought are significant factors. Still, wildland firefighters braced for the anticipated return of hot, dry and windy weather later this week. A wildfire on the outskirts of Los Alamos National Laboratory was 85% contained Tuesday. In the vicinity, Bandelier National Monument is preparing to reopen some areas to visitors Friday. In southwestern New Mexico, a fire is burning through portions of the Gila National Forest and outlying areas.

New York

New York: A U.S. history and government exam for the state’s high school students has been canceled in the wake of the racist shooting at a Buffalo supermarket over concerns that material on the test could “compound student trauma,” education officials said Tuesday. The state’s Regents exam had been scheduled for June 1, but a review of the content following the May 14 shooting found that “the tragedy in Buffalo has created an unexpected and unintended context for the planned assessment,” said Emily DeSantis, a spokesperson for the state Education Department, in a statement. As a result, she said, “it is not appropriate to administer the exam with a question that could compound the grief and hardship faced by our school communities.” Ten people, all of them Black, were killed in the Tops Friendly Market when a white 18-year-old opened fire. Three others were injured. Funerals for the victims have been taking place this week. The department refused to say what the content was or give any additional information on the question of concern. In a memo sent to school administrators, Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa said it wouldn’t be possible to make a different test or modify the one that had been scheduled.

North Carolina

Asheville: A federal appeals court has ruled against arguments by U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn that he is protected from a post-Civil War era constitutional disqualification from future office for those who engaged in an insurrection. The three-judge Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lower federal court erred in its ruling and must revisit the arguments of whether Cawthorn engaged in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The district court had ruled the 14th Amendment disqualification from federal or state office did not apply because of the 1872 Amnesty Act that restored the right to hold office for all but those at the highest level of the Confederate rebellion. The ramifications for Cawthorn, an ambitious right-wing congressman who is only 26, could be long-running. Cawthorn recently argued the case was moot because of his May 17 Republican primary loss to state Sen. Chuck Edwards, despite support for his reelection bid from ex-President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Cawthorn had a conflict of interest in a cryptocurrency he promoted and engaged in an improper relationship with a member of his staff, the panel said Monday.

North Dakota

Fargo: Planned Parenthood said Monday that it will offer abortion services at its clinic in Moorhead, Minnesota, if North Dakota’s only abortion clinic does not quickly relocate from Fargo should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood said it expected Red River Women’s Clinic, a private clinic not affiliated with it, to make the short move across the river by July 1, if necessary. “However, if that is not the case, Planned Parenthood will begin offering abortions at our Moorhead facility so that women in the region have no interruption in services,” said Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. The Red River Women’s Clinic has long operated as the only abortion provider in North Dakota. Owner Tammi Kromenaker has said she would cross over to Moorhead if forced to do so but told the Associated Press in recent interviews that she has been too busy to explore details of such a move. Kromenaker said Monday that “there are too many unknowns to confirm a specific date” for relocation. The nearest clinics to the Fargo-Moorhead that currently offer abortion services are both about 240 miles away, in Minneapolis and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, though the Sioux Falls clinic would also shut down if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Ohio

Cincinnati: A new initiative by the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts aims to remove an obstacle standing in the way of some residents obtaining housing. The clerk’s office’s online search will no longer show inactive evictions older than three years. In a release, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh said evictions remain a stain on a tenant’s record that is nearly impossible to erase, even if a tenant made good on the obligations. This new policy aims to prevent old eviction cases from hindering those who are attempting to find new housing. The older eviction cases will not be viewable online, but they remain on file in the clerk’s office and are open to the public. The hope is that with older eviction case records removed from the online search, thousands of records that may no longer reflect a tenant’s financial situation will not easily pop up and influence landlords or other screeners. This new policy still allows landlords to properly screen tenants but aims to protect tenants from those landlords or screeners who are trying to take the easy way out, Parikh said. Nick DiNardo, managing attorney of the housing practice group at Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, said the organization is pleased with the change.

Oklahoma

Pawhuska: Rising grocery, gas and housing bills prompted leaders of one Native American tribe to make a change. The Osage Nation will temporarily pay workers 10% more to help offset inflation costs that have reached 40-year highs. Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear proposed the cost of living increase, and Osage Nation Congress approved the change in April. It took effect this month. “We have not seen a time like this inflation-wise since the 1980s,” Standing Bear said after he announced the proposal in March. The main metric used to track inflation, the U.S. consumer price index, climbed 8.5% between March 2021 and March 2022 – the largest spike in 41 years. Fuel costs, in particular, surged. Food prices increased 10%. The impact of rising costs is amplified in tribal communities and rural areas because of access and supply chain issues. “It’s as if someone is taking a pair of scissors and just cutting 10% to 15% of your paycheck every period. That’s exactly what it is,” Standing Bear said. He said tribal employees started to talk more about rising gas prices at the start of the year. Then Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in March that she believed inflation would remain high for some time. “When she made that speech, I really said, ‘That’s it. We’re going to do this cost of living,’ ” Standing Bear said.

Oregon

Portland: The state is reporting some of the highest numbers of new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started more than two years ago. The Oregon Health Authority reported nearly 12,000 new cases last week, and the state is averaging 1,685 new cases a day, The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. That’s higher than all but 12 weeks since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Hospitalizations continue to lag the rising case numbers and remain far below previous pandemic highs. As of Monday, 278 people were hospitalized – up 11% from a week before – and 24 were in intensive care unit beds. The tally of hospitalized patients is expected to peak at 330 occupied hospital beds June 9, according to forecasts by Oregon Health & Science University. Many of those patients are considered to be people hospitalized for other conditions who also tested positive for COVID-19. People in the 15 Oregon counties deemed to be “medium” risk of COVID-19 by federal metrics should consider donning masks indoors while out in public. Those counties are Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Columbia, Benton, Deschutes, Hood River, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk, Lincoln, Lane, Wallowa, Union and Baker.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: Two former police officers whose gender discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit led Philadelphia’s police commissioner to resign have won a $1 million verdict against the city. A federal jury on Tuesday found that Cpl. Audra McCowan and Patrol Officer Jennifer Allen endured a hostile work environment that included being put in undesirable jobs, with changing shifts, after they raised sexual harassment complaints. They each won $500,000. McCowan, Allen’s supervisor, alleged that former Commissioner Richard Ross failed to help because she had ended a romantic relationship with him in 2011. When the allegations surfaced in 2019, Ross denied engaging in any retaliation but resigned for what he called the good of the city. Philadelphia then hired Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, the first Black woman to lead the department, to succeed him. McCowan now works at a school for less than half her former pay, while Allen remains unable to work, according to their lawyer, Ian Bryson. A psychiatrist testified at the weeklong trial that both suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the 15 years each spent in the Philadelphia Police Department, he said. “I think this verdict sent a message that this isn’t how you treat people,” Bryson said.

Rhode Island

Newport: Three firefighters were injured battling a major fire at a recently renovated hotel, fire officials said. The blaze at the Wayfinder Hotel was reported about 8 p.m. Monday, and crews remained on the scene Tuesday morning. Nearly 100 firefighters from multiple municipalities responded to the blaze, and all guests made it out safely, fire Chief Harp Donnelly IV said. The Red Cross responded to assist displaced guests in finding new accommodations. The cause remains under investigation. The four-story hotel has nearly 200 guest rooms, according to its website. The injured firefighters are expected to recover, Deputy Chief Mark Riding said at the scene Tuesday. “We had one firefighter go through the floor. He was rescued by the crew that was with him. We don’t know if it was from the heat or the water weight that was causing collapses,” he said. “As soon as the firefighter went through the floor, all companies were pulled out.” Hotel ownership said in a statement that they were “deeply grateful” for the efforts of firefighters. The hotel reopened in the summer of 2020 after a $16 million renovation project.

South Carolina

Columbia: In one of the year’s most closely watched congressional Republican primaries, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace met two GOP challengers on the debate stage who are seeking to oust her from South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, one of whom immediately endorsed the other before walking off stage. In the Monday night matchup in Charleston – slated to be the only debate for Mace, Katie Arrington and Lynz Piper-Loomis ahead of the June 14 primary election – Piper-Loomis answered her opening question by saying she would be supporting Arrington before removing her microphone and leaving the debate. With Piper-Loomis having been unable to attract significant fundraising, her departure now makes official the two-way contest that had already been largely shaping up between the freshman Mace and Arrington, a former Defense Department cybersecurity expert who is making her second run for the seat. In 2018, Arrington notably knocked U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford out of the GOP primary, going on to lose the general election to Democrat Joe Cunningham, who became the first of his party in decades to flip a South Carolina House seat. Mace then ousted Cunningham in 2020 to become the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the state.

South Dakota

Pierre: The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe is suing Lyman County in federal court for delaying a redistricting plan that would ensure the timely election of tribal candidates to the County Commission. The tribe said the delay prevents its residents from electing two commissioners in the upcoming election. Instead, the Lower Brule will have to wait until 2024 and 2026. Lyman County has had an at-large election process since 1992. That means candidates running for the five commissioner seats can live anywhere within the county. Lyman County contains part of the Lower Brule reservation and has a Native American population of 38%. With at-large elections, no Native American candidate has ever succeeded in winning a seat on the commission, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reports. To avoid a lawsuit, Lyman County and Lower Brule agreed that the county must establish two commissioner positions chosen by Native American voters. In October 2021, Lower Brule proposed five single-candidate districts, two of them with a Native American majority and three with a white majority. According to plaintiffs, that scheme was legal under existing South Dakota law. But in February, the Lyman County Commission enacted an ordinance establishing just two voting districts, one white with three commissioners and one Native American with two commissioners. The commission also voted to delay the changes until after the next election, leaving the at-large system in play.

Tennessee

Nashville: Beginning this month, warrant officers retired from active duty in the U.S. Army will be able to join the Tennessee National Guard. The program has been talked about for years, but Tennessee is the first to implement it, Brig. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s assistant adjutant general-Army, said in a news release. Previously it was allowed only for soldiers deemed indispensable by the secretary of the Army. Now, nearly all retired active-duty Army warrant officers are eligible. The U.S. Army and National Guard Bureau updated their policies to make the change possible last year. Tennessee formalized its own state policy this month, according to the release. “This will greatly impact the readiness across our force as it allows our organization to supplement our ranks and hard to fill positions with highly qualified individuals,” Ross said.

Texas

Houston: A lawyer for the family of a 29-year-old Black man who was fatally shot last month by a Houston police officer said body camera video shows he was given only seconds to raise his hands before he was shot. Jalen Randle was shot April 27 as he exited a vehicle, police said. They said he was being pursued because he was wanted on three felony warrants. Police released video of the shooting Tuesday after Randle’s family demanded it, but Assistant Chief Thomas Hardin said in the introduction to the footage that the department is still in the early stages of its investigation. A spokesman for the Houston Police Department declined to comment further because of the ongoing investigation. The video shows the officer firing once almost immediately after yelling, “Hey, let me see your hands!” as he got out of a police car. After Randle fell to the ground, the officer uttered an expletive. Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that the video clearly shows Randle had no time to comply with the officer’s orders before he was shot. Crump said Randle was handcuffed and dragged across the ground before officers rendered aid. “The brutality displayed in this video is extremely disturbing,” said Crump, one of the nation’s top civil rights attorneys.

Utah

St. George: In a coordinated statewide campaign dubbed “Flip Blitz” by water managers, governments across Utah removed 135,000 square feet of “non-functional” grass on public property last week and replaced it with more water-friendly landscaping. The vast majority – about 115,000 square feet – was taken from lawns in Washington County, where the hot desert climate and years of debate over drought, population growth and controversial projects like the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline have made the area a kind of ground zero for water conservation proposals. “This is a good example of looking at how we can do a better job and have more effective landscaping,” said Zach Renstrom, the executive director of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. “And so this is a great opportunity for everybody to kind of get together and to show what we can do.” Some advocates for stricter water conservation said that while the event seemed to present a good opportunity to talk about water issues, they worried it seemed more performative and didn’t actually offer any substantial solutions to the concerns surrounding the county’s water future. But by being an example for others, officials said they hoped the government’s actions would encourage private businesses, homeowners and others to do the same.

Vermont

Burlington: A bill passed by the Legislature will give Vermont National Guard members an increased budget for college tuition. Those Guard members can now get a bachelor’s degree fully covered at all state schools including any Vermont State College institution or University of Vermont school. Previous benefits only paid for $11,592 of tuition a year, which fell short of some state university tuition rates, including UVM’s. The Guard will now pay up to $16,392 a year for tuition, which can also be used for a second bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. If Guard members wish to attend a private college in Vermont, the Guard will cover tuition up to the in-state rate for undergraduate students at UVM. The new bill will also grant spouses and dependents of National Guard members stationed in Vermont immediate access to in-state tuition rates at state universities once they have moved to Vermont. As long as the spouse or dependent stays in Vermont, they have access to in-state tuition rates even if their family member in the Guard is transferred locations on military orders.

Virginia

McLean: Northern Virginia voters have elected a progressive slate of candidates to a community center board after a controversy over a drag queen story hour. The normally low-key elections Saturday for three slots on the McLean Community Center Board attracted attention after complaints that the center co-sponsored a “Drag StoryBook Hour,” in which drag queens read books about gender fluidity to young children at a local library. Among those defeated in the election was Katharine Gorka, a former Trump administration official and wife of Trump loyalist Sebastian Gorka. She cited her opposition to the story hour as a top issue for her at a candidate forum earlier this month. The winning candidates in Saturday’s election – Kristina Groennings, Anna Bartosiewicz and Ari Ghasemian – had endorsements from Democrats. The board did not publish the candidates’ margin of victory. The community center board oversees a budget funded by a real-estate tax surcharge on property in the McLean area, one of the wealthiest areas of the country.

Washington

Spokane: Scientists will set about 1,000 traps this year in their quest to wipe out the Asian giant hornet in Washington, the state Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. Scientists believe the hornets, first detected in the Pacific Northwest state in 2019, are confined to Whatcom County, located on the Canadian border north of Seattle. “We are doing pretty good right now,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger, who is leading the fight to eradicate the hornets for the state Department of Agriculture. “We know about where the nests are located in Whatcom County.” The insects are the world’s largest hornets, with queens reaching up to 2 inches long. They are considered invasive in North America for their ability to kill other bee and hornet species, which is how they got the nickname “murder hornets.” Hornets caught in traps help scientists find the location of nests. The state eradicated three nests last year, all near the town of Blaine, and there have been no confirmed reports of Asian giant hornet nests so far this year, Spichiger said. Most of the traps will be set in northern Whatcom County, but a few will be set in the city of Bellingham, he said. The agency is also encouraging residents to set their own traps to cover more ground.

West Virginia

Charleston: A congressional watchdog has determined that U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney likely broke House rules when the West Virginia Republican accepted a trip to Aruba allegedly paid for by a campaign client and family friend. The latest allegations were included in a statement released Monday by the House Ethics Committee, which said it was extending the review of an Office of Congressional Ethics report sent to the committee in December. Mooney, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and has represented the state in the House since 2015, will face Democrat Barry Wendell, an openly gay former Morgantown City Council member, in November’s general election. Mooney easily defeated incumbent Rep. David McKinley in the May 10 GOP primary for the newly redrawn 2nd District. An ethics probe launched against Mooney last year initially was about whether he had used campaign cash to make personal purchases. In the latest OCE report, HSP Direct, a direct mail fundraising company that provides services to Mooney’s campaign committee, allegedly paid for a trip for his family to Aruba along with free lodging and event space in March 2021.

Wisconsin

Madison: One of the 10 Republicans who attempted to cast Electoral College ballots for Donald Trump in 2020 even though he lost Wisconsin said Monday that he is running to become chairman of the state elections commission, where he currently serves as a member. Robert Spindell has been an outspoken member of the bipartisan commission and supporter of the investigation into the 2020 election being led by a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Spindell has also traveled the state giving a presentation he calls “Thirteen Ways the 2020 Election was Rigged in Wisconsin.” “I am far and away the best qualified for (commission chair) and it would really help the image of the Wisconsin Elections Commission if I am chosen for that,” Spindell said Monday. The next chair of the commission will hold the position heading into the November election and in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election in battleground Wisconsin. The chair by state law approves the vote canvass following elections and certifies results. The chair also sets the agenda for the commission and can exert influence over how questions are framed, an important power on the board that is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. The commission scheduled a vote Wednesday to elect the next chair.

Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park: Scientists are using soy pellets dropped by helicopter to eradicate exotic lake trout from Yellowstone Lake, Wyofile.com reports. After extensive efforts to trap the unwanted fish failed, biologists tried the airborne pellets and deposited them over spawning sites, according to the newspaper. The method has proved efficient, with mortality rates for those trout approaching 100% even in those areas where the concentration of pellets was lowest, the Yellowstone biologists wrote in an article published in the American Fisheries Society journal.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfire break, social media suits: News from around our 50 states