Alabama
Birmingham: A judicial panel convicted a judge of violating ethics rules by failing to return to work and serve without pay following her conviction in an earlier ethics case, court documents show. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tracie Todd was given a 120-day suspension without pay in an order filed Monday following a trial that lasted five days over three months before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary. Todd was convicted last year of violating orders of an appellate court and, as punishment, ordered to work for 90 days without pay beginning last Dec. 6, news outlets reported. Rather than reporting for duty at the courthouse in Birmingham, Todd remained for most of the period in Chicago, where her husband and children live, evidence showed. Todd, who testified in her own defense, claimed she worked remotely while in Chicago and couldn’t return to Alabama because of illness and COVID-19 quarantines that restricted her from travel. The court could have permanently removed Todd, and one of her lawyers, Edward J. Ungvarsky, said the decision to only suspend her for four months represented a vindication. “Judges, lawyers, and court personnel consistently testified that Judge Todd displays the greatest of integrity, honesty, and compassion,” Ungvarsky said. The Court of the Judiciary convicted Todd in December 2021 of violating judicial ethics by disregarding decisions by higher courts and inserting her own opinions into rulings, including one that declared Alabama’s death penalty statute was unconstitutional. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the decision.
Alaska
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Anchorage: The Anchorage Assembly leadership is condemning remarks made by a member of the public during last week’s Assembly meeting, Alaska Public Media reports. When testifying on an ordinance about designating a former hotel as a temporary emergency shelter, a man made racist and derogatory comments about Alaska Native people, according to the news outlet. East Anchorage Assembly member Forrest Dunbar swiftly rebuked the comments. In a statement Tuesday, Assembly chair Suzanne LaFrance and vice-chair Chris Constant said they wanted to “speak out against the racist and offensive statements made by the member of the public. Unfortunately, this is not the first time racist views have been expressed in the Assembly Chambers.”
Arizona
Tucson: A man convicted last month in the first of two murder cases is seeking a new trial, according to authorities. Christopher Clements was convicted Sept. 30 of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez. He was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Pima County Superior Court, but the date has been moved to Nov. 14. Court officials also said Clements’ attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial and a motion for judgment of acquittal not withstanding the verdict. A Nov. 7 hearing is set for both motions. A judge also will hear testimony Nov. 14 for a possible change of venue for Clements’ other murder trial, scheduled for Feb. 2 involving the death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis. Clements, a 40-year-old convicted sex offender with a long criminal record, is facing life in prison when he’s sentenced in the Gonzalez case. Clements was arrested in 2018 and indicted on 22 felony counts including two counts each of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the girls’ deaths.
Arkansas
Fort Smith: Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is often mixed with illegal drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin, is continuing to cause more overdoses and deaths in Fort Smith and the state. Fort Smith emergency responders have saved the lives of 66 people who overdosed on fentanyl this year with the life-saving Narcan drug that can counter the deadly effects of fentanyl and opiates. Fort Smith police report that paramedics, firefighters and others have given 194 doses of Narcan that could have resulted in deadly overdoses. Of those lives that have have been saved, 66 people were confirmed to have fentanyl in their system with an additional 31 people overdosing on unconfirmed substances and pills possibly with fentanyl.
California
San Diego: A motorcyclist and Navy veteran who lost a leg in a 2019 chain-reaction crash started by a Navy sailor driving a military van near San Diego has won a $10.8 million settlement against the United States. Attorneys for the motorcyclist, Peter Arthur, said the settlement is one of the largest against the federal government in the San Diego area for a suit involving a vehicle collision, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. Arthur, a 49-year-old who served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, underwent multiple surgeries following the Sept. 13, 2019, crash. Arthur was thrown from his motorcycle, causing the femur, tibia and fibula in his right leg to shatter, according to his civil lawsuit. Doctors eventually had to amputate the leg above the knee. Navy sailor Michael Stanley Reynolds was driving a large passenger van on Interstate 5 when he “suddenly and without warning” swerved into the next lane to his left, causing several vehicles to crash, according to the lawsuit. Reynolds did not face criminal charges in connection with the crash. A Navy spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by the Union-Tribune. Arthur’s civil lawsuit against the federal government alleges his injuries were “permanent, disfiguring, and disabling” and “will require extensive future medical care, life care, and vocational rehabilitation.”
Colorado
Fort Collins: Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences recently announced a $278 million upgrade and expansion of its current vet school facilities on the university’s south campus. The new veterinary health complex, which is scheduled to break ground in early 2023 and be completed in 2028, will include an expansion of more than 300,000 square feet. The complex will have a veterinary education center and primary care clinic, and there will be renovations or expansions of current facilities, including a livestock teaching hospital and an animal specialty hospital. The school’s current teaching hospital off of Drake Road and College Avenue will be remodeled to become the animal specialty hospital. All work will be done in phases, so some elements will be completed prior to 2028. “Our college ranks among the world’s top institutions in veterinary and biomedical education and research,” said Sue VandeWoude, dean of the college, in the university’s release. “Our expansion plan for the south campus … will help us continue our tradition of excellence in the academic mission of teaching; the assessment of novel methods for training clinical students; and our research and service to the community.” With the new buildings come curricula changes, too. The new facilities will give CSU what it needs to implement a new curriculum focused on educating “day one-ready” veterinarians using medical training along with training in “problem-solving, conflict resolution, decision-making and mental, physical and financial wellbeing,” according to a release from the university.
Connecticut
Waterbury: Less than a week after two police officers were killed in an ambush, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes called for a national ban on assault weapons, while her Republican challenger, George Logan, stressed that more needs to be done to support law enforcement. The two are locked in a closely watched race for the state’s 5th Congressional District that has attracted more than $5 million in outside money. Appearing in their first televised debate, the pair was asked about a shooting that left two officers dead in Bristol, about 20 minutes away from where the debate was held. Hayes said officers like her husband, a 25-year-veteran of the Waterbury Police Department, can be outgunned. Noting that the state already has an assault weapons ban, Logan criticized Hayes for voting in favor of what he called an “anti-police bill.” He was referring to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which banned chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement while creating national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability. The bill was later blocked in the Senate.
Delaware
New Castle: A state trooper indicted last year for a fraudulent traffic warning scheme pleaded guilty to falsifying business records and official misconduct in New Castle County Superior Court on Monday, the Delaware Department of Justice said. Cpl. Edwin Ramirez, who was stationed at Troop 9 before his suspension in May 2021, was sentenced to a year of probation and 33 hours of community service – one hour for every false e-warning he filed. He also had to surrender his Council on Police Training certifications. Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings called Ramirez’s traffic warning scheme an “abuse of power” and said it “victimized innocent motorists,” some of whom did not even know they had received an e-warning. Others weren’t even driving when the fraudulent traffic stop supposedly occurred. Ramirez was officially sentenced to two concurrent yearlong prison sentences. It was suspended for a year of probation. Delaware State Police Superintendent Colonel Melissa Zebley noted in a written statement that Ramirez is no longer employed by the statewide police department.
District of Columbia
Washington: Metro Transit Police investigators are looking into an incident captured on video in which a woman was attacked and thrown off a bus, WUSA-TV reports. The woman said she was on the bus, which was headed to Deanwood on Monday afternoon, with her two children when a group of kids got on the bus and started cursing and acting rowdy, according to the news outlet. Things escalated and eventually turned physical when the woman asked the kids to stop cursing, according to the person who filmed the footage. At least three people can be seen grabbing the woman and pushing her out the door when the bus came to a stop, the news outlet reports.
Florida
Fort Myers: The state has seen an increase in cases of flesh-eating bacteria this year driven largely by a surge in the county hit hardest by Hurricane Ian. The state Department of Health reports that as of Friday there have been 65 cases of vibrio vulnificus infections and 11 deaths in Florida this year. That compares with 34 cases and 10 deaths reported during all of 2021. In Lee County, where Ian stormed ashore last month, the health department reports 29 cases this year and four deaths. Health officials didn’t give a breakdown of how many of the cases were before or after Ian struck. Lee County health officials earlier this month warned people that the post-hurricane environment – including warm, standing water – could pose a danger from the potentially deadly bacteria. “Flood waters and standing waters following a hurricane pose many risks, including infectious diseases such as vibrio vulnificus,” the county health department said in a news release Oct. 3 that urged the public to take precautions. The advisory said that people with open wounds, cuts, or scratches can be exposed to the bacteria through contact with sea water or brackish water. People with open wounds should avoid such water and seek medical care immediately if an infection is apparent.
Georgia
Atlanta: Two former jail detainees testified that deputies of a sheriff charged with violating their civil rights kept them in restraint chairs for hours, causing them to urinate on themselves while they were bound. Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill is standing trial on federal charges that he violated the rights of seven detainees. Prosecutors say their placement in restraint chairs was unnecessary, was improperly used as punishment and caused pain and bodily injury. Hill is widely known as one of metro Atlanta’s most flamboyant lawmen. He calls himself “The Crime Fighter” and uses Batman imagery to promote himself on social media and in campaign ads. This is his second trial on criminal charges. Clayton County voters reelected Hill in 2012 while he was under indictment the first time, accused of using his office for personal gain. He beat those charges. Hill has pleaded not guilty to the civil rights charges, which his attorneys say are politically motivated. Drew Findling, one of Hill’s lawyers, cross-examined both men Tuesday about what he said where inconsistencies between their trial testimony and what they had previously told investigators.
Hawaii
Pearl Harbor: The Navy said Tuesday it was still fixing an underground water pipe that ruptured last week and interrupted the supply of water to about 93,000 people at Pearl Harbor. The bursting of the 36-inch water main has also forced the Navy to postpone plans to remove 1 gallon of fuel from three pipelines at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, the tank farm that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water last year. Navy Capt. Mark Sohaney, the commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, said crews were on schedule to finish fixing the broken water main in about one week. When the water main burst last Friday, officials had to divert water to the west side of the base. That increased pressure in smaller water lines there, leading to additional pipe breaks in Pearl City Peninsula and West Loch. These two smaller breaks have since been repaired. The Navy issued a boil water advisory for affected areas last Friday, and gyms and child care centers have been closed.
Idaho
Boise: A legal loophole in the state that allows parents of teens to nullify child custody agreements by arranging child marriages will remain in effect, under a ruling from the state Supreme Court on Tuesday. In a split decision, the high court declined to decide whether Idaho’s child marriage law – which allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry if one parent agrees to the union – is unconstitutional. Instead, the justices said that once a child is emancipated by marriage, the family court loses jurisdiction over custody matters. The case arose from a custody battle between a Boise woman and her ex-husband, who planned to move to Florida and wanted to take their 16-year-old daughter along. The ex-husband was accused of setting up a “sham marriage” between his daughter and another teen as a way to end the custody fight.
Illinois
Chicago: Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey traded barbs at the final gubernatorial debate Tuesday. The debate held at the WGN-TV studios featured many of the same topics as the prior debate at Illinois State University including crime, abortion and the SAFE-T Act. However, new wrinkles were added in the hourlong back and forth such as school curriculum and the possibility of a new stadium for the Chicago Bears. While questions primarily focused on the issues, both candidates landed punches with Pritzker calling Bailey a “threat to democracy” and Bailey labeling Chicago “Pritzkerville” because of crime in the city. It was the last scheduled televised debate between the candidates and possibly the last time they shared venues, giving Bailey perhaps his last chance to cut into Pritzker’s lead in the polls. Recent polling conducted by The Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ found the Democrat with 49% of voters supporting him compared to 34% for Bailey.
Indiana
Indianapolis: A man has been convicted of reckless homicide in the fatal 2020 shooting of a young Black man during unrest sparked by outrage over George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police. Prosecutors had charged Tyler Newby, 32, with murder, but after a one-day bench trial a Marion County judge found Newby, who is white, guilty Monday of the lesser crime of reckless homicide in Dorian Murrell’s death. His sentencing was set for Nov. 10. Murrell, 18, died from a single gunshot wound to the heart after being shot in downtown Indianapolis on May 31, 2020, during violence that followed protests over the death of Floyd, a Black man. Newby’s first trial in Murrell’s killing ended in a mistrial last year after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict following several hours of deliberation. Newby turned himself in shortly after the shooting. He claimed self defense, saying the shooting took place after he was approached by a group of people and shoved to the ground. Newby said he saw someone standing over him and fired. Prosecutors argued that being shoved to the ground wasn’t justification to take someone’s life. Three people who had been with Murrell when he was shot have been charged in connection with the robbery and killing of Chris Beaty, a businessman and a former Indiana University football player. Beaty, 38, was fatally shot in downtown Indianapolis hours before Murrell was slain.
Iowa
Des Moines: Gov. Kim Reynolds now has the support of a majority of likely Iowa voters – and a sizable lead over her competitors with just over three weeks until Election Day. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll finds Reynolds at 52% support, holding a 17-percentage point advantage over Democrat Deidre DeJear, who has 35%. Libertarian Rick Stewart trails at 4%. Another 4% of likely voters say they are not sure for whom they would vote, 3% say they would vote for “someone else,” and 1% say they would not vote. Reynolds is holding her large lead even as more Iowans solidify their support behind one of the two major-party candidates. Reynolds also enjoyed a 17-point margin in the previous Iowa Poll in July, even though her overall support was lower in that poll, at 48%, versus 31% for DeJear. Fewer Iowans now say they’re undecided or would vote for “someone else,” but support for both Reynolds and DeJear increased equally – by 4 percentage points – since the July poll. And Reynolds maintains a significant advantage over DeJear in name recognition: Among all Iowans, more than half, 51%, still don’t know enough about DeJear to form an opinion about her, versus only 3% for Reynolds, the poll found. Reynolds also enjoys her highest approval rating since fall of 2021, at 53%.
Kansas
Lawrence: The University of Kansas has begun the process of returning Native American remains and other sacred objects that were recently discovered in its museum collections, the university said. University officials said in a statement posted online that “culturally unidentified individual remains,” funeral objects and other sacred objects were found in Spooner Hall and Lippincott Hall Annex on the Lawrence campus. The university is verifying its inventory of Indigenous artifacts it holds across campus. A spokesperson did not respond Tuesday to questions about the number of artifacts, specifically how and when they were found, or to which tribes they belong. The announcement comes 32 years after the passage of the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which sets out criteria for tribal nations to reclaim human remains and other objects related to burials. Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod initially announced the discovery in a message to the campus Sept. 20. The university had begun efforts to repatriate some items in the past, but the process was not completed, he said. The university said its repatriation efforts will include forming an advisory committee, consulting with tribal nations, auditing all university collections, securing space for the Indigenous Studies Program, supporting gathering opportunities for the university’s Native American community, and instituting repatriation policies and procedures. “The intent in sharing this announcement is to publicly apologize to Native communities and peoples, past, present, and future, and to apologize to the tribal nations across North America,” the university’s statement said.
Kentucky
Burkesville: The state’s 26th Trail Town has been certified, and it is in Cumberland County, the Department of Parks said. “Trail Towns are ideal destinations for outdoor recreation lovers,” Parks Commissioner Russ Meyer said in a news release Tuesday. “The program helps drive local and state economies and is an ever-increasing component of the nation’s economic impact. It also brings about more healthy activities and vibrant communities and parks.” The program is designed to provide a strategic plan that communities can use to capitalize on travel opportunities, the agency said. It also works to create healthy physical activities with access to trails and recreational areas. The Burkesville Trail Town offerings feature the Cumberland River and the connection to the downtown area. The river offers boating, fishing, and paddling. Burkesville is also home to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park.
Louisiana
New Orleans: An outage involving a Coast Guard marine warning system and “data gaps” in radar systems were factors in last year’s deadly capsize of an oil industry vessel during severe storms off of Louisiana’s coast, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report issued Tuesday. Thirteen of the 19 people aboard the Seacor Power died after the offshore vessel capsized in the Gulf after leaving Port Fourchon. Known as a lift boat, the vessel had three legs that could be lowered to the sea floor, converting the ship to an offshore platform for servicing oil and gas facilities. It had been chartered by Talos Energy LLC for work on a Gulf platform when it was hit by high winds in rough seas and capsized on April 13, 2021. An NTSB preliminary report had said the Seacor Power had begun to lower its stabilizing legs and was trying to turn to face heavy winds when it flipped in the Gulf of Mexico. Six people were rescued. The NTSB said in Tuesday’s report that the captain of the Seacor Power made a “reasonable” decision to get underway the day of the disaster. But he didn’t have sufficient weather information from the lift boat company. “Additionally, due to a Coast Guard broadcasting station outage, the SEACOR Power crew did not receive a National Weather Service Special Marine Warning notifying mariners of a severe thunderstorm that was approaching,” the report said.
Maine
Machias: A longtime law enforcement officer and former candidate for sheriff in Washington County has been sentenced to four years in prison for drug- and gun-related charges. The case against Jeffrey Bishop, 55, unfolded with his arrest for providing opioid pills to a teenage girl last year in a high school parking lot. Prosecutors said the drugs were meant for the girl’s mother. He told the judge Monday that he was “very humble” and a “very broken man” but said he wasn’t fully satisfied with the plea agreement, the Bangor Daily News reported. He also said he was “baffled” that his police background was considered an aggravating factor when it came to his sentencing. He was arrested less than a week after he retired from the Calais Police Department last year. In his resignation letter, Bishop said he “decided to go out on top,” after a long career in law enforcement.
Maryland
Hagerstown: Gov. Larry Hogan and other political and business leaders Tuesday toured the Hitachi Rail factory being built in Washington County. “The job creation potential and associated economic benefits are an absolute game-changer for this region and for the entire state,” the Republican governor said in remarks before the tour. “This project is further proof that the Hagerstown region is a major logistical center for transportation with unparalleled connections to the northeastern United States.” Hitachi also unveiled the final design of the $70 million factory, which will employ about 460 people and help sustain a total of 1,300 jobs in the region. The 307,000-square-foot facility is being build at the west end of Halfway Boulevard, which the county plans to extend to Greencastle Pike (Md. 63). The 41-acre site also will include an 800-foot test track. Hogan called it a “transformative project.” Construction is slated to be finished in the first quarter of 2024.
Massachusetts
Salem: A Hindu rights activist is calling on a museum to stop selling children’s plush toys representing three Hindu deities. Toys depicting Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesh and Lord Hanuman were available on the Peabody Essex Museum’s online shop last week but had been removed by Tuesday, Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said in a statement. The deities are “greatly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely on the floor, bathrooms, cars, etc.” Zed said. He also called for a formal apology from the museum. The Peabody Essex Museum halted sales of the toys while it reviewed the complaint, spokesperson Whitney Van Dyke said in an email. “These items will be back on sale shortly,” she said. The museum pointed out that the toys are widely available and are manufactured by New Jersey-based Modi Toys, founded by an Indian American family. They are intended to spark curiosity in Hindu culture and heritage, company co-founder Avani Modi Sarkar said in a statement.
Michigan
Mount Pleasant: A man who got out of his car after striking a deer was killed by another vehicle, authorities said. The 33-year-old Shepherd man was hit Monday when the driver of the second car swerved to avoid a crash on U.S. 127, near Mount Pleasant, investigators said. Conditions were dark and misty. The lights on Joshua Davis’ Ford Focus “had been disabled from the deer accident and were not working,” the Isabella County sheriff’s office said. The driver of the other vehicle, a 77-year-old woman from Lansing, was taken to an emergency room for an evaluation, the sheriff’s office said.
Minnesota
Bloomington: The Mall of America is testing metal detectors at one entrance following two incidents of gunfire and an armed robbery within the last year. Mall spokeswoman Laura Utecht said Tuesday the trial is taking place over the next month at the mall’s north doors, although that could change as testing continues. She declined to say what shoppers should avoid trying to carry through the metal detectors, the Star Tribune reported. “With Mall of America being such a unique property, it is important to thoroughly evaluate this technology onsite to ensure its accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency,” Utecht said in a statement, adding that the mall is testing a variety of security options. The Mall of America bans guns, according to its website, but the shopping center has never had metal detectors or searched bags. The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot. Two gun incidents took place in August. In one, a man robbed two stores and was apprehended with a loaded rifle. About three weeks earlier, a man fired shots in the midst of a fight among four other people. There were no injuries in either case. A shooting last New Year’s Eve left two people wounded following a dispute on the mall’s third floor.
Mississippi
Jackson: An employee of a wastewater hauling company pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday for his part in illegally discharging industrial waste into the capital city’s sewer system. William Roberts, an employee of Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, admitted to supervising the improper disposal of industrial waste at a commercial entity in Jackson. As a result of Roberts’s negligence, the waste was trucked and hauled to a facility that was not a legal discharge point designated to receive the waste, federal prosecutors said. “The defendant’s negligent conduct contributed to the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated industrial waste into the Jackson water system,” said Chuck Carfagno, a special agent for the Environmental Protection Agency’s criminal investigations division. Jackson’s water and sewer system has been beset by troubles dating back years. The water system was recently engulfed in a crisis that forced people in the city of 150,000 to go days without running water in late August and early September. An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He will be sentenced on December 14, 2022.
Missouri
Kansas City: Six students and two adults were taken to a hospital for evaluation after a carbon monoxide leak was detected Wednesday at an elementary school, officials said. The eight people taken to hospitals from Longfellow Elementary School suffered nausea and dizziness but none suffered life-threatening issues, Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Walker said. Emergency responders went to the school after several students reporting feeling ill. Firefighters found “extremely high” levels of the lethal gas inside the building, Walker said. The level of carbon monoxide reached 2,000 parts per million, which was the maximum for monitors used by firefighters at the scene, Walker said. The cause of the leak is under investigation. Firefighters were ventilating the building but it was unclear when students could return to Longfellow. School district spokesperson Elle Moxley said the district had contractors check its heating systems last week, including at Longfellow, in anticipation of colder weather. No problems were detected, she said. Moxley said every child was checked and the district will work with the fire department before determining where Longfellow students will attend school this week.
Montana
Great Falls: A suspect who is accused of leading law enforcement on a vehicle chase through two counties on Monday has been charged with five felonies in Cascade County District Court. He is being held on a $500,000 bond. Santana Ledeau is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of assault on a peace officer and one count of criminal endangerment. Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki said on Monday that Ledeau will likely face more charges as the investigation continues. That investigation, Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said, will be conducted by the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation due to the many agencies involved.
Nebraska
Lincoln: Officials say improperly discarded cigarettes led to a fire in a home’s garage and caused $75,000 worth of damage, the Lincoln Journal Star reports. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Capt. Nancy Crist said the fire started after the resident emptied an ashtray into a garbage can. The blaze was contained to the garage and no one was injured, according to the news outlet.
Nevada
Reno: Republican Secretary of State candidate Jim Marchant is the only statewide candidate who has yet to file his campaign finance report, having missed Monday’s deadline. A central duty of the secretary of state’s office is administering elections, handling campaign finance reports and enforcing reporting deadlines for contribution and expenditure reports. The secretary of state also registers corporations and limited liability companies and represents the third highest ranking state official behind the governor and lieutenant governor. Marchant’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email request for comment Tuesday. The secretary of state’s office declined to comment. Campaign reporting deadlines normally fall on the 15th of the month for April, July, October and January. But since it fell on a Saturday this month, the deadline was moved to Monday at 5 p.m. Marchant had not filed by late afternoon Tuesday. If the report is filed one to seven days late, the candidate must pay a $25 daily fee. For eight to 15 days late, the penalty is $50 a day. And if the report is filed more than 15 days late, it is $100 a day the up to a maximum of $10,000. Marchant is among the America First Secretary of State Coalition candidates who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election and vow to scrap early voting and vote-counting tabulators.
New Hampshire
Londonderry: The publisher of a weekly newspaper has waived her arraignment, pleading not guilty to charges that she published advertisements for local races without properly marking them as political advertising, the state attorney general’s office said. The six misdemeanor charges allege that Debra Paul, publisher of The Londonderry Times, failed to identify the ads with “appropriate language” indicating that they were ads and saying who paid for them as required by state law, the attorney general’s office said in August after reviewing cases that go back to 2019. Paul, who’s also a member of the town council in Londonderry, said in a statement at the time, “This is clearly a case of a small business needing to defend itself against overreaching government.” A police affidavit said altogether, nearly 60 violations in the Times and a related publication were counted between 2020 and this year. Paul, who along with her husband are the only two employees at the paper, said she originally believed the state’s complaint involved advertising rates, the affidavit said. Her attorney did not return a message seeking comment.
New Jersey
Madison: A former federal prosecutor-turned-producer and a media production company who used Drew University as their backdrop to film a movie about a prestigious college littered with hazing and prejudice is being sued by the school, who claims they filmed and dashed without paying their bill. Executive producer Traci Bransford and her production company Meadowcrest Films and Think Global Media, a company with studios across the nation, used the Morris County private school earlier this year to film “The Choices We Make.” But when it was time to remit payment of over $130,000, Bransford apparently had plenty of excuses why the money was being delayed, according to the lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Morris County earlier this month. The university names Think Global Media owner Nathan Scinto in the suit due to his partnership with Bransford, but Scinto’s attorney Richard Roth said Tuesday it was “aggressive lawyering” and that there is “absolutely no basis” to go after his client or his company. The facilities and services agreement, which Roth said he obtained, was with Meadowcrest Films. Roth said he plans to file a motion to remove his client from the suit if the university’s attorney does not agree to remove him prior. He also noted that he does not believe there is jurisdiction in New Jersey since his client’s company is not connected to the state. A number listed for Bransford was disconnected and there was no response to an email request for comment. No attorney is listed for her.
New Mexico
Winston: Environmentalists are pushing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do more to protect Mexican gray wolves after one of the endangered predators was found dead in southwestern New Mexico. The Western Watersheds Project is among the groups that have been critical of the agency’s management of wolves in New Mexico and Arizona, saying illegal killings continue to hamper the population. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service says there have been fewer wolves found dead this year than in previous years. The agency also pointed to a revised recovery plan for the wolf that was released in early October. The agency was under a court order to revamp the plan to address the threat of human-caused mortality as one of the ways to increase survivability for wolves in the wild. Federal officials said they could not provide any details about the circumstances of the latest death since it was an ongoing investigation. It’s rare that such investigations are ever closed. Environmentalists described the male wolf recently found dead near Winston as one of the most genetically-valuable Mexican wolves in the wild. It had been released in 2018 after being born in captivity and then cross-fostered into a wild wolf den as part of an effort to increase genetic diversity.
New York
Miller Place: Authorities rescued nearly 300 rabbits, birds and other animals from a filthy home and charged a self-help book author with cruel confinement of animals, prosecutors announced. “Operation Open Cage” started Oct. 1 when investigators were contacted by animal control officers who reported a hoarding situation in the hamlet of Miller Place on Long Island, the Suffolk County district attorney’s office said. Officers wearing hazardous material suits found a total of 118 rabbits, 150 birds, 15 cats, seven tortoises, three snakes and several mice living among filth, many surrounded by their own feces and urine and covered with cockroaches, the district attorney said. The owner of the home, Karin Keyes, 51, was charged with multiple counts of cruel confinement of animals. She’s a social worker and the author of a self-published book titled “Journey Into Awareness: Reclaiming Your Life.” Information on Keyes’ attorney wasn’t available. A phone message was left at a number listed for her. Teams from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals helped the district attorney’s Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team and local officers in removing and transporting the animals to animal welfare organizations around New York for medical care.
North Carolina
Raleigh: Democratic legislators pleaded with the General Assembly’s Republican majority on Tuesday to consider gun safety and mental health measures, citing last week’s shootings in Raleigh that left five people dead. Democratic lawmakers, one a resident of the east Raleigh subdivision where the shooting rampage began last Thursday, said the public expects elected officials to work together to pass laws designed to make them safer. “This is an issue that transcends party. It’s an issue about our safety, the safety of our children, the safety of our state,” Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue said at a news conference. Blue has lived in the Hedingham community where the shootings occurred for over 30 years “and never felt that I would be unsafe in the community where we raised our kids until last week.” Previous Democratic requests for Republicans to permit debate and votes on gun-control measures and others to keep weapons out of the hands of people at extreme risk of becoming violent have been unsuccessful. “My question today is now the time for a discussion of gun reform, or do we have to wait yet for another mass shooting?” said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County Democrat. House Speaker Tim Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, said in a statement later Tuesday that lawmakers for now “should remain focused on praying for the victims’ families and supporting law enforcement rather than seizing the moment for a political debate.” “We need to allow law enforcement to complete their investigation before jumping to any conclusions about policy changes,” Moore added.
North Dakota
Bismarck: The state health department stored thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses at incorrect temperatures or without temperature data over the past two years, according to a state audit Tuesday that said some of the vaccine was administered to patients. The health department disputed the findings. Tim Wiedrich, who heads the agency’s virus response, said “no non-viable vaccine” was given to patients. In responses that accompanied the audit, the department said clerical errors or other errors of documentation erroneously suggested that expired or bad doses were given. “DoH uses redundant systems to ensure proper monitoring and distribution of vaccines prior to end of shelf life,” the agency said. A spokeswoman for the auditor’s office said it wasn’t recommending revaccinations. “We simply report on what we found,” auditor’s office spokeswoman Emily Dalzell said. “It would be up to the individual and their doctor to decide if revaccination is needed.” The state analysis said nearly 2,000 Moderna doses were stored at incorrect temperatures and were administered to patients. The audit also found that nearly 13,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines were issued from storage with missing temperature data. The audit covered a two-year span that ended June 30. An inventory of the vaccines was conducted on Aug. 8, 2021, the audit said.
Ohio
Cleveland: The state Supreme Court on Tuesday removed from the bench a Cleveland municipal judge for misconduct and conducting court business “in a manner befitting a game show host,” investigators said. Judge Pinkey S. Carr was indefinitely suspended, and she agreed to undergo evaluations for her mental and physical health. The court said that Carr’s bench was littered with junk, dolls, cups and novelty items – her own attorney described it as “resembling a flea market.” She wore tank tops, T-shirts, spandex shorts and sneakers to court. And she discussed with staff and defendants a television show called “P-Valley” about a fictional Mississippi strip club. Carr joked about accepting kickbacks for lenient sentences if defendants gave her food, beverages, carpeting or storage space. She referred to her bailiff as “Miss Puddin from P-Valley.” In addition to a lack of decorum, Carr was found to have violated a long list of other rules.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday set a statewide election for March 7 for voters to decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a question Democrats had hoped would be on the November ballot to help energize liberal voters. Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws gathered enough signatures to qualify the question for a statewide vote and thought the proposal would be on the ballot in November. But because it took longer than usual to count the signatures and for courts to consider legal challenges, there wasn’t enough time to print the ballots ahead of the November election. If approved by voters, the question would legalize the use of marijuana for any adult over the age of 21. Marijuana sales would be subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales tax, and the revenue it generates would be used to help fund local municipalities, the court system, public schools, substance abuse treatment and the state’s general revenue fund. The proposal also outlines a judicial process for people to seek expungement or dismissal of prior marijuana-related convictions. Oklahoma already has one of the most robust medical marijuana programs in the country, with roughly 10% of the state’s residents having state-issued medical cards that allow them to purchase, grow and consume marijuana. Stitt said that while he supports the federal legalization of marijuana, he opposes the state question, saying the country’s patchwork of state laws on marijuana has become problematic.
Oregon
Salem: State Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters said she’ll retire at the end of the year. Walters, who became the first woman to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court in 2018, is the second justice this month to announce a retirement, giving Democrat Gov. Kate Brown two appointments to the state’s high court before she leaves office, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. “I have loved the job of advocating for our courts and the critical need for access to the services we provide,” Walters said during remarks at a judicial conference where she made the announcement. Walters’ plan to retire comes amid an uncertain political future for the state because of the November gubernatorial election. With unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson likely to draw votes, polls have indicated that Republican candidate Christine Drazan and Democratic Tina Kotek are locked in a tight race. By retiring, Walters has ensured Brown will name a replacement who is likely to be aligned with Walters’ jurisprudence.
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: Newsroom workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have gone on strike demanding that the company reinstate the terms of its previous contract and return to the bargaining table. The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh said its members began picketing Tuesday outside the newsroom on the city’s North Shore and planned to continue the action Wednesday. Guild members have been working without a contract since 2017 and Monday voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike against the company. On Oct. 6, workers from unions that are responsible for production, distribution and advertising at the Post-Gazette walked off the job. The Post-Gazette said in a statement that it would “continue to serve the Pittsburgh community, our readers and advertisers, despite any work stoppage.” Officials said they were confident the company would prevail when the National Labor Relations Board rules on the unfair labor practice accusation. The walkout is the first major newspaper strike in the city in three decades. In 1992, WESA reports, about 600 members of a Teamsters local representing truck drivers and circulation route managers went on strike against the Pittsburgh Press, which ended up being sold and merged with the Post-Gazette.
Rhode Island
North Kingstown: An orphaned bobcat found in the kitchen of a Glocester camp will soon return to the wild, said Arianna Mouradjian, director of operations at the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, in North Kingstown. With an increase in the bobcat population in the state over the last two decades, the Saunderstown clinic has in recent years received several bobcats in need of its rehabilitative services, Mouradjian said. Still, she said, “Bobcats are one of those species we don’t see a lot of.” The most recent guest was rescued July 23 from Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center in Glocester at about six weeks old. Bobcat kittens typically stay with their mothers 9 to 12 months. Through the end of summer and beginning of fall, she has lived in her own outdoor pen as the clinic staff give her time to grow big enough to fend for herself in the wild.
South Carolina
Greer: BMW will invest $1 billion in its sprawling factory near Spartanburg, South Carolina, to start building electric vehicles and an additional $700 million to build a electric-battery plant nearby. The German automaker’s announcement Wednesday reflects its commitment to transitioning to electric-vehicle production in North America, in line with similarly ambitious plans by other major automakers. The investment in the 7-million-square-foot vehicle factory in Greer, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, would add an unspecified number of jobs to the more than 11,000 workers there. The battery plant, to be built in nearby Woodruff, will employ 300, the company said, with hiring to begin within a few years. In addition, BMW said it has signed a deal with Envision AESC of Japan to supply battery cells for a new class of at least six electric SUVs that will be built at BMW’s plant in Greer by 2030. Envision will build its new factory at an unspecified site in South Carolina. The companies wouldn’t say how many people will be hired. But the number of jobs could be significant: Battery cell plants being built by other companies will employ between 1,100 and 2,200 workers.
South Dakota
Sioux Falls: A monkey with the Great Plains Zoo is recovering after facing recent surgery because of an injury sustained after the animal picked up a bottle cap someone threw in its enclosure. Kai, the Japanese macaque, had surgery Tuesday, according to a social media post by the zoo. He picked up a bottle top that had been tossed into the snow monkey exhibit, and tucked it into his cheek pouch. Eventually, the bottle cap wore its way through the cheek and needed to be removed. Despite the carefulness of the zoo’s veterinary team, he will have a scar, according to the post. The zoo posted details’s about Kai’s experience as a PSA for visitors to avoid future incidents. Objects the animal care team place in exhibits as enrichment are chosen with species-specific requirements in mind, according to the post. The zoo asked visitors if they drop something in by mistake, tell a zoo employee immediately.
Tennessee
Nashville: Early voting kicked off Wednesday for the November midterm general election. The 14-day period of voting ahead of the Nov. 8 Election Day runs Mondays through Saturdays until Thursday, Nov. 3. The ballot features Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s reelection bid against Democrat Jason Martin, four constitutional amendments, U.S. House contests and state legislative races. Additionally, Tennessee’s deadline to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail is Nov. 1. Those ballots must be returned by mail in time for the county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. The deadline to register to vote in the general election has passed. Voters can get more info at GoVoteTN.gov. Tennessee heads into the election with 4.55 million registered voters, an increase of about 127,800 since December 2021, according to the Tennessee secretary of state’s office.
Texas
Robstown: Former President Donald Trump plans a rally in what is shaping up as competitive South Texas on Saturday, just two days before the start of early voting ahead of the Nov. 8 elections. Trump, who in May was in Houston for a gathering of the National Rifle Association and two weeks earlier was in Austin as part of his “Save America Tour,” will be at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown, about 20 miles west of Corpus Christi. In an advisory, Trump said he wants to “energize voters” by reminding them of the number of Republican candidates he has endorsed who have gone on to win elections, or at least their GOP primaries. During the March primaries, Trump endorsed Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, all of whom face competitive races from Democrats this cycle.
Utah
Zion National Park: Thirty-three immigrants gathered beneath Zion’s iconic 1,000-foot sandstone cliffs for the park’s first-ever naturalization ceremony on Tuesday. It was an unusual setting for a ceremony typically confined to courtrooms or office space run by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in Salt Lake City. For residents of southwestern Utah, the locale meant they could avoid the four-hour trip north. “I’m so grateful for this moment, for my family,” said St. George resident Brenda Corsi, originally from Huacho, Peru. “I know that we have an amazing future.”
Vermont
Montpelier: The Vermont Supreme Court has rejected a request for bail from a man considered a person of interest in the shooting deaths of a couple in Concord, New Hampshire. In its Tuesday decision, the court unanimously rejected an appeal filed by attorneys for Logan Clegg, who was arrested last week in Vermont as a fugitive from justice from Utah. Clegg’s attorneys had argued he could not be held without bail prior to trial because the charge he is facing does not carry a potential sentence of life in prison. But the Vermont Supreme Court rejected that argument, saying that under Vermont law Clegg is not being held prior to trial, but as a fugitive from justice. When Clegg, 26, and homeless, was arrested by local police after being spotted detectives from Concord, South Burlington described him as a person of interest in an unsolved April homicide in Concord. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office said police made contact in Vermont with a person of interest the April killings of Stephen and Djeswende Reid, but they didn’t name the person. No arrests have been made or charges filed in the killings. Clegg’s arrest on a fugitive from justice charge included a probation violation.
Virginia
Waynesboro: Police arrested a man over the weekend, charging him with attempted murder in Waynesboro, a press release said. Gage W. Mayne, 26, no fixed address, is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm while attempting to commit murder, aggravated malicious wounding and four counts of obstruction of justice, the Waynesboro Police Department said. On Sunday morning shortly after midnight, Waynesboro officers responded to an address in the 2500 block of Village Drive. When police arrived, they encountered a 27-year-old man with what appeared to be a gunshot wound, the release said. During a preliminary investigation, officers identified Mayne as a suspect. He had already fled the scene in a vehicle. The vehicle Mayne was reportedly driving was found on the northeast side of Waynesboro. Police said Mayne was inside. He was placed into police custody without incident. Mayne is being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail.
Washington
Seattle: The air quality west of the Cascades has deteriorated again as wildfires continue to burn. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency sent out an alert Tuesday afternoon saying the smoke around Seattle was causing unhealthy air and that people should close windows and limit time outdoors. Other areas around Puget Sound were experiencing air considered unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse, the agency said. The smoke-laden air gave the Pacific Northwest the designation of worst air quality in the U.S. on Tuesday, KGW Meteorologist Joe Raineri said. Nine fires were burning in Washington and Oregon before a red flag warning for critical fire conditions was issued over the weekend. Some new fires started while the Nakia Creek Fire in southwest Washington took off, causing much of the smoky air seen around southwest Washington and Portland, officials said. In the Pacific Northwest, relief should come Friday. “Friday through Saturday will be cooler and more seasonable and we’ll finally get that rain. I think everyone’s excited about that,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz told The Seattle Times. “We should have had a couple of inches by now.”
West Virginia
Huntington: A man has been charged in a woman’s 1993 slaying in the state, police said. Ricky Louie Woody, 59, of Billings, Montana, was charged earlier this month in the March 1993 death of Melissa Martinez in Huntington. She had a gunshot wound to the torso, lacerations to the head and died at a hospital, police said in a news release Tuesday. Witnesses initially provided information that led detectives to Woody, but there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Woody moved from Huntington to Billings within a year of Martinez’s death, the statement said. Billings detectives contacted Huntington police in May 2021 and indicated Woody told them he knew the person responsible for killing a woman known to him as “Lisa” in the early 1990s. Woody ultimately admitted he participated in her death, the statement said. Huntington detectives determined Woody was referring to the death of Martinez and interviewed him in September 2021 at a Billings jail, leading to the charges. Woody has waived extradition and will be returned to Huntington upon the resolution of the case in Montana, police said.
Wisconsin
Ashland County: A man whose 5-year-old daughter and her mother were killed in a car crash involving the state Senate’s minority leader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the lawmaker. Brandon Fink, whose daughter Khaleesi Fink and the girl’s mother, Alyssa Ortman, were killed in the July crash, filed the lawsuit Friday in Ashland County (Wisconsin) Circuit Court, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Court documents show that the family lived in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, names Democratic state Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, another driver and three insurance companies as defendants. Bewley, who represents a state Senate district that covers northwestern Wisconsin, pulled out of a Lake Superior beach entrance in Ashland on July 22 and into the path of a car driven by Ortman, according to police. When Ortman’s car collided with Bewley’s, it spun across Highway 2 and was hit by a vehicle driven by Jodi Munson, 45, of Washburn. Ortman’s 5-year-old daughter was pronounced dead at the crash scene. Ortman later died at a hospital, according to police. The Ashland police report, obtained by The Associated Press, says Bewley was distracted by her hands-free mobile phone at the time of the crash. The lawsuit alleges that all three drivers acted negligently. Bewley’s spokesperson, Joey Huey, said the state senator would have no comment.
Wyoming
Cody: A college wrestler helped his teammate survive a grizzly mauling over the weekend by trying to wrestle the massive bear off his friend, eventually drawing a more brutal attack to himself. The men are crediting their bonds as wrestling teammates at Northwest College in Cody, Wyoming, with helping them survive the attack Saturday evening southeast of Yellowstone National Park. Brady Lowry of Cedar City, Utah, suffered a broken arm and puncture wounds in the initial attack after they surprised the bear while searching for antlers shed by elk and deer in the Shoshone National Forest. “It shook me around and I didn’t know what to do,” Lowry told KSL-TV Monday in an interview from a hospital in Billings, Montana. “I curled up in a ball and it got me a few more times.” His teammate – Kendell Cummings of Evanston, Wyoming – tried to stop the attack on Lowry by yelling, kicking and hitting the bear and pulling on its fur. Wyoming wildlife officials said they will not try to capture and relocate or kill the bear because it was a surprise attack and because there are many other bears in the area, making it difficult for them to determine which bear was involved.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Animal rescue, flesh-eating bacteria, child marriage: News from around our 50 states