Sports Teams Running out of Fans – 24/7 Wall St.

Grant Suneson

24/7 Wall Street

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the city in which the Carolina Hurricanes are based.

Each year, tens of millions of Americans pour into arenas, parks, rinks and stadiums to see a professional sporting event in one of the four major American sports leagues – the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

But fans are now less inclined to go to games in person. Each league saw a decline in total attendance from 2008 to 2018. Fans are often unwilling to pay high ticket prices, and teams don’t seem to care, as an increasing amount and share of their revenue comes from lucrative TV contracts as opposed to ticket sales. But not all teams are losing fans at an equal rate. Some have seen average attendance declines of more than a third over the last decade.

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To determine the sports teams running out of fans, 24/7 Wall St. used sports attendance data from ESPN to find the pro sports franchises that saw an attendance decline of at least 10% from the 2008 season to the 2018 season. Teams that switched venues or made significant changes to their existing venue were not considered.

While it is tough to know exactly what is stopping fans from coming to games, losing is likely a top cause. Fans are simply not willing to pay top dollar to see a game that will probably end in disappointment for them. In fact, 10 of the 12 teams running out of fans played worse in 2018 than they had a decade earlier. Every team can have losing seasons, but franchises that always seem to come up short can lose the attention of their fans. Those squads are the hardest teams to root for.

Not all teams have attendance slumps for the same reason. Some teams, like the Philadelphia Phillies, usually have a packed stadium, but recent struggles seem to have impacted attendance. Other teams, like the Tampa Bay Rays, have never had strong attendance, and the one-time surge they experienced after their franchise-best 2008 season has long since dissipated. This is each MLB team’s best season in franchise history.

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To determine the teams losing the most fans, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 10-year percentage changes in average attendance at regular season home games in the NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL. Attendance figures are from ESPN and are as of the most recent completed season – the 2018-2019 season for the NHL and NBA, and the 2018 seasons for the NFL and MLB – and the season 10 years earlier. We considered only teams that saw at least a 10% decline in the average percentage of the stadium that was filled.

To avoid attendance declines based on a reduction in stadium capacity, franchises that built a new facility or moved to a new city in those years were excluded. The average percentage of capacity filled during home games in a season for the NHL, NBA, and NFL also came from ESPN and is as of the most recently completed regular season. In the case of the MLB, average capacity filled is based on the average home game attendance from ESPN and officially listed stadium capacities.

12. Indianapolis Colts

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -10.8%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 66,378 (105.4%)

• 2008 record: 12-4

The Indianapolis Colts had a lot going for them in 2008. Peyton Manning was in his prime, the team was in the midst of a nine-year run of consecutive playoff appearances, and it had a new home in Lucas Oil Stadium. An average of 66,378 fans attended each home game that season – 5.4% over the new stadium's announced capacity.

12. Indianapolis Colts

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -10.8%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 59,199 (94.0%)

• 2018 record: 10-6

In 2017, the Colts struggled. Franchise QB Andrew Luck was sidelined all season with a shoulder injury and the team went 4-12, missing the playoffs for the third straight season. This seems to have caused Colts fans to lose interest in their team, as 2018 was the first season in Lucas Oil Stadium history that average attendance did not exceed 100% of the announced capacity. Just 94.0% of seats were filled in 2018, 23rd among all NFL teams. But fans may be back in droves after a revamped Indy roster posted a 10-6 record in 2018 and made the playoffs after a three-season drought.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -13.6%

• 2008-2009 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 16,572 (88.5%)

• 2008-2009 record: 45-30-7

In the 2008-2009 NHL season, hockey teams had no problem packing their stadiums, with most franchises filling over 95% of their stadiums for home games on average. But Raleigh, North Carolina, is not known as a hockey city, and only 88.5% of seats were filled for Hurricanes games that season – even though the team played well all season and made the Eastern Conference Finals.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -13.6%

• 2018-2019 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 14,322 (76.7%)

• 2018-2019 record: 46-29-7

The 2008-2009 NHL season would prove to be the last time the Hurricanes made the NHL playoffs for a decade. The team's run of futility ended in 2019, when it captured a wild card spot. A decade of losing hockey can drive fans away, and Carolina's average attendance of 14,322 at home games was also one of the lowest in the NHL – more than 2,000 fewer fans per game on average compared with 10 years prior. The Hurricanes ranked next-to-last in capacity filled in the 2018-2019 season, with an average of 76.7% of seats filled for home games.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -15.7%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 64,511 (98.3%)

• 2008 record: 9-7

Hopes were high for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going into the 2008 season: head coach Jon Gruden led the team to a 9-7 record and a trip to the playoffs the previous year. Fans packed Raymond James Stadium nearly to capacity for every game, but they were left disappointed when the team lost its last four games of the season to go 9-7 again, this time missing the playoffs. Gruden was fired, and the team has struggled ever since.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -15.7%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 54,356 (82.8%)

• 2018 record: 5-11

In 2018, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of just four teams that failed to fill at least 90% of their home stadium on average. A string of disappointing coaches and quarterbacks have left the Bucs without a playoff appearance since 2007. Fans are losing interest – total attendance has dropped by more than 10,000 people per game in the last decade. Former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is now tasked with righting the Buccaneers' ship.

9. Phoenix Suns

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -17.0%

• 2008-2009 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 18,422 (100.0%)

• 2008-2009 record: 46-36

The 2008-2009 Phoenix Suns marked the end of an era. In the previous four seasons, two-time MVP Steve Nash led the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns, a team that played fast and scored in bunches. But after the Suns lost in the first round of the 2007-2008 playoffs, coach Mike D'Antoni left for the New York Knicks. Still, the core of the team was the same, and fans packed the US Airways Center to capacity to see the Suns lead the NBA with 109.4 points per game.

9. Phoenix Suns

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -17.0%

• 2018-2019 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 15,293 (83.0%)

• 2018-2019 record: 19-63

After years of futility, the Phoenix Suns had the second-worst average home attendance in the 2018-2019 NBA season, with just 15,293 fans in attendance per game. Even DeAndre Ayton, the top overall pick in the 2018 draft, failed to draw fans to games. This is understandable, as the Suns posted an abysmal 19-63 record in the 2018-2019 season, their ninth straight season without a playoff berth.

8. Cincinnati Reds

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -20.9%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 25,415 (60.4%)

• 2008 record: 74-88

Even as they entered a rebuilding phase in 2008, the Cincinnati Reds managed to fill over 60% of seats for their home games. More than 25,000 fans, on average, showed up for Reds games – one of the lower averages in the MLB that season, but not bad considering the Reds had not made the playoffs in over a decade.

8. Cincinnati Reds

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -20.9%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 20,115 (47.5%)

• 2018 record: 67-95

The Cincinnati Reds have been steadily losing fans since 2013, the last time the team posted a winning record or made the playoffs. That season, Cincy averaged over 31,000 fans per game. In 2018, the Reds barely averaged over 20,000. Cincinnati now has the dubious distinction of being one of just five teams that failed failed to average a half-full stadium in the 2018 season. The Reds hosted a total of 1.6 million fans in 2018, the franchise's lowest total since 1984.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -21.4%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 64,582 (98.6%)

• 2008 record: 4-11-1

Cincinnati Bengals home games were almost completely full, on average, in 2008, even though the team won only four games all season after QB Carson Palmer missed most of the year with an elbow issue. Bengals fans regularly sold out Paul Brown Stadium at the time, thanks to Palmer and head coach Marvin Lewis, who, in 2005, brought the Bengals their first playoff appearance in 15 years.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -21.4%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 50,753 (77.5%)

• 2018 record: 6-10

Other than the Los Angeles Chargers, who played in the tiny StubHub Center, no team averaged fewer fans than the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2018 NFL season. The Bengals' stadium was just 77.5% full on average for home games, the third-lowest capacity in the NFL. Cincy posted a 6-10 record, dead last in the AFC North. Cincinnati's attendance has been steadily declining since it last made the playoffs in 2015. The team is still seeking its first playoff win since 1990.

6. Ottawa Senators

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -23.2%

• 2008-2009 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 18,949 (105.0%)

• 2008-2009 record: 36-35-11

Ottawa Senators fans had many reasons to be optimistic heading into the 2008-2009 season – the franchise had made the playoffs each of the previous 11 seasons. Nearly 19,000 fans came to watch Senators home games, on average, beyond the capacity of Scotiabank Place, Ottawa's arena at the time. Despite missing the playoffs that season, Ottawa ranked among the top 10 franchises in terms of average attendance and average capacity filled.

6. Ottawa Senators

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -23.2%

• 2018-2019 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 14,553 (76.0%)

• 2018-2019 record: 29-47-6

The 2018-2019 season gave Senators fans very little to cheer for. With just 64 points, the team finished dead last in the NHL by a wide margin. The Senators missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season, and attendance has slipped to around 14,500 fans per game. Ottawa's arena was just 76% full for the average game that season, also dead last in the NHL.

5. Washington Redskins

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -31.1%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 88,604 (96.6%)

• 2008 record: 8-8

From 2006 to 2008, the Washington Redskins led all NFL teams in average attendance, with more than 87,000 fans per game. No other team had more than 80,000 attendees per game during those seasons. FedEx Field was regularly packed to and beyond capacity as the team made the playoffs in 2005 and 2007.

5. Washington Redskins

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -31.1%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 61,028 (74.4%)

• 2018 record: 7-9

Washington was the only team that failed to fill at least three-quarters of seats in its stadium in the 2018 season, losing nearly a third of its fans over the past 10 years. The Redskins have not won a playoff game since the 2005 season, and they got blown out in their only three postseason appearances since.

4. Chicago White Sox

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -34.9%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 30,877 (76.0%)

• 2008 record: 89-74

In 2008, White Sox fans were riding high. Just a few seasons removed from their first World Series win since 1917, the team was still playing well under manager Ozzie Guillen. That season, the South Siders won the AL Central and drew more than 30,000 fans per game, filling an average of 76% of their stadium, one of the higher rates in the majors.

4. Chicago White Sox

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -34.9%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 20,110 (50.1%)

• 2018 record: 62-100

Little has gone right for the White Sox since 2008. Chicago has steadily lost fans as the team has not made the postseason since. The White Sox barely filled half of their available seats in 2018 – just over 20,000 fans per game. This is not surprising, as the White Sox had one of their worst seasons ever, losing 100 games for the first time since 1970.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -35.3%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 42,254 (97.1%)

• 2008 record: 92-70

Phillies fans were excited ahead of the 2008 MLB season as the team finally broke through and ended its 13-year playoff drought the year prior. In 2008, Philadelphia won what would be its second of five straight NL East titles on its way to a World Series championship. More than 97% of seats at Citizens Bank Park were occupied that season, accounting for over 42,000 fans per game – both figures ranked among the top five in baseball that year.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -35.3%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 27,318 (63.4%)

• 2018 record: 80-82

This Phillies led the majors in total attendance from 2010 to 2012, but it can be tough to maintain enthusiasm for a team that has not made the playoffs since 2011. In 2018, an average of 27,318 fans per game came to Citizens Bank Park, near the middle of MLB attendance. Now that the team is playing better with the acquisition of superstar Bryce Harper, Philly fans are already returning to the ballpark in droves in 2019.

2. Tampa Bay Rays

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -35.9%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 22,259 (52.8%)

• 2008 record: 97-65

Even when the Tampa Bay Rays are playing well, the team's stadium is rarely full. In 2008, the Rays won 97 games and made the postseason for the first time in team history, eventually losing in the World Series. Fans didn't seem to care, as the team's average home attendance was just over 22,000, or 52.8% of Tropicana Field's capacity.

2. Tampa Bay Rays

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -35.9%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 14,258 (41.8%)

• 2018 record: 90-72

A decade after their first postseason run, the Rays are still a winning team, despite sharing a division with the high-powered Yankees and Red Sox, and the fans are still not showing up. Despite being 18 games over .500 in 2018, average attendance for Rays home games fell to 14,258 people per game, or just 41.8% of the Trop's capacity. Most teams are able to attract more than 2 million fans to their games over a season. The Rays haven't hit that mark since their inaugural season of 1998.

1. Detroit Tigers

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -41.3%

• 2008 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 39,538 (98.6%)

• 2008 record: 74-88

Following the team's 2006 World Series appearance, in which they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, attendance at Detroit Tigers had been increasing. Though the team had a losing record, Comerica Park was typically close to full in 2008, with nearly 40,000 fans coming to each game.

1. Detroit Tigers

• Avg. home attendance change 2008-2018: -41.3%

• 2018 avg. home game attendance (pct. capacity): 23,212 (56.3%)

• 2018 record: 64-98

A four-season playoff drought may have, in part, spurred the exodus of Tigers fans. The team managed a string of postseason appearances in the early 2010s, but it has struggled since – and attendance suffered along with the team's performance. After peaking in 2013, attendance at Tigers games has consistently fallen, reaching 23,212 per game in 2018.This may also have something to do with the fact that Detroit is quickly losing residents, as once-available manufacturing jobs are gone. It may be difficult to convince some of the remaining fans to come to Tigers games if the team is unable to put together a winning season.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

How Each State Got Its Name – 24/7 Wall St.

John Harrington

24/7 Wall Street

You can practically glean the history of America in the names of all 50 states.

The story of the United States begins in the East and the South and is reflected in the origin of the names of the states. In the East and South, many states owe their monikers to our forebears from England, France, and Spain. These states include New York, Vermont, and Florida.

Another influence from the earliest time in our history is Native American culture, apparent in several state names. It is also apparent in many city names. There are a lot of obscure places with strange names that people have a hard time with – like these 50 town names most people will struggle to pronounce.

Native American place names figure prominently as we move westward, in states such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. About half of America’s states owe their names to Native American origin. Names with Spanish origins can be found in the West, including Colorado, New Mexico and California. Hawaii and Alaska’s names are derived from words describing the lands in the language of the native people who inhabited those areas before the arrival of Europeans.

To compile a list of how the states got their names, 24/7 Tempo reviewed information from state websites and online resources.

Alabama

• Joined United States: Dec. 14, 1819 (22nd state to join)

• Capital: Montgomery

• Population: 4,888,949

The genesis of the Alabama name is believed to have come from a fusion of two Choctaw words, Alba and Amo. Alba means "vegetation," while Amo refers to "gatherer." The name "vegetation gatherers" would fit the Alabama Indians who cleared the land for farming.

Alaska

• Joined United States: Jan. 3, 1959 (49th state to join)

• Capital: Juneau

• Population: 738,068

The name "Alaska" comes from the Aleut word "Alyeska" which means "great land." The Aleuts are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska.

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Arizona

• Joined United States: Feb. 14, 1912 (48th state to join)

• Capital: Phoenix

• Population: 7,123,898

It is not clear how Arizona got its name. Historian James H. McClintock believes the name was derived from a Native American place name that sounded like Aleh-zon or Ali-Shonak, which meant "small spring" or "place of the small spring," according to the Southern Arizona Guide.

Arkansas

• Joined United States: June 15, 1836 (25th state to join)

• Capital: Little Rock

• Population: 3,020,327

The word "Arkansas" came from the Quapaw Native Americans. The Quapaws were known as the "people who live downstream," or Ugakhopag. "The Native Americans who spoke Algonquian and lived in the Ohio Valley called the Quapaws Arkansas, which means "south wind."

California

• Joined United States: Sept. 9, 1850 (31st state to join)

• Capital: Sacramento

• Population: 39,776,830

Credit the Spanish conquistadors for naming California. The name of the nation's largest state comes from Califia, a legendary queen of the island paradise described in a Spanish romance novel from the early 16th century.

Colorado

• Joined United States: Aug. 1, 1876 (38th state to join)

• Capital: Denver

• Population: 5,818,049

Another state whose name owes it origins to the Spanish is Colorado. The state's name means "colored red" or "color rojo" in Spanish. It was used for the Colorado River because of the abundance of red sandstone soil in the region.

Connecticut

• Joined United States: Jan. 9, 1788 (5th state to join)

• Capital: Hartford

• Population: 3,588,683

The Dutch were the first Europeans to reach Connecticut in 1614. But there were already Native Americans in what would become the Nutmeg State. The name "Connecticut" is derived from the Algonquian word "quinnehtukqut" that means "beside the long tidal river."

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Delaware

• Joined United States: Dec. 7, 1787 (1st state to join)

• Capital: Dover

• Population: 971,180

Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, owes its name to explorer Samuel Argall, who named the Delaware River and Bay for Virginia Gov. Thomas West, Lord De La Warr. The state takes its name from the river and bay.

Florida

• Joined United States: March 3, 1845 (27th state to join)

• Capital: Tallahassee

• Population: 21,312,211

Famed Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon may not have found the fountain of youth, but he is credited with naming Florida, as the first European to reach it. The region was named by de Leon in 1513 and it comes from the Spanish word "florido," which means "full of flowers."

Georgia

• Joined United States: Jan. 2, 1788 (4th state to join)

• Capital: Atlanta

• Population: 10,545,138

Georgia, founded by James Oglethorpe, was named for King George II of England, who granted the colony its charter in 1732. The –ia suffix means "state of" and comes from the Greek language.

Hawaii

• Joined United States: Aug. 21, 1959 (50th state to join)

• Capital: Honolulu

• Population: 1,426,393

There are several theories of how America's youngest state got its name. One theory maintains that "Hawai'i" is derived from the word "owhyhee," which means homeland in native Hawaiian. Another theory postulates that the name comes from a combination of the words "Hawa" and "ii" and means a small or new homeland. Still another belief is that the name originates from the Polynesian Hawaii Loa, who discovered the islands, according to an ancient local legend.

Idaho

• Joined United States: July 3, 1890 (43rd state to join)

• Capital: Boise

• Population: 1,753,860

Idaho, a state made famous in a B-52s song, may sound like a Native American name, but the word is made up. "Idaho" was created by mining lobbyist George M. Willing, who insisted it was a Native American Shoshone expression meaning "gem of the mountains" for the area around Pike's Peak. By the time it was discovered the name was phoney, it was already being used.

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Illinois

• Joined United States: Dec. 3, 1818 (21st state to join)

• Capital: Springfield

• Population: 12,768,320

The Prairie State gets its official name from Native Americans. Illinois comes from "Illiniwek," which is what the Illini people were called. The name means "best people." Illinois is the spelling we use for the indigenous people the French explorers encountered in the region in the late 17th century.

Indiana

• Joined United States: Dec. 11, 1816 (19th state to join)

• Capital: Indianapolis

• Population: 6,782,564

The name "Indiana" means "Land of the Indians" or "Land of Indians." After the French lost the French and Indian War in 1763, the English took over the territory that would include latter-day Indiana. The new owners of the land sought a new name for the territory, and in recognition of the people who originally occupied it, named it Indiana.

Iowa

• Joined United States: Dec. 28, 1846 (29th state to join)

• Capital: Des Moines

• Population: 3,160,553

The story behind Iowa's name is a bit complicated. One version claims the name comes from the Iowa river, which was named for the native American Iowas (or Ioways), who were a Sioux tribe. One frontiersman wrote in 1868 that Native Americans encamped by a river were pleased with the location and said in their native tongue "'Iowa, Iowa, Iowa," meaning "beautiful." Members of the Ioway people have a different version of the name. One is the French spelling of Ayuhwa, meaning "sleepy ones."

Kansas

• Joined United States: Jan. 29, 1861 (34th state to join)

• Capital: Topeka

• Population: 2,918,515

Kansas gets its name from the Native American Kaws or Kansa people, also a Sioux tribe. They derived the name from the Sioux word for "southwind." The Kansa people are also referred to as "people of the south wind."

Kentucky

• Joined United States: June 1, 1792 (15th state to join)

• Capital: Frankfort

• Population: 4,472,265

There are several different theories regarding the name "Kentucky," though it has a Native American origin. Kentucky comes from the Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten," which means "land of tomorrow." The other possible meanings for "Kentucky" that derive from the Iroquois language are: "meadow," "prairie," and "the river of blood."

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Louisiana

• Joined United States: April 30, 1812 (18th state to join)

• Capital: Baton Rouge

• Population: 4,682,509

There is no disputing the origin of Louisiana's name. The home of Cajun cooking and jazz music was named in honor of King Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, by explorer René-Robert Cavelier in the mid-1600s.

Maine

• Joined United States: March 15, 1820 (23rd state to join)

• Capital: Augusta

• Population: 1,341,582

Maine's name might have originated from Royal Navy mariners Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason, who received a charter for what would become Maine and used the name to differentiate the mainland from the islands around it.

Maryland

• Joined United States: April 28, 1788 (7th state to join)

• Capital: Annapolis

• Population: 6,079,602

The state of Maryland, which as a colony, was founded as a haven for Catholics persecuted in England, was named to honor Queen Henrietta Maria, the Catholic wife of England's King Charles I.

Massachusetts

• Joined United States: Feb. 6, 1788 (6th state to join)

• Capital: Boston

• Population: 6,895,917

The name "Massachusetts" is derived from the language of the Algonquian nation and translates as "at or about the great hill." The hill refers to the Blue Hills southwest of Boston.

Michigan

• Joined United States: Jan. 26, 1837 (26th state to join)

• Capital: Lansing

• Population: 10,390,149

One account maintain the Michigan name is based on a Native American Chippewa word, "meicigama," meaning "great water." Another version of the name claims the state gets its name from Lake Michigan and that Michigan is a French conversion of the Ojibwa word misshikama, which means "big lake," "large lake," or "large water."

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Minnesota

• Joined United States: May 11, 1858 (32nd state to join)

• Capital: St. Paul

• Population: 5,628,162

As we move west, many of the state names are derived from Native American place names or language. Minnesota is one of them. The name "Minnesota" comes from the Dakota Sioux word "Mnisota," the Native American name for the Minnesota River, which means "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water."

Mississippi

• Joined United States: Dec. 10, 1817 (20th state to join)

• Capital: Jackson

• Population: 2,982,785

The name "Mississippi" comes from the word "Messipi" - the French version for either the Ojibwe or Algonquin name for the river, "Misi-ziibi," meaning "great river."

Missouri

• Joined United States: Aug. 10, 1821 (24th state to join)

• Capital: Jefferson City

• Population: 6,135,888

The name Missouri originates from the Native American Sioux of the state called the Missouris. Missouri means "town of the large canoe." Other meanings for "Missouri" include "those who have dugout canoes," "wooden canoe people," or "he of the big canoe."

Montana

• Joined United States: Nov. 8, 1889 (41st state to join)

• Capital: Helena

• Population: 1,062,330

The name "Montana" is based on the Spanish word for mountain, montaña, though it is not known who first used the name for the territory. The name "Montana" was proposed in 1864 when the area was separated from the Nebraska Territory.

Nebraska

• Joined United States: March 1, 1867 (37th state to join)

• Capital: Lincoln

• Population: 1,932,549

The Cornhusker State's name is based on an Otoe Indian word "Nebrathka," meaning "flat water," which refers to the Platte River, a symbol of Nebraska.

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Nevada

• Joined United States: Oct. 31, 1864 (36th state to join)

• Capital: Carson City

• Population: 3,056,824

The Spanish influence is evident in Nevada, whose name is derived from the Spanish phrase "Sierra Nevada," meaning snow-covered mountain range. "Nevada" is Spanish for "covered in snow" or "snow-capped."

New Hampshire

• Joined United States: June 21, 1788 (9th state to join)

• Capital: Concord

• Population: 1,350,575

New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason after Hampshire, England, where Mason had lived as a child. Mason received a land grant for what would become New Hampshire in 1629.

New Jersey

• Joined United States: Dec. 18, 1787 (3rd state to join)

• Capital: Trenton

• Population: 9,032,872

New Jersey, the third state to join the Union, was named for the island of Jersey in the English Channel in honor of Sir George Carteret, one of the two men to whom the land that would become New Jersey was originally given. The city of Carteret in central New Jersey is named after Sir George Carteret.

New Mexico

• Joined United States: Jan. 6, 1912 (47th state to join)

• Capital: Santa Fe

• Population: 2,090,708

The origin of the world "Mexico" is from the Aztec word meaning "place of Mexitli," which is an Aztec god. Other possible origins include a combination of metztli ("moon"), xictli ("center") and the suffix -co ("place") and means "place at the center of the moon." The Spanish named the lands north of the Rio Grande "Nuevo Mexico," or New Mexico. The name was anglicized after the area was turned over to the U.S. by Mexico after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848.

New York

• Joined United States: July 26, 1788 (11th state to join)

• Capital: Albany

• Population: 19,862,512

The Empire State was named after the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of King Charles II, in 1664. There had been a settlement called York in England since before the Romans invaded England. The word York comes from the Latin word for city.

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North Carolina

• Joined United States: Nov. 21, 1789 (12th state to join)

• Capital: Raleigh

• Population: 10,390,149

No mystery as to how the Tar Heel State got its name. Carolina, derived from the Latin word for Charles (Carolus), was named by King Charles II of England to honor his father, King Charles I in the 17th century. Carolina would eventually be divided into two colonies, North and South Carolina, in 1712.

North Dakota

• Joined United States: Nov. 2, 1889 (39th state to join)

• Capital: Bismarck

• Population: 755,238

Both North and South Dakota get their name from the Sioux word for "friend" or "ally," though there is no definitive detail for this origin.

Ohio

• Joined United States: March 1, 1803 (17th state to join)

• Capital: Columbus

• Population: 11,694,664

There are several Native American name possibilities for Ohio. One suggests that the name "Ohio" originates from the Iroquois word for "good river." Other origins claim "Ohio" might have come from the Wyandot people's word meaning "large/great" or "the great one" or it was derived from the Seneca word "ohi-yo'" meaning "large creek."

Oklahoma

• Joined United States: Nov. 16, 1907 (46th state to join)

• Capital: Oklahoma City

• Population: 3,940,521

The Sooner State's name comes from the Choctaw people's words "okla humma," which roughly means "red people" or "red persons."

Oregon

• Joined United States: Feb. 14, 1859 (33rd state to join)

• Capital: Salem

• Population: 4,199,563

The origin of the state name is up for debate with a number of possible origins. The name "Oregon" might have been derived from a 1715 French map that references the Wisconsin River as "Ouaricon-sint." Another possibility is that the name "Oregon" stems from an English army officer's reference in the late 18th century to "the River called by the Indians Ouragon." Still another possibility is that the name comes from the French word "ouragan," meaning "hurricane," because French explorers called the Columbia River "Le Fleuve aux Ouragans," or "Hurricane River," because of the strong winds gusting out of the Columbia Gorge.

ALSO READ: 50 Strangest Town Names in America (and Where They Came From)

Pennsylvania

• Joined United States: Dec. 12, 1787 (2nd state to join)

• Capital: Harrisburg

• Population: 12,823,989

If you remember your high school Latin, then it's easy to deconstruct the name "Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's woods" or "Penn's land." The state was named after William Penn, who was granted the land by King Charles II of England in 1681. The "sylvania" suffix is derived from the Latin word for forest, which is sylva.

Rhode Island

• Joined United States: May 29, 1790 (13th state to join)

• Capital: Providence

• Population: 1,061,712

The origin of Rhode Island's name harks back to the Old World. The first mention of Rhode Island in writing was by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in the early 16th century. He referred to an island near the mouth of Narragansett Bay that he compared to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. Still, others connect the name to 17th century Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, who called it "Roodt Eylandt," meaning "red island" because of its red clay.

South Carolina

• Joined United States: May 23, 1788 (8th state to join)

• Capital: Columbia

• Population: 5,088,916

Carolina, derived from the Latin word for Charles (Carolus), was named by King Charles II of England to honor his father, King Charles I in the 17th century. Carolina would eventually be divided into two colonies, North and South Carolina, in 1712.

South Dakota

• Joined United States: Nov. 2, 1889 (40th state to join)

• Capital: Pierre

• Population: 877,790

Both North and South Dakota get their name from the Sioux word for "friend" or "ally," though there is no definitive proof for this origin.

Tennessee

• Joined United States: June 1, 1796 (16th state to join)

• Capital: Nashville

• Population: 6,782,564

The name "Tennessee" may have come from Creek and Cherokee words, but it is uncertain where the Volunteer State got its name. Spanish explorer Juan Pardo first recorded the name in 1567 as he and his soldiers passed through a Cherokee village called "Tanasqui."

ALSO READ: Most Americans Will Struggle to Pronounce These 50 Town Names

Texas

• Joined United States: Dec. 29, 1845 (28th state to join)

• Capital: Austin

• Population: 28,704,330

"Texas" comes from the Native American Caddo word "teyshas," which means "friends" or "allies." Some Native American people like the Caddo or the Hasinais used the word as a greeting. In time, the word came to refer to the area north of the Rio Grande and east of New Mexico.

Utah

• Joined United States: Jan. 4, 1896 (45th state to join)

• Capital: Salt Lake City

• Population: 3,159,345

Utah owes its origin to an Apache Indian word, "yuttahih," that means "people of the mountains" or "they who are higher up." In the Native American people's language, the word "ute" means "land of the sun."

Vermont

• Joined United States: March 4, 1791 (14th state to join)

• Capital: Montpelier

• Population: 623,960

French explorer Samuel de Champlain called the stunning Green Mountains of Vermont "Verd Mont," which is French for "green mountain."

Virginia

• Joined United States: June 25, 1788 (10th state to join)

• Capital: Richmond

• Population: 8,525,660

The state of Virginia was named after England's Queen Elizabeth I, who was also known as "The Virgin Queen." The lands in North America claimed by England in the 1600s were called "Virginia." Queen Elizabeth I granted Walter Raleigh the charter to create a colony.

Washington

• Joined United States: Nov. 11, 1889 (42nd state to join)

• Capital: Olympia

• Population: 7,530,552

The state of Washington was named in honor of George Washington and is the only state named after the the nation's first president, or any U.S. president.

ALSO READ: Can You Answer These Real ‘Jeopardy!’ Questions About Each State

West Virginia

• Joined United States: June 20, 1863 (35th state to join)

• Capital: Charleston

• Population: 1,803,077

West Virginia split from Virginia when the 39 western counties of Virginia refused to secede from the Union during the Civil War. West Virginia came into being in 1863. For Virginia's name origin please look up Virginia on our list.

Wisconsin

• Joined United States: May 29, 1848 (30th state to join)

• Capital: Madison

• Population: 5,818,049

The Wisconsin Historical Society says Wisconsin was originally called "Meskonsing" and is the English rendering of a French version of a Miami Indian name for the Wisconsin River that runs through the center of the state. The society said that in the Miami people's language it meant, "this stream meanders through something red," a reference to the red sandstone bluffs of the Wisconsin Dells.

Wyoming

• Joined United States: July 10, 1890 (44th state to join)

• Capital: Cheyenne

• Population: 573,720

The name "Wyoming" is derived from the Delaware people's word "mecheweami-ing," meaning "at the big plains." Another possible origin for Wyoming's name is that it is an Algonquin word meaning "large prairie place."

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News from around our 50 states

From staff and wire reports

Alabama

Montgomery: Lawmakers have voted to place statues of Rosa Parks and Helen Keller on the grounds of the state Capitol. State senators on Tuesday voted 29-0 for the bill. The legislation now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. The bill by Rep. Laura Hall creates a Women’s Tribute Statue Commission to fund, commission and place statues of Parks and Keller on the Capitol grounds. Parks was arrested Dec. 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery city bus to a white passenger. Her arrest helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement. Keller, who was both deaf and blind, became a world-famous author and activist.

Alaska

Kodiak: Many are familiar with uninvited guests unexpectedly crashing at the house, but an eagle took such a scenario to new heights. An eagle grabbed a piece of freezer-burned halibut that someone had thrown out and apparently misjudged its climb up a cliff with the 4-pound piece of fish while likely being chased by another eagle, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reports. The wrong trajectory led the eagle to smash through a front window of Stacy Studebaker’s home Saturday. “It was so unbelievably loud. My first thought was I thought an atomic bomb had dropped and the windows were blowing out,” says Studebaker, who founded the local chapter of the Audubon Society. She and a neighbor struggled to get the raptor out of her home as it dealt mayhem. Except for some blood around the beak, the eagle didn’t appear to be injured.

Arizona

Phoenix: Tonto National Monument, a desert park northeast of Phoenix, has been designated an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. That honor is bestowed on areas worldwide that take steps to make it easier for people to enjoy the night sky without the distractions of light pollution. Achieving this designation involves retrofitting light fixtures and bulbs, acquiring data for darkness analysis, and monitoring and interpreting the importance of preserving darkness. The state is awash in dark-sky sites, including the communities of Camp Verde, Flagstaff, Fountain Hills, Oak Creek and Sedona; Grand Canyon National Park; Kartchner Caverns State Park; Oracle State Park; Petrified Forest National Park; Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument; Parashant National Monument; Tumacacori National Historical Park; Walnut Canyon National Monument; and Wupatki National Monument.

Arkansas

Fayetteville: Local leaders are considering a measure that would prevent the city from using public money to buy disposable products made with Styrofoam. The Fayetteville City Council discussed the proposal Tuesday night but took no action. The measure would also prohibit vendors, concession stands or food trucks operating on city property from using polystyrene foam, better known as Styrofoam. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the proposal is set to be considered again later this month. Cities and states across the nation have been busy banning or imposing fees for single-use foam and plastic products, while a wave in the opposite direction has led some states to seek prohibitions against such bans at the local level.

California

Beverly Hills: A fiery debate is breaking out as people at tony hair salons, gas stations and stores weigh in on whether the city of the rich and famous should become the first in the U.S. to outlaw the sale of tobacco products everywhere except a few cigar lounges. The City Council decided Tuesday night to make some changes to the proposal, such as allowing guests in Beverly Hills’ luxury hotels to acquire cigarettes through their concierge or room service. Members indicated they plan to pass the amended measure May 21. Abstainers have said yes to the idea, and the sooner the better, while smokers protested. California already outlaws smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars. It also has one of the highest cigarette taxes in the country – nearly $3 a pack. The proposed ordinance would ban all tobacco products from grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels and gas stations.

Colorado

Denver: Voters narrowly made the city the first in the nation to decriminalize psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms.” Decriminalization led by a slim 51%, according to preliminary figures on Tuesday’s election released by Denver’s Election Division. As many as 1,300 votes still remain to be counted, but that figure was not enough to swing the vote the other way, division spokesman Alton Dillard said. Final results will be released May 16, he said. Organizers say their only goal in the mushroom measure is to keep people out of jail for using or possessing the drug to cope with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and other conditions. The initiative effectively decriminalizes use or possession of psilocybin by people 21 and older, making it the lowest enforcement priority for police and prosecutors. It does not legalize psilocybin or permit its sale by cannabis businesses.

Connecticut

Hartford: An effort to better market the state as a good place to live, visit and do business has cleared a key legislative hurdle. The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 113-28 for a bill requiring the Department of Economic and Community Development to come up with a marketing strategy that includes outreach to startup businesses and entrepreneurs, a new social media photo competition highlighting Connecticut’s beauty, and a campaign highlighting successful businesses. The bill, which awaits Senate action, also suggests DECD consider updating the state’s “Still Revolutionary” logo or design a new one with the help of a middle-school design competition. Other suggestions include targeting former residents between ages 30-45 and improving print marketing in airport lounges. Some Republicans opposed the bill, arguing lawmakers should simply cut taxes to attract business.

Delaware

Dover: In an effort to better identify victims of human trafficking, hospitals across the state will start to use the same techniques, making the First State likely the first in the country to adopt a coordinated approach, health officials say. Delaware has become an attractive place for traffickers because of its place along the I-95 corridor – and critics say state officials have been slow to address the growing problem. The Delaware Healthcare Association, which represents all the hospitals in the state, announced five recommendations Wednesday that will be implemented at all hospitals within the next year: educating the entire staff about human trafficking, using a specific assessment to identify red flags, following a step-by-step process to respond to suspected trafficking, using a hospital code for trafficking victims to collect statewide data and following a memo on how best to address minors who are being trafficked.

District of Columbia

Washington: Comedian Dave Chappelle has been chosen to receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The 45-year-old Chappelle shot to international stardom through his Comedy Central program, “Chappelle’s Show,” which gleefully skewered racial stereotypes and hot-button societal issues. He later made headlines for walking away from a lucrative contract over creative differences. Chappelle attended Washington’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and his first hourlong comedy special was filmed in the nation’s capital. Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter called Chappelle “a hometown hero” and said his social commentary and body of work embody Twain’s statement that “against the assault of humor, nothing can stand.” Chappelle will be presented with the award in a star-studded ceremony Oct. 29 that will be broadcast on television Jan. 6, 2020.

Florida

Gainesville: The lovebugs that are driving Floridians crazy right now may not be good for the finish on cars, but they are good for the environment, particularly the soil, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The pesky, slow-flying insects lay their eggs in places with dying vegetation, such as thatch, which is the cut grass spit out by lawn mowers. That’s where immature lovebugs, which actually are a type of fly known scientifically as plecia nearctica, live and eat. Feeding on the dead vegetation redistributes essential nutrients back into the ground, and that benefits plants and the environment. Also known as honeymoon flies, double-headed bugs and kissing bugs, the adult insects feed on plant nectar, especially sweet clover, goldenrod and Brazilian pepper.

Georgia

Atlanta: The state is seeking proposals to develop a Medicaid waiver that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp says will make health care more affordable and accessible. If approved by the federal government, the waiver would allow Georgia to expand Medicaid more conservatively than federal rules typically allow. The Department of Community Health asked six consulting firms Monday to submit proposals for waivers addressing Georgia’s Medicaid program and private health insurance. Officials are aiming to submit them to the federal government by the end of 2019. A bill that Kemp signed in March gave his office wide leeway to seek a waiver that reshapes the state’s health care system. Georgia is one of 14 states that haven’t fully expanded Medicaid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The State Department of Health has launched a new website that provides near real-time data on the air quality following last summer’s Kilauea eruption. The site is expected to serve as an online resource, particularly in the event of future volcanic eruptions, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. “We listened to the concerns of residents, took action to improve our air quality monitoring system, and created a one-stop, user-friendly website. We’re much more volcano-ready than we have ever been,” says Health Director Bruce Anderson. Data for the website is pulled from air quality monitoring stations at strategic locations throughout the state. Most are on the Big Island. The state upgraded and expanded its air quality monitoring system with more than $1.5 million in federal and state funds. People can access the data via an interactive air quality map.

Idaho

Boise: A planned hiking-and-biking trail connecting the popular central Idaho tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley is being challenged in federal court by the owners of Sawtooth Mountain Ranch. David Boren and Lynn Arnone filed the lawsuit last month seeking to stop a U.S. Forest Service plan to build a 4.4-mile trail for pedestrians, cyclists and horseback riders. The trail cuts across the Sawtooth Mountain Ranch. But the Sawtooth National Forest has a conservation easement deed dating to 2005 that it says allows the trail to cross the private property. The lawsuit contends the planned trail deviates from the easement and has “numerous flaws and illegalities.”

Illinois

Chicago: Community and environmental activists are pushing for the opening of Lake Calumet on the city’s South Side to public access for recreation. Currently, a chain-link fence topped with razor wire surrounds the lake, blocking public access to hundreds of acres of natural habit. Ders Anderson of Chicago-based Openlands told the Daily Southtown in Tinley Park that Lake Calumet has long been recognized for the waterfowl, bald eagles and other bird species that roost nearby. Anderson says in addition to bird-watching, walking or bicycling on trails near the water, canoeing on the shallow lake or simply relaxing would benefit residents of Chicago and nearby suburbs. About 1,500 acres around Lake Calumet are part of the Port of Chicago, controlled by the Illinois International Port District.

Indiana

Franklin: Researchers at Franklin College have received a record-breaking research grant to study the behavior and management of Canada geese in the state, where the migratory bird’s population is growing along with complaints. The four-year grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act includes a $250,000 award that will fund Franklin College’s contribution to the study, on which the college is partnering with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Ball State University. It is the largest research grant ever awarded to the small college about 20 miles south of Indianapolis. Indiana’s Canada goose population is estimated around 130,000, according to the DNR, but the rise in complaints involving geese in urban areas suggests that figure may actually be higher.

Iowa

Onawa: A new report has named this small town, known for its wide main street and its claim to the invention of the Eskimo Pie, the poorest in the state. According to 24/7 Wall Street, Onawa is the only town in Iowa where more than 1 in 4 residents lives below the poverty line. The town’s 24.9% SNAP benefit recipiency rate is more than double the 11.2% rate statewide, the report says. The town with a population of 2,849 has a median household income of $31,089 (state: $56,570), a poverty rate of 25.3% (state: 12%) and a median home value of $93,500 (state: $137,200). The population is 90% white and 8% American Indian. Onawa is most widely known for staking a claim as the town with the “widest main street in America” at 150 feet wide. It’s also known as the birthplace of the Eskimo pie, a frozen treat made of ice cream encased in a chocolate coating, reportedly invented by Chris K. Nelsen in the summer of 1919.

Kansas

Kansas City: A water park where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated isn’t hiring lifeguards, advertising or selling tickets with just weeks left before its typical Memorial Day weekend opening date, underlining speculation that it could be put up for sale. Schlitterbahn remains mum on its plans but has largely removed reference from its website about the park where Caleb Schwab was killed in 2016 when the raft he was riding on the 17-story Verruckt slide went airborne and hit a metal pole. Verruckt – German for “crazy” – never reopened and was torn down last year. Season tickets have been on sale for months for Schlitterbahn’s four Texas locations, but not the Kansas park. Speculation about a potential sale was fueled by mortgage lender EPR Properties announcing last week that Schlitterbahn is expected to pay off its approximately $190 million loan on the property soon.

Kentucky

Walton: The high school senior who went to court over a restriction tied to chickenpox at his school has come down with the illness, his lawyer says. Christopher Wiest says Jerome Kunkel, 18, got sick last week, nearly two months after the Northern Kentucky Health Department issued its order to control an outbreak at two small parochial schools in Boone County. “He’s fine,” Wiest said. “He’s a little itchy.” In January, chickenpox broke out at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School and Assumption Academy, its high school. The schools and church in Walton are affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X, a conservative branch of Roman Catholicism that rejects Vatican II reforms. Nearly 90% of the schools’ students have religious exemptions against vaccinations. Kunkel and his classmates did not receive the vaccine because its production involves laboratory-generated cells taken from a fetus aborted in 1966.

Louisiana

Shreveport: A display of “magic, luck and friendship” will brighten up downtown’s Shreveport Common neighborhood this fall. The FriendsWithYou artist group will install a vivid, colorful public park called Rainbow City, including more than 35 larger-than-life, vinyl, multicolored inflatable sculptures standing up to 50 feet high. Rainbow City will be unveiled in late October in the Common Park. Various interactive and entertaining experiences are programmed at the inflatable park from Oct. 26 through Dec. 7, including a Dia de los Muertos celebratory dance party, a PJs and Pancakes breakfast, a romantic movie screening under the stars, a yoga session and more. On Oct. 26, FriendsWithYou will lead a Rainbow City Parade, featuring a new inflatable character named “Gumball,” designed by Caddo Parish student Isaiah Roberts. The fourth grader’s drawing was selected from hundreds of submissions.

Maine

Portland: The state’s baby eel fishermen are enjoying a steady harvest and strong prices during the first season in which regulators are using new controls to stop poaching. Baby eels, called elvers, are one of the most lucrative marine resources in the U.S. on a per-pound basis, but the fishery has had problems with poaching. This year, packing and shipping of the fish is subject to more scrutiny by the Maine Marine Patrol. Fishermen are more than 90% of the way through their quota for the year, which is slightly less than 10,000 pounds. The average price is more than $2,000 per pound, which would be the third highest average on record if holds, state officials said. “For the guys who want to do the right thing and grow this fishery, they’re happy to comply,” says Jeffrey Pierce, a former state legislator who is an adviser to the Maine Elver Fishermen Association.

Maryland

Baltimore: Police arrested seven people Wednesday as they ended a monthlong sit-in in the lobby of an administrative building at Johns Hopkins University, where a group of protesters have demonstrated against the creation of a campus police force and the institution’s contracts with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency. City police officers and firefighters “provided assistance” shortly before 5 a.m. to reopen Garland Hall, the primary administrative building, the university announced. Protesters had chained the doors shut and blocked stairwells, defying a city fire marshal’s orders to keep the entrances and exits clear. Firefighters used an electric saw to get inside. The city’s top prosecutor swiftly dismissed the idea of prosecuting them. “No one arrested, student or community member, will be prosecuted,” said Melba Saunders, spokeswoman for State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

Massachusetts

Boston: America’s oldest performing arts group is looking for a child who was literally wowed by a recent classical music concert. The Handel & Haydn Society had just finished its rendition of Mozart’s “Masonic Funeral” at Symphony Hall on Sunday when a youngster blurted out loudly: “WOW!” Boston classical music station WCRB-FM captured the exuberance on audio. The crowd can be heard bursting first into laughter and then into rousing applause for the child. Now the organization founded in 1815 has mounted a search for the kid it’s calling the “Wow Child” – not to reprimand him or her but to offer a chance to meet the conductor and hear the orchestra again as a guest of honor. “It was one of the most wonderful moments I’ve experienced in the concert hall,” Handel & Haydn president and CEO David Snead wrote in a letter to concertgoers asking them to share the child’s name.

Michigan

Detroit: A 17-foot bronze sculpture that arrived downtown last year got people talking, taking selfies and wondering what exactly it means. This week, the conversation sparked by “Waiting,” a work of art by internationally acclaimed artist Kaws, will get some fresh context, thanks to the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. “Kaws: Alone Again,” which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 4, is a solo exhibition of work by Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly, who goes by the alias Kaws. The show was organized by MOCAD’s executive director Elysia Borowy-Reeder in collaboration with the contemporary art superstar. “Riffing on specific genres of pop art, figuration, deconstruction, collage and fashion, the exhibition represents an underlying irreverence and affection for our turbulent times, as well as Kaws’ agility as an artist to appropriate and transform,” MOCAD says about the exhibition.

Minnesota

St. Paul: Mississippi River flooding in the capital this spring swamped the record for the longest period of flooding ever measured in the city. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the river was above flood stage for 42 straight days, easily surpassing the 2001 record of 33 days. The National Weather Service says the river fell below flood stage last weekend. The city is continuing to assess and clean up riverside streets that were submerged before reopening them. All of the city’s flood plain parks, including boat launches, remain closed.

Mississippi

Oxford: The mayor is apologizing about confusion over parking meters. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill says drivers will not be ticketed for parking at a malfunctioning meter. The Oxford Eagle reports the city put stickers on meters a couple of weeks ago warning people not to park at broken ones. The city’s parking director, Matt Davis, had also told the newspaper that citations would be issued. Parking meters are still fairly new on the town square in Oxford. Tannehill says the mayor and aldermen never voted to allow ticketing for vehicles parked at broken meters. She said Saturday on social media that if someone finds a broken meter, the city should tell that driver: “ ‘It’s your lucky day.’ ”

Missouri

Springfield: An Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals panel has upheld a previous ruling on a city ordinance that prohibits women from showing their nipples and areolas in public, despite protests from local activists who argue the policy is discriminatory. The decision Monday is the latest in a four-year controversy that started when some women walked shirtless through downtown Springfield to protest the differing rules for men and women. Members of the City Council, who feared the scandalizing of children and moral degradation of the community, later passed an ordinance prohibiting women from showing their nipples in public. But the ACLU and local “Free the Nipple” activists sued, and a federal judge upheld the city’s ordinance in 2017. On Monday, a three-judge panel for the appeals court agreed with the lower court, citing at least eight cases during which courts upheld similar laws.

Montana

Billings: Law enforcement officials say they’ve managed to slow an increase in violent crime rates in the state’s most populous county that’s being driven largely by methamphetamine trafficking and abuse. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox on Wednesday announced results from the first year of an initiative targeting violent criminals in Yellowstone County. They say the number of murders, robberies and aggravated assaults increased just over 1% over the past year, after surging 26% in the prior 12-month period. Alme credited the government’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative for helping bring federal charges against 170 defendants in Yellowstone County for drug trafficking, armed robbery and firearms offenses. Alme says a similar effort in Missoula County is also showing positive results.

Nebraska

Niobrara: People who suffered losses when the Spencer Dam failed have gotten more bad news: State law limits the liability of the dam’s owner. That owner, Nebraska Public Power District, has said the March 14 collapse was due to a combination of high Niobrara River flows and massive chunks of ice. The home of a man who lived below the dam, Kenny Angel, was swept away. His body still has not been found. The Norfolk Daily News reports that attorney David Domina addressed a gathering of homeowners, farmers and businesspeople Monday in Niobrara. He told them state law limits the district liability to $1 million per claim per occurrence and $5 million per occurrence for all claimants. He says Knox County already is listing more than $17 million in damages.

Nevada

Sparks: The Forest Service’s rejection of a proposal to drill for oil or gas in the Ruby Mountains has become official after no one complained during the 45-day objection period. Forest Supervisor Bill Dunkelberger says the agency’s decision became final Tuesday. He says the service didn’t receive a single objection after it determined the drilling wasn’t suitable for the area and selected the “no leasing” alternative in mid-March. He says that reaffirms his belief he made the right decision for future management of more than 82 square miles of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest along the mountain range in northern Nevada’s Elko County. Dunkelberger concluded any economic benefits from the drilling would be limited compared to money the natural resources contribute to the area economy through tourism, recreation and livestock grazing.

New Hampshire

Durham: University of New Hampshire researchers say they’ve discovered a new strain of canine distemper virus in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont. Over one year, pathologists diagnosed canine distemper virus infection in eight mammals: fishers, gray foxes, a skunk, a raccoon and a mink. Pathologists found all of the animals were infected with a distinct strain of the virus that had been identified only in a single raccoon in Rhode Island in 2004. They said the identification of this strain fills a gap in the general knowledge of canine distemper virus strains circulating in North America. The strain was identified by UNH pathologists in collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, University of Georgia, Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative, and state Fish and Game departments.

New Jersey

Newark: Gov. Phil Murphy has signed four bills into law aimed at improving maternal health care, particularly for residents using Medicaid. The Democrat signed the measures Wednesday at University Hospital in Newark. The new laws were enacted just a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study showing that pregnancy-related deaths are rising and that being black is a main risk factor. One measure provides for Medicaid to cover doulas. Another sets up a pilot program for perinatal care for those on Medicaid. The third bill bars early, elective deliveries that are not medically necessary for those on Medicaid and on the state’s health benefits plans. The final measure codifies a current practice by requiring perinatal risk assessment forms be filled out by Medicaid providers.

New Mexico

Las Vegas: A group of college students is helping redesign the Jemez Historic Site visitor center using multimedia tools. New Mexico Highlands University announced this week that 15 of its media arts students are creating floor-to-ceiling video projections of historic images and oral histories at the Native American site. The students also are adding interactive touch-screen computer tablets that focus on artifacts and an event called “Light Among the Ruins.” Supervisory archaeologist Ethan Ortega says the students used oral histories and texts written by Jemez tribal members to create the new components. The Jemez Historic Site includes the stone remains of a 500-year-old village and the San Jose church, which dates to 1622. It’s located at Jemez Springs, about 50 miles north of Albuquerque.

New York

Albany: A new exhibit chronicling the end of one of the most turbulent decades in American history has opened to the public at the Empire State Plaza. The exhibit titled “1969” opened Wednesday at the Vietnam Memorial Gallery in the Robert Abrams Justice Building in downtown Albany. Events such as the first moon landing and Woodstock music concert occurred 50 years ago this year, while the Vietnam War raged in Southeast Asia. The exhibit includes photographs, archival footage and artifacts from the era, along with audio recordings of veterans from New York telling stories about their Vietnam experience in ’69. Nicholas Valenti, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam and is now a leader of the Vietnam Veteran chapters of New York, joined state officials at the official opening.

North Carolina

Durham: Duke University has received a $5 million grant to improve the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens site on campus, which attracts about 400,000 visitors each year. University President Vincent Price said in a news release that The Duke Endowment is providing the grant for the Garden Gateway Project, a fundraising campaign. The grant brings the total raised to $16 million of the $30 million goal for the project, which will revitalize the gardens’ front entrance and fund new and improved facilities and classrooms. The plan also calls for a new performance lawn and expanded indoor event hall. The Duke Endowment is a private foundation based in Charlotte. The university, the foundation and Duke Energy are separate organizations despite sharing a name.

North Dakota

Medora: Part of the scenic drive and some trails are being temporarily closed at Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North Unit while prescribed fire projects are completed. Planned burns are used as a resource management tool. The National Park Service says one fire Thursday is to encompass about 4,300 acres, or nearly 7 square miles. There also will be a smaller fire covering 700 acres, or about a square mile. The scenic drive will be closed at the Caprock Coulee trailhead to the end of the road. Portions of the Achenbach and Caprock Coulee trails will be closed for visitor safety. Burning is expected be completed by the end of the day.

Ohio

Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is expecting two new babies this year. “Two of our giraffes are pregnant. One, Tessa, is due in June, and the other, Cece, is due in the fall,” spokeswoman Michelle Curley says. Both Tessa and Cece have given birth at the zoo before, but these will be the first giraffe calves in three years. Cece’s daughter Cora and Zoey, who was born to Jambo, made their debut in 2016. In 2014, Tessa gave birth to Nasha. Way back in 2011, Tessa gave birth to the zoo’s first baby giraffe in 26 years. According to the zoo, giraffe calves typically weigh about 125 pounds at birth and are approximately 6 feet tall.

Oklahoma

Tulsa: Fines, dues and court expenses assessed to defendants in the state have spiked since fiscal year 2007, and some criminal justice reform advocates say state and local government agencies are increasingly relying on them as an income source. Tulsa World reports that citations, fees and costs have risen 27% since 2007. State lawmakers have also imposed two administrative charges that collectively require defendants to pay an additional 25% of all fees amassed by the courts for the executive branch. Court collections have contributed to about 66% to 90% of yearly district court subsidies over that same period. Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform director Kris Steele says an impoverished person’s inability to pay either puts them in jail or leads to their return to crime in order to satisfy the debts.

Oregon

Salem: The Legislature is considering a bill that would let farmers sue companies, such as Bayer and Syngenta, that hold patents on genetically engineered seeds if crops grown from those seeds contaminate other crops. Contamination from genetically engineered crops can make organic and conventional crops unable to be sold. GE crops also can escape their fields and become a nuisance for other farmers that is hard to eradicate. House Bill 2882 would allow landowners or tenants to seek three times actual economic damages if GE organisms, also called GMOs, are present on their land without permission. It also would allow residents to sue the corporations if GE organisms are found on land owned or occupied by a public body in the area where they live.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Three Mile Island, site of the United States’ worst nuclear power accident, will begin a planned shutdown starting June 1 now that it is clear that it will not get a financial rescue from the state, its owner said Wednesday. Exelon Corp.’s statement comes two years after the energy giant threatened to close the money-losing plant without what critics have called a bailout. The fight over Three Mile Island and Pennsylvania’s four other nuclear power plants invigorated a debate over the “zero carbon emissions” characteristics of nuclear power in the age of global warming and in one of the nation’s largest fossil fuel-producing states. Three Mile Island’s Unit 1 is licensed to operate through 2034, and shutting it down will cut its life short by 15 years. It will go offline by Sept. 30, Exelon said.

Rhode Island

Warwick: A school district has changed its policy after facing criticism for a plan to serve students who owe lunch money sun butter and jelly sandwiches instead of a hot meal. Warwick Public Schools, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, said Wednesday that a school subcommittee recommended students get the lunch of their choice regardless of their account balance. Chairwoman Karen Bachus clarified that under the current policy students would’ve been provided the sandwich, which is also a daily choice on the school lunch menu, vegetables, fruit and milk. The district faced pushback after announcing in a Facebook post Sunday that students who owed money on paid, free or reduced lunch accounts would be served cold sandwiches until the balance is paid starting May 13.

South Carolina

Charleston: The state’s largest detention center is facing a serious staffing shortage, and officials are hoping to hire those looking for work. WCIV-TV reports there are about 90 vacancies currently out of nearly 400 jobs at the Al Cannon Detention Center. Deputy PJ Skipper says the job isn’t for everyone, but it’s one that has kept her coming back every day for 23 years. She says she initially planned a short two-year stint but realized working there is a calling. She says if she can make a difference with just one inmate, she’s done her job. The sheriff’s office is holding a Career Day on Saturday. Those interested should bring a driver’s license or other ID and be ready to take tests to see if they qualify for the posts.

South Dakota

Keystone: Fireworks will return to Mount Rushmore National Memorial for the Fourth of July celebration in 2020. Mount Rushmore’s fireworks were discontinued after 2009 due to concerns related to the pine beetle infestation that increased fire concerns in the Black Hills National Forest. The forest has since rebounded, and advances have been made in pyrotechnic safety. Gov. Kristi Noem, federal Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith on Tuesday announced the resumption of fireworks. Noem said the agreement came after several months of meetings and discussions.

Tennessee

Nashville: Along with classic country songs like “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” there’s a legendary tale that millions associate with George Jones – the lawn mower story. Once, during a terrible bout of binge drinking, Jones says he was left alone in his house with no booze. To stop him from driving to the liquor store, his wife had hidden all his car keys. “But she forgot about the lawn mower,” Jones wrote in his autobiography, “I Lived to Tell It All.” Jones cleaned up his act for good in 1999, living a sober life until his death in 2013, but the lawn mower legend lives on. Now, it’s been immortalized in a new mural on the side of Nashville’s Colonial Liquors, where Jones was once a frequent customer. The mural was painted by Nashville artist Shawn Catz, along with a crew of musician friends. But the cartoon design actually comes from an episode of “Tales From the Tour Bus,” an animated TV series by Mike Judge (“Beavis & Butthead,” “King of the Hill”).

Texas

Austin: Removal of Confederate and other historical markers would need approval from voters or state lawmakers under a bill that won initial approval from the state Senate on Tuesday. The measure would take removal powers away from local governments and other public entities who have grappled with calls to remove Confederate markers that are now facing protests over the era’s racist history. The Dallas City Council voted last year to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from a park, and the University of Texas in 2017 removed several statues of Lee and other Confederate figures. Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott and other top state Republicans agreed to remove a Capitol plaque that said slavery was not the underlying cause of the Civil War.

Utah

Cedar City: Southern Utah University has secured funding for a new child development center, which officials say could fill a previously unmet need of on-campus child care. But city residents as a whole may also be struggling to find quality, affordable child care. Data suggests care in Cedar City isn’t just hard to come by but also expensive. Though finding affordable, quality child care is an issue many families and individuals face, SUU is focusing its services on students who are single mothers. Construction on the Sorenson Legacy Child and Family Development Center will begin in July, and it will be open for student use by August 2020. Kathy Wyatt, steering committee chair of the child care center and SUU’s first lady, says the center will double as a preschool, taking in children who are infants up to age 5.

Vermont

Derby Line: U.S. officials have marked the completion of a new U.S.-Canada border crossing facility that is designed to smooth the flow of people and trade between the two countries while keeping the U.S. safe from terrorism and criminal organizations. The new $33 million facility at the northern end of Interstate 91 in the Vermont town of Derby Line replaces another facility that was built in 1965. High-tech improvements make the new facility more energy efficient, and it includes technological upgrades and larger spaces where officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection can process both people and cargo. Construction began in fall 2016. The port of entry processes about 1.1 million people a year, says Christopher Averill, the regional administrator of the General Services Administration.

Virginia

Richmond: A police officer who cursed at a group of black middle schoolers and later promised to publicly apologize has rescinded the offer. Richmond police Chief William Smith tells The Richmond Times-Dispatch that the officer, whose name hasn’t been released, no longer feels he can handle the large setting. A March video shows the officer telling the Albert Hill students to “wait until your asses turn 18, then you’re mine.” Student Cameron Hilliard filmed the video and says someone outside her group yelled an obscenity directed at officers, launching the confrontation. The officer apologized to the students and their guardians last week and signed an agreement to publicly apologize at a school assembly. The chief says the officer is sorry for not being able to meet with the school.

Washington

Olympia: Gov. Jay Inslee, who is seeking a path to the White House on the message of climate change, signed a measure Tuesday that makes the state the fourth in the nation to establish a mandate to provide carbon-free electricity by a targeted date. The measure was among several environmental bills that Inslee signed at a park in Seattle, surrounded by climate advocates and others. The signing of the new law comes less than a week after Inslee unveiled his first major policy proposal of his presidential campaign, in which he called for the nation’s entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be free of carbon pollution by 2030. “We are determined to build a solar and wind and electrical system where people can access clean energy and cleaner air to breathe for our kids as long as Washington state is here,” he said.

West Virginia

Charleston: The U.S. government sued nearly two dozen of Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies Tuesday to get them to pay about $4.8 million in unpaid mine safety fines. The civil lawsuit was filed by federal prosecutors on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Justice’s companies committed more than 2,000 federal Mine Health and Safety Act violations since May 2014 but have refused to pay the penalties despite multiple attempts by federal agencies to get the money, according to the lawsuit. “This is unacceptable, and, as indicated by this suit, we will hold them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen.

Wisconsin

Madison: Assembly Republicans with prisons in their districts are complaining about Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ decision to grant temporary raises at only six institutions. Nineteen Republicans sent a letter Wednesday to Evers saying that the raises aren’t fair and that compensation should be addressed through the state budget. A state audit released last week found entry-level guard pay in Wisconsin was second-lowest among seven Midwestern states. Evers’ budget calls for spending an additional $23.8 million to create a pay progression system for prison workers. Days before the audit was released, Evers’ administration gave temporary raises of up to $5 an hour to workers at Columbia, Dodge, Green Bay, Taycheedah and Waupun correctional institutions as well as the Lincoln Hills youth prison. Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff says Evers is trying to fix problems Republicans have ignored.

Wyoming

Laramie: If Thomas Foulke has his way, some of the oldest domesticated crops in the world will help grow a new industry in the state. Foulke, a senior research scientist at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, is leading an effort called the Wyoming First-Grains Project, which aims to develop a niche industry around growing “first grains.” He describes those as the earliest domesticated cereal crops, among them Emmer wheat, spelt, barley and einkorn. “People were making bread from wild grains before they even domesticated it,” he said. “There was something about bread and something about wheat that was really important to early humans.” In conjunction with UW research farms in Lingle, Powell and Sheridan, the First-Grains Project produced about 20 acres of spelt and Emmer wheat last year.

From staff and wire reports

How Many People Were Born The Year You Were Born – 24/7 Wall St.

Samuel Stebbins

24/7 Wall Street

As COVID-19 spread across the United States, more than 300 million Americans were ordered to remain at home for weeks and even months. The extended period of isolation led many to speculate that the U.S. could see a spike in births nine months – a coronavirus baby boom.

Such an increase, however, may be unlikely. For many families, economic conditions and job security play a significant role in deciding when to have a child. And while the coronavirus pandemic has given many couples the opportunity to try for a pregnancy, the crisis has also led to the country’s worst unemployment crisis since the Great Depression. Here is a look at every state’s unemployment claims since COVID-19 shut the economy down.

Yet another factor that could give would-be new parents pause is the possibility of unnecessary exposure to the virus. Couples who are expecting need to make regular doctor visits, and more than 98% of newborns in the U.S. are delivered in a hospital – many of which have been overwhelmed by coronavirus patients and could continue to be if there is a second wave of the outbreak. Health care facilities are high-risk areas, and many states have placed restrictions on nonessential medical treatment in recent months. These are every state’s rules for staying at home and social distancing.

Should the birth rate dip as a result of the pandemic, it would be the continuation of a long-term trend. The birth rate has fallen in the U.S. in 10 of the last 11 years – and the birth rate in 2018 of 12 births for every 1,000 people was the lowest on record since at least the early 1930s.

Exactly how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the U.S. birth rate remains to be seen. To provide some historical context, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System to determine how many people were born every year since 1933. We also included population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau for each year as well as the most popular names from the Social Security Administration.

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• Births: 2,081,232

• Total population: 125,578,763

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1934

• Births: 2,167,636

• Total population: 126,373,773

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1935

• Births: 2,155,105

• Total population: 127,250,232

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1936

• Births: 2,144,790

• Total population: 128,053,180

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1937

• Births: 2,203,337

• Total population: 128,824,829

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1938

• Births: 2,286,962

• Total population: 129,824,939

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1939

• Births: 2,265,588

• Total population: 130,879,718

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

• Births: 2,360,399

• Total population: 132,122,446

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1941

• Births: 2,513,427

• Total population: 133,402,471

• Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1942

• Births: 2,808,996

• Total population: 134,859,553

• Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1943

• Births: 2,934,860

• Total population: 136,739,353

• Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1944

• Births: 2,794,800

• Total population: 138,397,345

• Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1945

• Births: 2,735,456

• Total population: 139,928,165

• Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1946

• Births: 3,288,672

• Total population: 141,388,566

• Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1947

• Births: 3,699,940

• Total population: 144,126,071

• Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

1948

• Births: 3,535,068

• Total population: 146,631,302

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

1949

• Births: 3,559,529

• Total population: 149,188,130

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

• Births: 3,554,149

• Total population: 152,271,417

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

1951

• Births: 3,750,850

• Total population: 154,877,889

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

1952

• Births: 3,846,986

• Total population: 157,552,740

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: James

• Most popular girl name: Linda

1953

• Births: 3,902,120

• Total population: 160,184,192

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Robert

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1954

• Births: 4,017,362

• Total population: 163,025,854

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1955

• Births: 4,047,295

• Total population: 165,931,202

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1956

• Births: 4,163,090

• Total population: 168,903,031

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1957

• Births: 4,254,784

• Total population: 171,984,130

• Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1958

• Births: 4,203,812

• Total population: 174,881,904

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1959

• Births: 4,244,796

• Total population: 177,829,628

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

• Births: 4,257,850

• Total population: 180,671,158

• Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: David

• Most popular girl name: Mary

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1961

• Births: 4,268,326

• Total population: 183,691,481

• Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Mary

1962

• Births: 4,167,362

• Total population: 186,537,737

• Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1963

• Births: 4,098,020

• Total population: 189,241,798

• Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1964

• Births: 4,027,490

• Total population: 191,888,791

• Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1965

• Births: 3,760,358

• Total population: 194,302,963

• Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1966

• Births: 3,606,274

• Total population: 196,560,338

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1967

• Births: 3,520,959

• Total population: 198,712,056

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1968

• Births: 3,501,564

• Total population: 200,706,052

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

1969

• Births: 3,600,206

• Total population: 202,676,946

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Lisa

• Births: 3,731,386

• Total population: 205,052,174

• Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1971

• Births: 3,555,970

• Total population: 207,660,677

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1972

• Births: 3,258,411

• Total population: 209,896,021

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1973

• Births: 3,136,965

• Total population: 211,908,788

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1974

• Births: 3,159,958

• Total population: 213,853,928

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1975

• Births: 3,144,198

• Total population: 215,973,199

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1976

• Births: 3,167,788

• Total population: 218,035,164

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1977

• Births: 3,326,632

• Total population: 220,239,425

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1978

• Births: 3,333,279

• Total population: 222,584,545

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1979

• Births: 3,494,398

• Total population: 225,055,487

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

• Births: 3,612,258

• Total population: 227,224,681

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1981

• Births: 3,629,238

• Total population: 229,465,714

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1982

• Births: 3,680,537

• Total population: 231,664,458

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1983

• Births: 3,638,933

• Total population: 233,791,994

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1984

• Births: 3,669,141

• Total population: 235,824,902

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jennifer

1985

• Births: 3,760,561

• Total population: 237,923,795

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1986

• Births: 3,756,547

• Total population: 240,132,887

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1987

• Births: 3,809,394

• Total population: 242,288,918

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1988

• Births: 3,909,510

• Total population: 244,498,982

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1989

• Births: 4,040,958

• Total population: 246,819,230

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

• Births: 4,158,212

• Total population: 249,464,396

• Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Ashley

1991

• Births: 4,110,907

• Total population: 252,153,092

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Ashley

1992

• Births: 4,065,014

• Total population: 255,029,699

• Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Ashley

1993

• Births: 4,000,240

• Total population: 257,782,608

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1994

• Births: 3,952,767

• Total population: 260,327,021

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1995

• Births: 3,899,589

• Total population: 262,803,276

• Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Jessica

1996

• Births: 3,891,494

• Total population: 265,228,572

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Emily

1997

• Births: 3,880,894

• Total population: 267,783,607

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Emily

1998

• Births: 3,941,553

• Total population: 270,248,003

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Michael

• Most popular girl name: Emily

1999

• Births: 3,959,417

• Total population: 272,690,813

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

• Births: 4,058,814

• Total population: 282,162,411

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2001

• Births: 4,025,933

• Total population: 284,968,955

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2002

• Births: 4,021,726

• Total population: 287,625,193

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2003

• Births: 4,089,950

• Total population: 290,107,933

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2004

• Births: 4,112,052

• Total population: 292,805,298

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2005

• Births: 4,138,349

• Total population: 295,516,599

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2006

• Births: 4,265,555

• Total population: 298,379,912

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2007

• Births: 4,316,233

• Total population: 301,231,207

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emily

2008

• Births: 4,247,694

• Total population: 304,093,966

• Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Emma

2009

• Births: 4,130,665

• Total population: 306,771,529

• Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Isabella

• Births: 3,999,386

• Total population: 309,346,863

• Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Isabella

2011

• Births: 3,953,590

• Total population: 311,718,857

• Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Sophia

2012

• Births: 3,952,841

• Total population: 314,102,623

• Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Jacob

• Most popular girl name: Sophia

2013

• Births: 3,932,181

• Total population: 316,427,395

• Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Noah

• Most popular girl name: Sophia

2014

• Births: 3,988,076

• Total population: 318,907,401

• Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Noah

• Most popular girl name: Emma

2015

• Births: 3,978,497

• Total population: 321,418,820

• Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Noah

• Most popular girl name: Emma

2016

• Births: 3,945,875

• Total population: 323,071,342

• Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Noah

• Most popular girl name: Emma

2017

• Births: 3,855,500

• Total population: 325,147,121

• Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Liam

• Most popular girl name: Emma

• Births: 3,791,712

• Total population: 327,167,439

• Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people

• Most popular boy name: Liam

• Most popular girl name: Emma

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Cast of Blues, wedding dress scare: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Huntsville: The state attorney general’s office is trying to revive its lawsuit over the removal of a Confederate monument from outside a courthouse in the city. The state claimed in court documents that a judge shouldn’t have dismissed the suit just because someone anonymously paid a $25,000 fine that was owed by Madison County for removing the statue nearly a year ago, WHNT-TV reports. Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office contends the county should be required to pay the penalty itself. A judge scheduled a hearing for Friday afternoon on the state’s bid to reinstate the lawsuit. The state sued the county last year seeking a $25,000 penalty that’s mandated under a state law that makes it illegal to remove or alter monuments. Madison County asked a judge to end the state’s suit after someone deposited $25,000 into a court account to pay the fine Aug. 27. The county says the money isn’t from taxpayers or Madison County but hasn’t said where it came from. Circuit Judge Claude Hundley dismissed the suit, but the state argues it needs to know who paid the fine to end the case. It also says the judge still needs to rule on its claim that Madison County broke the law by moving the monument, erected in 1905 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, to a city-owned cemetery.

Alaska

Newtok: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the pace of moving residents from a community threatened by erosion to another village, officials said. Money also has been an issue. Nine homes in the new village of Mertarvik that were started last year remain unfinished, and no one has moved from Newtok to Mertarvik since 2019, KYUK Public Media reports. Newtok had an estimated 220 residents last year. “We couldn’t get any cabinets because of this COVID thing,” said Phillip Carl, Newtok acting tribal administrator. Patrick LeMay, who is leading the building effort in Mertarvik, said shortages for materials have persisted. “We got 48 lights that are trapped somewhere in Tennessee floods, to finish the lighting. There’s a shortage of fire extinguishers in the nation,” LeMay said. “The supply chain has been a disaster.” Many of the workers building homes in Mertarvik are Newtok residents. LeMay said three workers from Newtok contracted COVID-19 in August. Many remaining laborers chose to stop working due to concerns about an outbreak, KYUK reports. Newtok recently experienced its biggest outbreak since the pandemic began, with 32 residents testing positive for the coronavirus last month. About 42% of its population is vaccinated. Meanwhile, Carl said Newtok has lost over 100 feet of its coast since April.

Arizona

Phoenix: State Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Tuesday that Tucson’s vaccine mandate for its employees is illegal, giving the city 30 days to repeal it or risk losing millions of dollars in state funding. Democratic-led Tucson has repeatedly clashed with the state’s Republican leadership over the city’s aggressive efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. City Manager Michael Ortega said he put the mandate on hold while Tucson develops its legal position in response to the attorney general’s decision. Brnovich, who is running for U.S. Senate in a crowded Republican primary, cited a state law approved this summer that bans local governments from mandating vaccines for employees, though it doesn’t take effect until later this month. He also cited an August executive order signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. “Adhering to the rule of law in Arizona is not optional,” Katie Conner, a spokeswoman for Brnovich, told reporters. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero suggested Brnovich’s decision was motivated by his Senate campaign. “This report reads more as a campaign speech filled with political commentary rather than a fact-based legal opinion,” the Democratic mayor said in a statement. City officials are reviewing their options, Romero said, and the next step will have to be decided by her and City Council.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state reported 38 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday as the capital city launched a new incentive program to boost vaccinations. The Department of Health said the state’s death toll from the pandemic now totals 7,108. The state reported 583 new coronavirus cases, and COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by eight to 1,228. Arkansas ranks 10th in the country for new cases per capita, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The state’s top health official has warned he expects to see a surge in cases following the Labor Day weekend, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday said he expected an increase as well. “We have fewer cases from the Labor Day weekend, but we’ll see the effects of the holiday weekend later this week and into the next,” Hutchinson tweeted. Little Rock launched its incentive program tied to vaccination clinics it is holding, starting Saturday at the Southwest Community Center. Those who get shots at these clinics will receive a $50 VISA Rewards Card from U.S. Bank for both their first and second doses of vaccine received at a participating clinic. Those who provide proof of having gotten a first vaccine dose elsewhere and choose to get their second dose at a participating clinic, or those who receive a single-dose vaccine at a participating clinic, can receive a $100 Rewards Card.

California

Sacramento: Lawmakers have moved to make the state the first to outlaw “stealthing,” which is removing a condom without permission during intercourse. Legislators sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill Tuesday adding the act to the state’s civil definition of sexual battery. It makes it illegal to remove the condom without obtaining verbal consent. But it doesn’t change the criminal code. Instead, it would amend the civil code so that a victim could sue the perpetrator for damages, including punitive damages. Democratic Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia has been pushing for the legislation since 2017, when a Yale University study said acts of stealthing were increasing against women and gay men alike. Her original bill attempted to make it a crime. But legislative analysts said at the time that the act could already be considered misdemeanor sexual battery, even if it isn’t specifically referenced in the criminal code. Even so, the analysts said it is rarely prosecuted, if only because of the difficulty in proving that a perpetrator acted intentionally instead of accidentally. Analysts this year said Garcia’s bill would remove any ambiguity in civil law. Garcia said the act can cause long-term physical and emotional harm to its victims.

Colorado

Denver: The city has closed Civic Center Park, one of its historic landmarks that has become a hot spot for homeless people to camp, because of safety and public health concerns, city officials said in a statement Tuesday. City officials said the park and surrounding areas have become a “hotspot for violence, crime, drug sales and substance misuse, jeopardizing the public’s ability to safely enjoy one of Denver’s treasured outdoor spaces.” Officials cited concerns about rodents, disease spread, impacts on water quality, discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia in a statement in which Mayor Michael B. Hancock said conditions had reached a “tipping point.” “This cannot and will not be allowed to continue,” Hancock said. The park was closed to the public starting Wednesday. Officials called it temporary but did not provide an exact date for its reopening. The city said it plans to restore the park’s greenery and historical stone structures that have been damaged by graffiti and fires and will require professional restoration. The park faces the state’s Capitol building and Lincoln Park, which was fenced off last summer after the city cleared a large camp of homeless people who were living there. Officials had cited health and safety concerns for issuing Lincoln Park’s cleanup, also referred to as “homeless sweeps” by local housing advocates.

Connecticut

Bridgeport: An independent investigator will look into allegations of racial discrimination within the police department including unfair discipline of Black officers and a hostile work environment, city officials said. The probe is in response to claims against acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia made by the Bridgeport Guardians, a group that represents minority officers on the force, Hearst Connecticut Media reports. City Council President Aidee Nieves said Bridgeport will be hiring an outside attorney to review the allegations. The Guardians, however, are continuing to insist that federal government officials investigate the department. Davon Polite, president of the Guardians, said there are concerns that city officials will hire a lawyer who will produce the results they want. “A federal investigation is the only way to get an impartial, fair investigation,” Polite said. The Guardians and the local NAACP branch recently requested federal oversight of the department and an investigation, alleging a widespread pattern of racial discrimination within the agency. The Guardians accuse Garcia of subjecting minority officers to disparate treatment and a hostile work environment. The group has called for her removal. The city police union voted no confidence in Garcia in March.

Delaware

Wilmington: A Chancery Court judge ruled protests may continue outside the house of Delaware Deputy Attorney General Mark Denney, denying the state’s request for a temporary restraining order. The proposed restrictions, made by the state Department of Justice after it perceived threats against the agency’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust head, sought to keep protesters 300 feet from Denney’s home. Demonstrators would also have to notify New Castle County Police at least 24 hours before they protested. In making her ruling Tuesday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick said there was not enough for her to go on to issue a temporary restraining order. She attributed that to the speed at which the proceedings were brought to her on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. But she said the motion to expedite the proceeding could move forward. A date for the next hearing was not provided. Keandra McDole Ray, one of the people targeted by the motion, viewed the ruling as a positive outcome for demonstrators, who have been protesting that Denney “do his job” in the matter of Lymond Moses – a 30-year-old man killed during a Jan. 13 interaction with New Castle County Police in Wilmington.

District of Columbia

Washington: One of the biggest rock bands in the world will take the stage at D.C.’s 9:30 Club on Thursday night as the final part of the venue’s reopening week celebration, WUSA-TV reports. The club, which had been teasing a surprise musical guest for a few weeks, posted on social media Wednesday that the Foo Fighters had been tapped to help welcome fans back. This won’t be the first venue Dave Grohl and company have helped to reopen from long pandemic-induced closures. Back in June, the band reopened New York’s Madison Square Garden with a little help from D.C. native Dave Chappelle. But the 9:30 Club has a special connection to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band’s leader. As a teenager, Grohl played drums in a band called Dane Bramage at the 9:30 Club. “As a kid growing up in the D.C. punk rock scene, your first show at the 9:30 Club might as well have been Royal Albert Hall or Madison Square Garden,” Grohl told the Washington Post in a 2010 article celebrating the venue’s 30th anniversary. The 9:30 Club is one of several D.C. venues requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of an event.

Florida

Islamorada: A 148-year-old Florida Keys lighthouse could get a new life now that a community organization is poised to take ownership and begin a massive preservation project. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has approved a recommendation from the National Park Service that Islamorada-based Friends of the Pool Inc. be granted ownership of Alligator Reef Lighthouse under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. The nonprofit announced the approval Tuesday. “Alligator Reef Lighthouse has stood since 1873,” project organizer Rob Dixon said. “It’s an important part of Islamorada’s local history. It’s our Statue of Liberty and needs to be saved.” Dixon said the restoration project is likely to take five to seven years and cost up to $9 million. “We’re going to need a lot of fundraising help and a lot of technical help,” he said. Friends of the Pool hosts an annual 8-mile swimming race to the offshore lighthouse and back to fund collegiate scholarships. The effort to save the lighthouse and start the “Swim for Alligator Lighthouse” event was conceived by Larry Herlth, a local metal artisan who created detailed replicas of Alligator Reef Lighthouse and other Keys lighthouses. “The six lighthouses off the Florida Keys are the biggest collection of iron piling lighthouses anywhere in the world,” Herlth said. “The history is just phenomenal.”

Georgia

Atlanta: A metro-area school district is switching to virtual learning, after two school bus drivers and a bus monitor died from COVID-19 in recent weeks. The 9,700-student Griffin-Spalding County school system, on the southern fringe of suburban Atlanta, made the announcement late Monday, citing a disruption in student transportation. Districts across Georgia are struggling to line up enough drivers and monitors to keep buses running. In Savannah, some bus drivers staged a sickout for the second day Tuesday after a similar protest Friday. At least 210,000 Georgia students in 54 districts and charter networks have had their school schedules disrupted because of COVID-19. Some districts have taken days off, some shifted to every-other-day schedules, and some sent home individual schools or grades. That’s over 12% of Georgia’s 1.7 million public school students. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals remains above 6,000, the highest level since the start of the pandemic. The number of newly reported deaths continues to rise sharply, with Georgia currently averaging more than 80 deaths a day, totaling more than 23,000 since the pandemic began. More than 34,000 coronavirus cases have been reported among children ages 5-17 in the two weeks ended Sept. 2, state Department of Public Health data shows.

Hawaii

Honolulu: A resort in the famed tourist mecca of Waikiki will be the first in the state to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all employees and guests. Starting Oct. 15, ’Alohilani Resort will require its employees, patrons and guests to show proof they’re fully inoculated. The requirement will also apply to the six other Waikiki properties owned or operated by Highgate, a real estate investment and hospitality management company. It’s the right thing to do as Hawaii grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations because of the highly contagious delta variant, said Kelly Sanders, senior vice president of operations at Highgate Hawaii. There were an average of 706 newly confirmed infection cases per day across Hawaii between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5 across Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health. Hawaii’s vaccination rate was 64%. “So I think we will be the safest hotel in Hawaii, at least for now,” Sanders said Wednesday. “And hopefully that helps our business and doesn’t hurt our business.” John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, called the move a step in a the right direction and said he hopes other hotels follow suit.

Idaho

Boise: The state’s move to “crisis standards of care” is allowing some hospitals to ration health care as they struggle with an onslaught of coronavirus patients, and officials are warning the procedures could spread statewide. But the main hospital affected by the designation was already operating under extreme conditions, officials said. “Unfortunately we haven’t been really at our normal standards for some time,” said Dr. Robert Scoggins, the chief of staff for Kootenai Health, the largest hospital system in the northern half of the state. The Coeur d’Alene facility has had to move patients into a conference center, “doing things that were not normal – way outside of normal – at times,” Scoggins said. Newly confimed coronavirus infection cases are surging, and Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. At Kootenai Health, some patients are treated in converted lobbies and hallways. Urgent surgeries are on hold, and critical patients must often wait long periods of time for intensive care beds, Scoggins said. “Almost every day at this point we are having cardiac arrest from patients when their oxygen levels dip too low, and we can’t supply them with enough oxygen,” he said. An entire floor of the hospital has been turned into a COVID-19 ward, meaning medical staffers must put on full protective gear before they enter the floor.

Illinois

Chicago: Former U.S. Sen. Adlai Stevenson III has died at his home on Chicago’s North Side. He was 90. His son Adlai Stevenson IV, who confirmed the Illinois Democrat died Monday, said his father had dementia. Before his health declined, Stevenson kept active organizing presentations and speakers for the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy in Libertyville, Illinois. He also worked on the family farm in Hanover, Illinois, raising cattle, growing corn and hay for their feed, and chopping wood. “He just faded away,” his son said. Stevenson ran for governor of Illinois twice, losing his 1982 run by just 5,074 votes to Republican Gov. Jim Thompson – the closest election for governor in modern Illinois history. Stevenson was the great-grandson of former Vice President Adlai Stevenson, who served in the role for the second of President Grover Cleveland’s nonconsecutive terms. His father, Adlai Stevenson II, was a former Illinois governor and two-time presidential candidate. When running for the Senate, where he was first elected in 1970 to serve out the remainder of the late Sen. Everett Dirksen’s term, the third Stevenson asked then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley for advice. “My advice to you is don’t change your name,” Daley told him, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Stevenson was reelected in 1974 but decided not to run again in 1980.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The Indiana Secured School Safety Board has approved more than $19 million in state grants, marking a third consecutive year the General Assembly has allocated funds for school safety investments. The awards will allow the board to fund projects proposed by 392 schools in their applications to the Secured School Safety Grant program. The program issues matching grants for school resource officers and law enforcement officers in schools, active event warning systems, firearms training for teachers and staff, threat assessments, and other safety technology and support services. Schools then match those funds at a certain level, based on average daily membership of the school district, the total amount of the project or what the request covers. “Hoosier students and staff should be able to go to school with the confidence and comfort of knowing they are safe and protected from harm. This program represents the state’s commitment to that mission,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement. The allocation of funds for the fiscal year includes roughly $13.4 million for school resource officers, $4.9 million for safety equipment, $642,000 for student and parent support services programs, $43,000 for active event warning services, and $6,200 for training.

Iowa

Marshalltown: The city’s public schools will become the new owners of the historic Orpheum Theater for the basement-bargain price of $1. Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a letter of intent to buy the theater on Main Street, the Times-Republican reports. The school district will pay the current owners, Iowa Valley Community College District, $1 for the building at closing. The closing date has been set for June 16 or sooner. The school board also approved a $20,000 purchase of a parking lot immediately east of the theater. The Orpheum closed last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa Valley Community College District Chancellor Kristie Fisher said her school views the sale as more of a transfer of property from one school to another, and she’s proud the theater will remain an educational facility. “We knew it was a great community asset and so important to the greater Marshall County community that we wanted to make sure we were maximizing it,” Fisher said. She said that while the $1 sale doesn’t appear to be a money-maker for the community college district, it will save the institution the costs of operating the theater, freeing up funds for other priorities. The downtown Orpheum Theater was built in 1948.

Kansas

Wichita: After months of advocacy by activists, the City Council has voted to establish a board to advise the council and city staff on environmental concerns, climate change and economic vitality. The council voted unanimously Tuesday to support Wichita’s Sustainability Integration Board, which will advise in such areas as reducing emissions and finding economic growth that is environmentally friendly. The council had listened to 27 Wichita citizens during the past six months who spoke about climate change concerns, The Wichita Eagle reports. As currently planned, the board will have 14 members and meet quarterly. Some of the advocates and some council members said the board was too big and should meet more often. The board will be able to create its own bylaws and procedures, including determining how often members meet. “I think this is a great first step forward, and I don’t think we should let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said.

Kentucky

Frankfort: Republican lawmakers took initial steps Tuesday to block statewide mask mandates, showing their preference for local decision-making on the issue as they reconvened for a special session to assert their dominance in shaping Kentucky’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a daylong burst of action, a Senate committee advanced a measure to nullify the state school board’s requirement that anyone in a public K-12 school wear a mask. The bill would leave it up to local school boards to decide face-covering policies for their districts. A House panel advanced another bill to prevent the governor from issuing any new statewide orders requiring mask-wearing. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear previously used a mask mandate to combat the coronavirus’ spread. He lifted it but has said he would have reinstituted a requirement to counter a recent COVID-19 surge if he still had the authority. The session marks a dramatic power shift in coronavirus-related policymaking in the Bluegrass State. Since the pandemic hit Kentucky, Beshear mostly acted unilaterally in setting statewide virus policies, but the state Supreme Court shifted those decisions to the Legislature in a landmark ruling. Dozens of school districts have paused in-person learning because of virus outbreaks as the state sets records for new cases and hospitalizations.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: State health officials said Tuesday that they are revoking the licenses of nursing homes that evacuated residents to a warehouse where seven died amid deteriorating conditions deemed too squalid to be safe after Hurricane Ida. The seven homes – all owned by one person – “clearly failed to execute their emergency preparedness plans to provide essential care and services to their residents,” Department of Health Secretary Courtney Phillips said in a statement. Authorities found some nursing home residents lying on mattresses on the floor, without food or clean clothes, and detected strong odors of urine and feces throughout the warehouse, located in the town of Independence. Piles of trash were on the floor. Water entered the building, and generators at least temporarily failed, according to officials. Health department lawyer Stephen Russo called the conditions “inhumane.” State health officials and Attorney General Jeff Landry have launched investigations into the deaths. A police official said the Tangipahoa Parish warehouse was equipped to handle 300 to 500 people but ultimately took in more than 800. Officials said the owner, Bob Dean, failed to contact them for help and threw inspectors from the agency off the property when they arrived to review the conditions onsite after receiving reports of problems.

Maine

Augusta: The late founder of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center has become the first Black Mainer to be inducted in the state’s Franco-American Hall of Fame. Alain Jean Claude Nahimana, who died at age 49 last year, was one of three people inducted posthumously during the ceremony Tuesday at the Maine State House. The son of a Burundi ambassador who fled political turmoil, Nahimana was educated in Burundi and Switzerland before moving to Maine in 2010. He served as the president of the Burundi Community Association and as coordinator of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition before launching the immigrant welcome center. There were a dozen inductees, including former House Speaker John Martin, of Eagle Lake, and state Sen. Susan Deschambault, of Biddeford. Dignitaries who attended the event included the French ambassador to the United States, Phillippe Etienne, along with Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau. Gov. Janet Mills, who studied abroad for a year in Paris as a college student, delivered remarks in both French and English. She noted that more than a third of Maine residents have a Franco heritage.

Maryland

Annapolis: A commission on congressional and state legislative redistricting has announced 12 public hearings. Ten of the hearings will be held in different parts of the state. The first will be Sept. 20, and the last is scheduled for Nov. 18. There also will be two statewide virtual hearings. The panel, which includes leading Democrats who control the General Assembly as well as two Republican legislative leaders, will draw maps for the state’s eight congressional districts as well as the 188 seats in the Legislature, based on new census data. Maryland’s current congressional map has been criticized as having some of the most gerrymandered and oddly-shaped districts in the nation. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Democrats hold a 7-1 advantage in its U.S. House delegation. Karl Aro, the former executive director of the Maryland Department of Legislative Services who is chairing the commission, said the geography should look “prettier” this time in how the maps are drawn. He noted that in the past “things have gotten pretty free-hand-drawing like.” Aro said he’s hopeful people will not feel like their communities have been “carved 16 different ways.”

Massachusetts

Boston: A shortage of bus drivers in the city’s public schools has been raising concern among parents who fear some students could be left behind when the district starts a new year Thursday. Acting Mayor Kim Janey and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius have told families to expect significant delays or bus cancellations, but details were not being provided to families until Thursday morning, The Boston Globe reports. The shortage is so severe that a union for bus drivers last week urged the district to postpone the start of classes. The district’s bus fleet was short more than 60 drivers at the time, and few had been added by this week. Families and advocates worry some students could end up stranded at home or at bus stops Thursday. The Boston Special Education Parent Advisory Council has raised concerns about students who need special education services including door-to-door transportation or individual bus monitors. “I honestly don’t know what to expect now and am concerned for families that don’t have the work flexibility, income, or resources to secure alternative transportation,” said Roxi Harvey, who chairs the council.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday proposed spending $200 million in federal pandemic relief funding to replace lead water pipes across the state, where aging underground infrastructure was exposed by Flint’s disaster. The plan, if approved by the Legislature, would set aside $20 million to replace all the lines in Benton Harbor in five years. The majority-Black city in the state’s southwestern corner has been exceeding the federal lead limit since 2018. That year, Michigan began enforcing the nation’s strictest rules for lead in drinking water in the wake of the crisis in Flint, another impoverished city with a majority-Black population. The regulations will result in replacing every lead service pipe statewide by 2041 unless a utility can show regulators it will take longer. The proposal would expand upon a water plan Whitmer announced nearly a year ago, including $102 million to replace lead service lines in disadvantaged communities. In June, Republicans who control the Senate unveiled a $2.5 billion water infrastructure proposal that would be funded primarily with federal COVID-19 aid. Their plan includes $600 million for pipe replacements, triple what the governor is seeking. Whitmer said more money is needed to replace all pipes but noted an infrastructure agenda pending in Congress.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: A prominent GOP donor who is charged with multiple counts of sex trafficking is now being sued by an underage girl who says he used her for sex acts, then offered her money to keep her from talking about it. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court alleges that Anton Lazzaro’s attorneys offered $1,000 in hush money to the girl and her parents to keep them quiet and asked them to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The girl’s father refused and instead went to law enforcement, said their attorney, Jeff Anderson. The lawsuit, which also lists the girl’s parents as plaintiffs, alleges Lazzaro used his “power, wealth, influence, connections, and resources to recruit children … so that he could prey on them. When it became clear that Lazzaro had committed serious crimes, he attempted to coerce his victims and their families into keeping silent.” Lazzaro, 30, was charged in August with five counts of sex trafficking of minors, one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and three counts of obstruction. His attorney has said he is being falsely accused. St. Thomas University student Gisela Castro Medina, 19, the former chairwoman of the school’s Republican Party chapter, also faces criminal charges for allegedly recruiting girls for Lazzaro.

Mississippi

Hattiesburg: An exhibit about blues legends and juke joints is opening soon, designed to appeal to the eyes, hands and ears. A Cast of Blues will be on display starting Saturday and running through Oct. 9 at the Historic Eureka School in Hattiesburg. It features 15 resin-cast masks of blues legends and photographs of blues performers and juke joints made by Mississippi artists. Sharon McConnell-Dickerson created the resin-cast masks, and the photographs were taken by Ken Murphy. McConnell-Dickerson, who is visually impaired, said the casts are like 3-D photographs for people who are blind. “It captures the flesh, muscle, bone, hair and subtle expressions of emotion,” she said. “I wanted to discover the faces behind the music I love, so I went to Mississippi to map out the visages of the real Delta blues men and women.” The exhibit features Braille labels, a music playlist and a closed-captioned film about the Cast of Blues project. Visitors are encouraged to touch the masks, McConnell-Dickerson said. Among the artists spotlighted are Bo Diddley and Bobby Rush. The exhibit is also accompanied by the 2008 documentary film “M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues.”

Missouri

St. Louis: Several people have been treated in emergency rooms after taking the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, even as experts warn of dangerous side effects and a lack of proof that it helps treat COVID-19. Dr. Steven Brown told KMOV-TV that cases of ivermectin toxicity have occurred at Mercy hospitals across the state. “People who are relying upon ivermectin and remaining unvaccinated are under a tremendous false sense of security,” Brown said. “I have seen people with ivermectin toxicity in the emergency room from taking the animal formulation. I’ve seen people who relied on ivermectin to prevent themselves from getting COVID who are on ventilators and who have died.” This week, the American Medical Association and two pharmacist groups urged physicians, pharmacists and other prescribers to warn patients against using ivermectin, a decades-old drug used to killed worms and other parasites in humans and animals. Large studies are underway in the U.S. and overseas to determine if the drug has any effect on preventing or reducing the effects of COVID-19. Ivermectin has been promoted by GOP lawmakers, conservative talk show hosts and some doctors, amplified via social media to millions still resistant to vacines. It has also been widely used in some other countries such as India and Brazil.

Montana

Helena: The state’s Republican attorney general is asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood last month seeking to block four new laws that would restrict access to abortion in the state. The laws, set to take effect Oct. 1, would ban abortion after 20 weeks of gestation; restrict access to abortion pills; require abortion providers to ask patients if they would like to view an ultrasound; and prohibit insurance plans that cover abortion procedures from being offered on the federal exchange. The lawsuit filed in Yellowstone District Court names Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen as a defendant. The state is represented in the case by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group. The state asked Tuesday for the court to reject Planned Parenthood’s request to block the laws before they take effect, saying the laws will “help minimize the medical risks” during pregnancy. But medical experts and abortion advocates broadly dispute that the new laws would make the procedure safer. The suit claims the laws violate the Montana Constitution, which protects access to abortion before the fetus is viable, generally at 24 weeks gestation. It says the laws will reduce the number of locations where abortion services are offered and threaten providers with civil and criminal penalties.

Nebraska

Omaha: A segment of the Henry Doorly Zoo was cleared out and visitors were warned to remain inside buildings after a 5,000-pound rhinoceros briefly escaped its enclosure, officials there confirmed. The incident happened Tuesday afternoon, when zookeepers spotted an Indian rhino named Jontu outside his enclosure grazing on grass in an area adjacent to the rhino barn that’s not open to the public, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Visitors were asked to leave the area or shelter in buildings, and the zoo’s carousel and aviary were cleared of guests as a precaution. Dan Cassidy, the zoo’s vice president of animal management, said staff quickly pulled in trucks to serve as a barricade around the area to keep the rhino from wandering and used apples and leafy greens to lure him back in the barn. In all, the rhino was outside the enclosure for about 40 minutes, Cassidy said. The animal never showed any signs of aggression while outside the barn, and the public was not in danger, Cassidy said. Vets were on hand with tranquilizer guns to be used as a last resort if needed. Zoo officials believe Jontu used his nose to push open a latch on a door that wasn’t locked properly. Cassidy said staff will critique the process of corralling the rhino and are considering changing the lock on the door from which he escaped.

Nevada

Las Vegas: The president of the school board for metro Las Vegas says she’s received death threats since the district approved a requirement for employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Clark County School District Board of Trustees President Linda Cavazos said on Twitter that the threats had “very disturbing images” but that she and her colleagues were continuing to do their jobs, KVVU-TV reports. “We have no time for hate,” she said. The district board voted Sept. 1 for a vaccination requirement that the district superintendent will draft and implement. The district hasn’t yet released details of the mandate. As approved by the board, the plan will include a process for requesting accommodations for medical conditions or for sincerely held religious beliefs. Amid talk of a protest against the mandate, the district said Tuesday that staff member absences were about double from the day after Labor Day in 2019. The district said the callouts accounted for less than 5% of the CCSD workforce and noted that staff could have called out for a variety of reasons.

New Hampshire

Stratham: A family that lost a nearly 185-year-old barn on their farm that’s been the backdrop for political events for Republican politicians has sunflowers in the spot for now and recently celebrated a grand reopening. The fire burned down a four-story, 80-foot-long barn at the Scamman Farm in Stratham in May. “It’s just so beautiful, and we’ve been getting a lot of phone calls through the summer asking if they can come take photos in the sunflower patch,” farm manager Sue Fernholz said. “It shows that there’s beauty in life after tragedy.” Fernholz said the sunflowers were planted to pay tribute to the sister of a family friend who died last year. The farm, which reopened last week, also features corn mazes, hayrides, pumpkin patch and other attractions. The family still plans to rebuild the barn once two other buildings are repaired. “We’re going to take the winter to figure out what our needs are (for the new barn),” Kirk Scamman said. Former Presidents George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, had visited the farm. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, launched his campaign there, and Republican Scott Brown announced his U.S. Senate run there in 2014.

New Jersey

Fair Lawn: One school district is getting creative with ways to allow students to get mask-free fresh air during the day. The Fair Lawn district has set up 32 tents at its 10 schools for outdoor lunch, and at Fair Lawn High School, two additional tents are available for outdoor classes, said Superintendent Nicholas Norcia. The first day of school last Friday had a delayed start because of flooding, and the schools have been closed this week until Thursday for the Rosh Hashana holiday. The principals will be working with teachers to determine a schedule for outdoor classrooms so that everyone can get a chance to use them, Norcia said. On Friday, Norcia visited a few schools. “The students were excited to be outside in beautiful weather, eating lunch,” he said. “They were having the best time ever, and it was so great to see.” As of now, the schedule will allow for half the students to eat lunch outside while the other half are inside, and they will rotate. While in the tents, students don’t need to wear masks, Norcia said. Meanwhile, some school districts along the Jersey shore have been lifting mask mandates, citing excessive heat and insufficient air conditioning in classrooms.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: An expansion of nonmerit scholarships to college and greater spending to safeguard abandoned oil wells in the state are among the governor’s new spending priorities, amid a windfall in income linked to federal pandemic relief and petroleum production. September marks the outset of the Legislature’s grueling budget-writing process for the year beginning July 1, 2022. Several executive agencies overseen by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham are making the case for expanded services. Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said Tuesday that the inclination is to “aim high” and “make the most of the opportunity we have to finish the work of rebuilding state government services after so many years of forced austerity.” The Human Services Department is suggesting a $100 million spending increase on Medicaid and related mental health services alone, for total annual general fund spending of $1.26 billion on the program. State income for the coming fiscal year is expected to outpace routine annual spending obligations by $1.4 billion, or 19% of annual general fund spending obligations. That leaves lawmakers more money than ever before to spend on education, roads, public safety and other government programs.

New York

New York: The remains of two people who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center were positively identified this week, as officials continued the difficult and heart-wrenching task of returning victims to their families. The announcement came days before the 20th anniversary of an attack that killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked commercial jets flew into the twin towers, struck the Pentagon and crashed into a Pennsylvania meadow. “No matter how much time passes since Sept. 11, 2001, we will never forget, and we pledge to use all the tools at our disposal to make sure all those who were lost can be reunited with their families,” said Dr. Barbara A. Sampson, the chief medical examiner of the city of New York. Technicians in the medical examiner’s office have been working for years to match thousands of body fragments recovered from the World Trade Center rubble with known victims but haven’t been able to extract useable DNA in many cases. The identifications announced Tuesday were the first since October 2019. One set of remains was linked to Dorothy Morgan, of Hempstead, New York, who was a broker for Marsh & McLennan. Officials also matched remains recovered in 2001, 2002 and 2006 to a single victim, whose family asked that his name be withheld.

North Carolina

Raleigh: President Joe Biden approved a request Wednesday for federal funds to be made available to residents of western North Carolina who saw major flooding last month due to Tropical Storm Fred. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper sought the emergency declaration for federal assistance to seven counties nearly two weeks ago. “This federal disaster declaration will help provide assistance for Western North Carolina communities to rebuild stronger and smarter, and I appreciate the president’s approval of our request,” Cooper said in a statement. The storm claimed the lives of six people in Haywood County, caused major damage to more than 200 homes and led to nearly $19 million in estimated damages to public infrastructure. The Cruso community was among those hardest-hit by the flooding. Wednesday’s approval from Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency frees up money to residents of Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties. State, tribal and eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations also qualify for federal funds on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work performed in the three areas, as well as Avery, Madison, Watauga and Yancey counties.

North Dakota

Fargo: State health officials took to an internet town hall Tuesday to promote certain treatments for COVID-19 and discourage use of an anti-parasitic medicine. Ivermectin has a limited scope for human treatment, sometimes prescribed for worms, scabies and head lice. It is more popular in veterinary form as a treatment for parasitic infections and infestations in cows and horses. North Dakota health officials say data on ivermectin sickness is limited, and poison control has only documented a couple of such cases. But Dr. Joshua Ranum of West River Regional Medical Center said the stories are out there. “The ivermectin issue is interesting,” Ranum said. “We of course live out in farm and ranch country. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that the cows didn’t get their full dose of ivermectin because some of it accidentally went down the hatch.” The veterinary form of ivermectin has high concentrations of the drug because of the high body mass of horses and cows. Adverse effects in humans include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, coma and death. There are better and safer options, according to Ranum and state Health Department spokesman Kirby Kruger. They pointed to monoclonal antibody drugs, steroids and antivirals like remdesivir.

Ohio

Columbus: Republican lawmakers plan to unveil their version of a newly drawn map of legislative districts Thursday morning, with a vote planned later in the day on a final version, the state Senate president said. The Ohio Redistricting Commission, charged with drawing a map good for as long as 10 years, missed its Sept. 1 deadline, triggering an extension until the middle of the month. Senate Democrats submitted their proposed map last week. The map to be presented Thursday morning was created by House and Senate Republicans, said Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima. Some of the GOP map is almost identical to the Senate Democrats’ version, he said. The commission will vote on a final version of its proposed map Thursday afternoon, Huffman said. The commission held nine public hearings around the state earlier this month looking for input on a new map, which is meant to end the current gerrymandered maps. Voters approved constitutional amendments in 2015 and 2018 that created a new process for drawing both state legislative and congressional district maps this year and set up the independent commission. Creating a 10-year map requires a majority vote of the commission, including both Democrats. Creating a four-year map requires a simple majority without both Democrats.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt has removed the only two physicians from the board that oversees the state’s Medicaid agency, just a week after the board voted 7-1 to delay implementing rules on Stitt’s plan to privatize some Medicaid services. Dr. Jean Hausheer said Tuesday that both she and Dr. Laura Shamblin, an Oklahoma City pediatrician, were informed Saturday by a staffer in the governor’s office that they were being removed from the governing board of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Hausheer, an ophthalmologist from Lawton, said neither she nor Shamblin was told why they were being removed, and Stitt spokeswoman Carly Atchison didn’t immediately respond to questions about his decision. “The governor has my cellphone number … it is kind of odd that he didn’t contact me himself,” Hausheer said. “I’m going to presume it was because of our last board meeting.” Hausheer and Shamblin were among seven members of the board who voted last week to delay implementing rules on Stitt’s plan to outsource case management for some Medicaid recipients to private insurance companies. Stitt’s managed care proposal has faced bipartisan opposition in the Legislature and was ruled unconstitutional in June by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Oregon

Portland: Because of new guidance, city officials may need to exempt the police bureau from an order that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs. The city attorney’s office said Tuesday that the order requiring police to be inoculated is now legally dubious because of new guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports. Under state law, local municipalities can only issue vaccine mandates for police officers if a federal or state rule requires it. The city believed Gov. Kate Brown’s vaccination mandate issued last month for state health care workers covered officers because they receive some medical training. But the new guidance related to Brown’s vaccine mandate said law enforcement was “probably not” subject to the governor’s orders, as providing medical care was “likely not a fundamental part of their job.” The city’s police union previously said a vaccine requirement would lead to mass resignations. The Portland Police Bureau has said it does not track vaccination rates for its officers. The city as of Tuesday had not publicly announced any change in policy regarding the vaccination mandate. Multnomah County, like Portland, has ordered all employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 18, including the sheriff’s office.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: A statewide mask mandate for schools went into effect Tuesday, with some districts in open defiance of the Wolf administration, while GOP leaders in the state House planned to come back to Harrisburg early to mount a legislative response. The state health secretary’s order that students, staff and visitors at K-12 schools and child care facilities are required to wear masks while indoors, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, has provoked outrage from some parents, students and school board members who say the decision should remain local. Some districts faced anti-mask protests as students returned to class after the long Labor Day weekend. Meanwhile, the Tamaqua Area School Board in Schuylkill County flouted the mask mandate by voting to keep face coverings optional. The superintendent of Hamburg Area School District in Berks County said masks would remain optional pending the outcome of a special school board meeting to discuss the statewide mandate. Late Tuesday, the board voted 5-3 to adhere to the Department of Health order and require masks, WFMZ reports. In central Pennsylvania, the Central York School Board expressed disdain for the mask mandate and said it would give a “grace period” for students to come into compliance.

Rhode Island

Providence: Local police organizations are questioning Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s judgment after he hired a civilian with no experience in law enforcement to be the city’s first-ever police major instead of considering the Black officers who applied for the position. Elorza chose Michael Stephens, who has no experience in law enforcement, aside from graduating from the citizens academy in 2016. Stephens was a recreation director and NCAA referee before his appointment as police major, The Boston Globe reports. The National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers Chairman Charles Wilson said the mayor’s decision in appointing a civilian without experience over qualified Black law enforcement officers was demeaning. Stephens is also Black. Stephens will manage oversight on police training and be responsible for the recruitment and training of police recruits. According to Wilson, three Black officers applied for the major’s position. The mayor chose Elorza instead. Providence City Council President John Igliozzi proposed that the mayor change the job title from police major to public safety community-police liaison because of the backlash from the police organizations.

South Carolina

Charleston: Authorities shut down a road for more than an hour Tuesday to investigate a bomb threat that turned out to be a wedding dress, Charleston Police said. Someone who saw a woman cram an oversized package into a mailbox called 911, Charleston Police spokesman Charles Francis said in a statement. Officers responded and determined the package contained a wedding dress that a woman was trying to return by mail, Francis said. The road was reopened after more than an hour. The statement did not say if the wedding dress was damaged.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: The City Council has capped the number of retail stores that can sell medical marijuana at five. The council signed off Tuesday night on a proposal coming from Mayor Paul TenHaken’s office. But council members halved the $100,000 license fee that City Hall wanted and will allow the licenses to be sold on the secondary market. “The Sioux Falls City Council, by making a license worth $50,000 and transferrable, has just made dispensary licenses into liquor licenses,” Drew Duncan, a Sioux Falls attorney and lobbyist for clients in South Dakota’s gambling and alcohol industry, said via social media following the 7-1 vote. A new liquor license in Sioux Falls costs about $200,000, but a state-set cap on the number of them has driven up the price on the secondary market to $300,000 or higher. TenHaken and supporters of barring the transfer of dispensary licenses worry that allowing them to be sold on the secondary market will give them an artificial value, just as has happened with liquor licenses. But the majority of the council decided without allowing a license to be owned outright, the city’s medical marijuana rules would unduly restrict a retailer’s ability to grow their business.

Tennessee

Nashville: A panel has approved $65 million in state incentives for Oracle Corp. as the company plans to bring 8,500 jobs and an investment topping $1 billion to the fast-growing capital city over the coming decade. The State Funding Board’s approval of the FastTrack grant came during a meeting Tuesday. In April, Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office announced that the Austin, Texas-based computer technology company plans to build the new campus with 1.2 million square feet of office space. Documents show the jobs will have an average salary of $110,000. Oracle paid $254 million for 60 acres and is offering $175 million upfront for public infrastructure, including a pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River, environmental cleanup, a sewer pump station and a riverfront park, the mayor’s office has said. Half of Oracle’s future property taxes – which the company estimates will be roughly $18 million annually when the project is fully built – would reimburse the company for the upfront investment, without interest payments, with the other half going into the city’s general operating fund, Cooper’s office has said. The move would surpass the expansion of Amazon, which in 2018 announced it would bring 5,000 jobs through a $230 million investment.

Texas

Dallas: Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday defended a new state law banning most abortions that also does not provide exceptions for cases of rape or incest, saying it does not force victims to give birth – even though it prohibits abortions before many women know they’re pregnant. Abbott, a Republican, said Texas would strive to “eliminate all rapists from the streets” while taking questions during his first press conference since the law took effect last week. The comments drew new criticism from opponents of the biggest curb on abortion in the U.S. since the medical procedure was legalized a half-century ago. The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually about six weeks into a pregnancy. Though abortion providers in Texas say the law is unconstitutional, they say they are abiding by it. “His comments are confusing to me because they certainly do not seem to reflect the realities of this law,” said Amy Jones, the chief executive officer of the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center. Recent surveys by the U.S. Department of Justice found that most rapes go unreported to police. “Certainly it is in our mission statement to work to end sexual violence – that is why we exist – but we are also very aware that that is an aspirational goal that yes, we do believe that this is a preventable crime, but it if it were that easy, rape would no longer exist,” Jones said.

Utah

Brian Head: In the midst of record tourism statewide, Gov. Spencer Cox helped park staff and charity partners break ground Tuesday on a new visitor center at Cedar Breaks National Monument. The center has been a decade in the making, built with a combined $6 million in funds from fees, donations, and funding from Iron County, the National Park Service, the Zion Forever Project charity and organizations. Superintendent Kathleen Gondor did a “happy dance” as she opened the groundbreaking ceremony near the popular Point Supreme overlook, which is currently closed to the public because of the construction. “It’s just going to give us that sense of place instead of a bunch of pullouts along the road,” she said, echoing a sentiment that Cedar Breaks is a “drive-thru” park. Cox said there was “every right to be excited,” and he was glad to see partnerships work as visitation soars in the lesser-known park. “So many people even in Utah don’t know about it, still,” he said. “Americans are rediscovering America, and Utahns are rediscovering Utah.” But with increased visitors comes an increased responsibility to make sure those visitors have a good experience and recreate responsibly, something Cox said he hopes the visitor center will help people to do.

Vermont

Waterbury: Three state troopers who are accused of being involved in a scheme to create fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards have resigned, state police said Tuesday. Troopers Shawn Sommers and Raymond Witkowski resigned Aug. 10, a day after a fellow trooper told supervisors about the alleged scheme. Trooper David Pfindel resigned Sept. 3 following further investigation, according to a state police news release. The three ex-troopers are suspected of having varying roles in the making of fraudulent vaccination cards, according to the release. “The accusations in this case involve an extraordinary level of misconduct – a criminal violation of the law – and I could not be more upset and disappointed,” Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, said in the release. “If these allegations are proved to be true, it is reprehensible that state troopers would manipulate vaccination cards in the midst of a pandemic, when being vaccinated is one of the most important steps anyone can take to keep their community safe from COVID-19.” Sommers and Witkowski both joined the Vermont State Police in July 2016. Pfindel was hired in January 2014, police said. Federal authorities are investigating the allegations.

Virginia

Danville: A part of southside Virginia that has relatively lower rates of vaccination against COVID-19 is seeing increasing interest in the shots. The Danville Register & Bee reports that it appears the most recent surge in infections has spurred more residents to roll up their sleeves in the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. Data from the Virginia Department of Health shows that inoculations jumped about 50% in August compared to July. Nearly two-thirds of the almost 5,700 shots were first doses. “Numbers of vaccinations are increasing as of late, which we welcome and consider a positive step by the community,” Dr. Scott Spillmann, director of the local health district, told the newspaper. “We ask everyone who is not yet fully vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.” Southside Virginia trails the rest of the state when it comes to vaccination rates. As of Friday, 51% of adults in Danville were fully inoculated. In Pittsylvania County, 47% of adults were fully vaccinated. Statewide, more than two-thirds of adults have received a full COVID-19 vaccine series. Meanwhile, Danville and Pittsylvania County combined are seeing about 52 new coronavirus infections a day because of the delta variant.

Washington

Longview: A recent increase in COVID-19 deaths has overwhelmed a southwest Washington county’s storage capacity, prompting the coroner to ask the commissioners to declare an emergency to allow the county to bring in a refrigeration trailer. Cowlitz County commissioners agreed Tuesday to the request to help expand capacity until the new morgue is ready for staff to move into in about a month. The Daily News reports Cowlitz County Health and Human Services data for the past week is incomplete, but at least eight county residents died due to COVID-19 between Aug. 31 and Sept. 6. The residents ranged in age from their 40s to 90s, and seven of the residents had been hospitalized. Coroner Tim Davidson said the morgue and the county’s funeral homes are maxed out on capacity, and they are “being creative” to maintain cold storage. All together, the facilities can typically hold 45 bodies and right now have about 65, he said. “We’re just doing our best that we can to preserve the dignity of the deceased from this point forward until they can be processed for their families,” Davidson said. The morgue can hold 10 bodies but is currently “way above that,” using gurney tables in the cooling rooms to handle the increase, he said. The new morgue under construction will be able to hold 50 in cold storage.

West Virginia

Fayetteville: The state’s largest annual festival will require most people in attendance to wear masks when Bridge Day is held this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic in America’s newest national park. Tens of thousands of people typically show up on the third Saturday of October to watch parachutists, zip liners and rappellers on the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville. Masks will be required at the festival regardless of vaccination status, and social distancing must be observed whenever possible, the Bridge Day Commission said in a statement. People come from across the world to attend the event. Festivalgoers typically line the center of the 3,000-foot-long bridge shoulder-to-shoulder trying to get a good look at parachutists catapulting themselves off the nation’s third-highest bridge. Exceptions to the mask mandate include those at the time of their participation – be it in the air, during a 5-kilometer run, while rafting in the New River or on a zip line. But they’ll have to mask up before and after, the statement said. Social distancing will be next to impossible on the crowded bridge itself, but organizers said it will be required on the festival’s perimeters. Bridge Day is the only day of the year the bridge is open to pedestrian traffic. The pandemic forced last year’s event to be canceled.

Wisconsin

Madison: A new report suggests people are buying dramatically more alcohol as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. Revenue from state excise taxes on alcohol during the fiscal year that ended June 30 totaled $73.8 million, up almost 17% from $63.3 million the previous year, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Revenue cited in the report from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. If the preliminary data holds, the increase would be the biggest proportional increase the state has seen since 1972, the report said. The rise in alcohol tax collection exceeded 2.4% in only one year between 2009 and 2020, the report said. Alcohol excise taxes in Wisconsin are based on the volume sold, not price. Beer is taxed at about 6.5 cents per gallon. Wine is taxed at 25 cents per gallon if it has an alcohol content of 14% or less. The report did not examine sales tax revenue on alcohol. Most states have seen a bump in alcohol tax revenues during fiscal year 2021. The report said increased alcohol consumption is “perhaps unsurprising” given rising stress related to personal health, job losses, school challenges and a lack of leisure activities during the pandemic.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Michael K. Davis plans to retire in January, opening the way for Gov. Mark Gordon to make his first appointment to the high court. Davis plans to retire Jan. 16 after a decade on the state’s highest court, Chief Justice Kate M. Fox said in a statement Tuesday. Davis served as chief justice for three years, stepping down from that role July 1. He was a state district judge for four years before being named to the Supreme Court. He previously was an attorney in private practice. He graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming law school in 1980. Former Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, named all five current justices over his two terms in office. Gordon, also a Republican, will choose the next justice from a list of three names submitted to him by the state Judicial Nominating Commission. The commission plans to accept expressions of interest from qualified people through Oct. 1. Wyoming requires Supreme Court justices to be at least 30, “learned in the law,” a judge or attorney for at least nine years, a U.S. citizen and a Wyoming resident for at least three years.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

What It Costs to Retire Comfortably in Every State – 24/7 Wall St.

Michael B. Sauter

24/7 Wall Street

One of the reasons that many Americans get up and go to work every day is to put some money away for retirement. While Social Security payments can be a helpful financial foundation in retirement, it is often not enough to cover anything but the most basic expenditures, especially in the uncertain financial times wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.

Based on average annual spending for American seniors and the national average life expectancy at age 65 of 19.4 years, the average American will spend about $987,000 from retirement age on. And those hoping for a more comfortable and financially secure retirement should plan on saving a little more.

Of course, both cost of living and life expectancy vary considerably by state – and so, too, does the cost of retirement. Using the average annual spending of Americans 65 and older – adjusted at the state level for cost of living and life expectancy – 24/7 Wall St. calculated what it will cost to retire comfortably in each state. All data used in the ranking came from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent global health research center at the University of Washington.

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One of the best ways to prepare financially is through retirement-specific accounts, such as IRAs or 401(k)s. These types of funds offer special tax benefits and often come with employer matches. Those who fail to save enough and take advantage of options like these – or draw from them before they hit retirement age – may have to work past age 65 in order to pay the bills. Here is what you can do if COVID-19 is threatening your retirement.

Just how much one needs to save to comfortably meet expected spending from age 65 on depends on a number of factors. Many who work in the public sector, for example, may benefit in retirement from regular pension payments, in addition to Social Security. The amount of these pension payments vary by state and employer. Even in some of the most expensive places to retire, state subsidies can help finance the cost of retirement. These are the states spending the most to fund their residents' retirement.

1. Alabama

• Est. total retirement spending: $894,461 (3rd least)

• Avg. cost of living: 13.6% less than avg. (3rd lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $357 (6th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.0% (18th highest)

In Alabama, residents need an average of about $894,000 to live out their retirement years in relative comfort – below the national average of about $1.1 million. Retirees in Alabama need less retirement savings because of both lower average life expectancy and lower cost of living.

Life expectancy at age 65 in the state is 17.7 years, nearly two years below the national average. Additionally, goods and services are about 14% less expensive on average in Alabama than they are nationwide.

2. Alaska

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,170,763 (13th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +4.8% more than avg. (10th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $504 (19th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 11.9% (2nd lowest)

Retirees need to save an estimated average of nearly $1.2 million to live out their years in comfort in Alaska. The estimated need for retirement savings in the state is higher than in most states due in large part to the high cost of living in the state. Goods and services are 4.8% more expensive across Alaska on average than they are nationwide. Even without a mortgage, home ownership costs an average of $504 a month among the retirement age population, more than in all but a handful of states.

3. Arizona

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,134,482 (18th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 3.5% less than avg. (25th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $410 (15th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.6% (11th highest)

With a warm climate and a relatively low cost of living, Arizona is an ideal state for many Americans to retire. Of the state's population, 17.6% of residents are 65 or older, compared to 16.0% of the total U.S. population.

The estimated average savings necessary for a comfortable retirement in Arizona is $1.1 million, more than in most states. This is due in large part to the high life expectancy in the state. Those who are 65 years old in Arizona are expected to live an additional 20 years on average, almost a year longer than the national average.

4. Arkansas

• Est. total retirement spending: $893,051 (2nd least)

• Avg. cost of living: 14.7% less than avg. (the lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $355 (4th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.8% (22nd highest)

Arkansas is one of only 13 states where residents can retire and live comfortably while spending less than $1 million. This is due to the state's low cost of living and low life expectancy. Goods and services in Arkansas are 14.7% less expensive than they are nationwide, on average, and those who are 65 can expect to live to 82.9, on average, below the 84.4 year national average life expectancy at 65.

5. California

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,397,174 (3rd most)

• Avg. cost of living: +15.4% more than avg. (3rd highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $567 (11th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 14.3% (6th lowest)

California has one of the highest costs of living of any state in the country – as well as one of the highest life expectancies. Goods and services are 15.4% more expensive in California on average than they are nationwide, and average life expectancy at age 65 in the state is 85.7 years, nearly a year and a half longer than national average.

As a result, for a comfortable retirement in the state, residents would need an average of about $1.4 million in savings, more than in every other state apart from Hawaii and New York.

6. Colorado

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,192,006 (11th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +1.9% more than avg. (13th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $459 (23rd lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 14.2% (5th lowest)

The average Colorado retiree would need about $1.2 million in savings to live comfortably, which is higher than in 39 states. The relatively high cost of living in the state may help explain why so many Colorado senior citizens continue to work after the traditional retirement age. Among the state's senior households, 41.5% have wage earnings, compared to the national share of 38.0% of senior households.

7. Connecticut

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,265,959 (6th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +6.1% more than avg. (8th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $870 (2nd highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.2% (15th highest)

Housing costs are high for senior citizens living in Connecticut. The average monthly cost of homeownership among the 65 and older population is $870 without a mortgage and $1,481 with – the second and 13th highest costs, respectively, among states.

Partially as a result, retirement is more expensive in Connecticut than in most other states. Living comfortably for the 20.4 years Connecticut residents live, on average, after age 65, costs an estimated $1.3 million average, more than in all but five other states.

8. Delaware

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,121,070 (19th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 1.2% less than avg. (18th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $451 (20th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 18.7% (6th highest)

For those who reach age 65 in Delaware, the average life expectancy is 84.4 years. Living out those years in relative comfort will cost an estimated $1.1 million on average – roughly in line with the national average cost of retirement.

9. Florida

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,194,451 (9th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +0.6% more than avg. (15th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $494 (21st highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 20.5% (2nd highest)

Florida's warm climate makes it an ideal location for many Americans to retire. In fact, more than one in every five residents of the Sunshine State are 65 or older, the second largest share of any state in the country. Residents who are 65 in the state are expected to live to an average of just over 85, about a year longer than the national average.

Due in part to the higher life expectancy, the estimated retirement costs in Florida are $1,194,451, greater than the $1,134,687 national average.

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10. Georgia

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,006,303 (15th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 7.0% less than avg. (24th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $400 (12th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 13.8% (4th lowest)

The average life expectancy for Georgia residents at age 65 is 83.5 years, about a year shy of the national average. Additionally, goods and services are 7.0% less expensive in Georgia than they are nationwide. As a result, the average estimated cost of a comfortable retirement in the state is just over $1 million – slightly below the $1.1 million average nationwide.

11. Hawaii

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,485,123 (the most)

• Avg. cost of living: +18.1% more than avg. (the highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $518 (16th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 18.4% (7th highest)

While Hawaii's warm climate may make it an ideal state for many Americans to retire in, it is also the most expensive state in the country in which to retire. Goods and services in Hawaii are 18.1% more expensive than they are nationwide, on average. Life expectancy at 65 is also longer than average in Hawaii. As a result, retirees in the state can expect to need about $1.5 million to live out their golden years in comfort, well above the $1.1 million national average.

12. Idaho

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,049,585 (23rd least)

• Avg. cost of living: 7.5% less than avg. (22nd lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $364 (7th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.9% (20th lowest)

Those who retire in Idaho can expect to spend less to live comfortably than those who retire in most other states. Due in part to Idaho's lower than average cost of living – particularly the state's low housing costs – retirees will spend an estimated average of $1,049,585 to live comfortably. That is about $85,000 less than the national average, even though life expectancy at age 65 in Idaho is the same as it is nationwide.

13. Illinois

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,118,865 (20th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 1.9% less than avg. (19th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $609 (9th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.6% (12th lowest)

Retiring comfortably in Illinois today would require an estimated $1.1 million, in line with the national average. Though the overall cost of living across the state is less than average, housing costs are relatively high. The average monthly cost of homeownership for state residents of retirement age is $609 without a mortgage and $1,458 with a mortgage, ninth highest and 14th highest among states, respectively.

14. Indiana

• Est. total retirement spending: $961,044 (10th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.7% less than avg. (12th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $399 (11th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.7% (15th lowest)

Like many states in the Midwest, Indiana has a low cost of living. Goods and services in the state are 10.7% less expensive than they are on average nationwide. Partially as a result, a comfortable retirement is relatively inexpensive in the state.

Indiana residents who are 65 are expected to live, on average, about 18 and a half years longer, roughly in line with the national figure. And to live comfortably throughout those years will cost an estimated $961,044, which is less than retirement costs in most parts of the country.

15. Iowa

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,017,358 (19th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.8% less than avg. (11th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $473 (25th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.0% (18th highest)

A comfortable retirement in Iowa will cost an estimated $1,017,35, less than in most states and below the national average of $1,134,687. The typical retirement age household in the state earns $47,784 a year, below the national median earnings nationwide for households in that age group of $61,559.

16. Kansas

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,000,162 (14th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.0% less than avg. (15th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $510 (17th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.9% (20th lowest)

Those who retire in Kansas can reasonably expect to spend just over a million dollars to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle after age 65. Retirement cost in Kansas is lower than in most states as a result of the state's relatively low cost of living. Goods and services are 10% less expensive than they are, on average, nationwide.

17. Kentucky

• Est. total retirement spending: $898,683 (5th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 12.2% less than avg. (5th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $372 (8th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.4% (25th lowest)

Kentucky is one of only five states where a comfortable retirement costs an average of less than $900,000. In addition to the state's relatively low cost of living, another reason retirement costs are low is due to a lower than average life expectancy. Kentucky residents are expected to live an average of about 17 and a half years past 65, about two years less than the national average.

18. Louisiana

• Est. total retirement spending: $943,258 (8th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.9% less than avg. (10th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $340 (2nd lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.5% (11th lowest)

Adjusted for the state's relatively low cost of living, Louisiana residents spend an average of about $45,316 a year after age 65. And the average life expectancy for those who are 65 in the state is just over 18 years to 83.1 years. On average, retirees in the state can expect to spend about $943,000 – including an additional 15% to live comfortably – throughout their golden years, less than in most other states.

19. Maine

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,093,744 (22nd most)

• Avg. cost of living: +0.0% more than avg. (16th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $501 (20th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 20.6% (the highest)

Retirement-age residents account for 20.6% of Maine's total population, the largest share of any state in the country. Accounting for the state's slightly lower than average life expectancy at 65, a comfortable retirement in Maine will cost an estimated $1,093,744, compared to the national estimate average of $1,134,687.

20. Maryland

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,242,681 (8th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +8.4% more than avg. (6th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $615 (8th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.4% (9th lowest)

Maryland is one of the most expensive states in the country – and partially as a result, it is not an inexpensive place to retire. Life expectancy in Maryland after age 65 is nearly 20 years on average, and living comfortably over those years – based on average annual spending of 65 and older households – will cost an estimated total of $1,242,681. Nationwide, retirement costs an estimated $1,134,687 on average.

21. Massachusetts

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,276,832 (5th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +9.7% more than avg. (5th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $794 (3rd highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.5% (25th highest)

The total estimated cost of living comfortably in retirement years in Massachusetts is about $1.3 million, more than in all but four other states. The higher expenses in retirement are attributable in part to the higher cost of living in the state. Median homeownership costs in Massachusetts for 65 and older households without a mortgage are $794 and $1,842 with a mortgage, the third and fourth highest among states, respectively. Overall, goods and services are 9.7% more expensive across Massachusetts than they are, on average, nationwide.

22. Michigan

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,021,429 (20th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 7.6% less than avg. (21st lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $477 (23rd highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.2% (15th highest)

The average estimated cost of retirement in Michigan is $1,021,429, slightly less than the national average of $1,134,687. The lower retirement cost is driven by lower living expenses as goods and services in Michigan are 7.6% less expensive than the national average.

Michigan residents are also less likely to have to work into retirement age. Just 33.5% of state residents 65 and older are earning a wage or salary, nearly the lowest share of any state.

23. Minnesota

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,157,644 (15th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 2.5% less than avg. (20th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $524 (15th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.8% (17th lowest)

Minnesota's cost of living is slightly above that of the nation as a whole. The state also has one of the longest life expectancies at 65, at just over 20 years to about 85 years, which means seniors retiring there should expect to spend more throughout their retirement years than the national average. Comfortable retirement in Minnesota will cost about $1.2 million, more than the $1.1 million national estimate.

24. Mississippi

• Est. total retirement spending: $885,290 (the least)

• Avg. cost of living: 14.0% less than avg. (2nd lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $342 (3rd lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.9% (20th lowest)

With the nation's second lowest cost of living, and third lowest old-age life expectancy, Mississippi is the least expensive state in which to retire. Life expectancy in Mississippi at age 65 is over 17 years to 82.6 years, and living comfortably over those years – based on average annual spending of 65 and older households – will cost an estimated total of $885,290. Average housing costs for 65 and older households with a mortgage in Mississippi are $968 a month, less than housing costs for the same age group without a mortgage in a more expensive state, like New Jersey.

25. Missouri

• Est. total retirement spending: $966,051 (11th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 11.2% less than avg. (9th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $452 (21st lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.9% (21st highest)

Missouri is one of only 13 states where a comfortable life in retirement age will cost an estimated total of less than $1 million. The relatively low cost is due both to a low cost of living and a low average life expectancy in the state. Goods and services are 11.2% less expensive in Missouri than they are on average nationwide, and life expectancy at age 65 is over 18 years to 83.6, below the over 19 years, to 84.4 years, national average life expectancy at age 65.

26. Montana

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,009,549 (16th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 6.7% less than avg. (25th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $441 (19th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 18.8% (5th highest)

Montana has a relatively large elderly population. Some 18.8% of state residents are 65 or older, the fifth largest share among states. Based on the average spending of Americans in that age group, adjusted for Montana's cost of living, and accounting for life expectancy, state residents can expect to spend about $1 million to through retirement to live comfortably – slightly less than average.

For many however, Social Security and savings are not enough to live comfortably into old age. In Montana, about 38.1% of retirement age households are still earning a wage or salary.

27. Nebraska

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,015,545 (18th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.5% less than avg. (13th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $509 (18th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.8% (17th lowest)

Thanks in part to a low cost of living – 10.5% less than the national average – retirement is less expensive in Nebraska than it is in most other states. The average life expectancy in Nebraska past age 65 is 19.4 years to 84.4, in line with the national average. Living comfortably in the state over that period will cost an estimated $1,015,545, compared to a national average of $1,134,687. Despite the lower retirement cost, just 15.8% of Nebraska's population are 65 and older, a smaller share than in most states.

28. Nevada

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,077,806 (25th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 2.5% less than avg. (20th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $412 (16th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.7% (15th lowest)

With a warm climate, Nevada may be an ideal destination for many Americans to retire. Retirement is also somewhat less expensive in the state than it is on average across the United States. Based on Nevada's average life expectancy at age 65 of nearly 19 years to 83.9 years and a lower than average cost of living, state retirees would need to spend $1,077,806 from age 65 onward to live comfortably, about $57,000 less than the national average.

Still, just 15.7% of Nevada residents are of retirement age, a smaller share than in most states.

29. New Hampshire

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,190,368 (12th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +6.0% more than avg. (9th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $784 (4th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 18.1% (9th highest)

New Hampshire has a higher cost of living than most states, notably due to higher costs for housing and services. But seniors in the state appear to be more likely than most to be relatively financially secure, as just 5.5% of residents 65 and older live in poverty, compared to the national poverty rate for the age group of 9.4%. This is at least partially due to the fact that a relatively high 42.6% of households 65 and older continue to earn wages.

30. New Jersey

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,367,800 (4th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +15.2% more than avg. (4th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $986 (the highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.1% (21st lowest)

Life expectancy at age 65 in New Jersey is over 20 years to 85.3 years, nearly a year longer than average. Additionally, goods and services are about 15.2% more expensive than they are on average nationwide. As a result, retirement is expensive in the Garden State. New Jersey residents looking to live comfortably should expect to spend about $1.4 million after age 65, more than in all but three states.

The high costs likely help explain why so many retirement-age New Jersey residents continue to work. Among 65 and older households in the state, 42.1% are still earning salaries or wages, well above the national average of 38.0%.

31. New Mexico

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,049,685 (24th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 8.9% less than avg. (18th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $357 (6th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.6% (11th highest)

New Mexico falls roughly in the middle of all states in terms of the total expected lifetime expenditure for a retiree, at about $1.0 million. Life expectancy at 65 in the state is slightly higher than average, and cost of living in the state is slightly below average. It appears retirees in the state are among the least likely to be able to afford these expenses, as New Mexico has the highest poverty rate among residents 65 or older, at 13.3%, compared to a national 65+ poverty rate of 9.4%.

32. New York

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,402,473 (2nd most)

• Avg. cost of living: +16.4% more than avg. (2nd highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $768 (5th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.4% (25th lowest)

New York is one of the most expensive states to live in the country. It also has the third longest life expectancy at 65. As a result, the state has the second highest estimated total spending for a comfortable retirement, at nearly $1.4 million over 20.6 years.

33. North Carolina

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,014,796 (17th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 8.2% less than avg. (19th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $405 (14th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.3% (23rd lowest)

North Carolina has both below average cost of living and below average life expectancy, and so it ranks among the bottom third of states for expected retirement spending, at just over $1 million.

Owning a house in North Carolina is relatively inexpensive for senior citizens, with the typical home owned by seniors valued at $171,500, compared to the national median value of senior-owned homes of $217,000.

34. North Dakota

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,033,325 (21st least)

• Avg. cost of living: 9.4% less than avg. (16th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $456 (22nd lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.3% (7th lowest)

Goods and services are about 9.0% less expensive in North Dakota than they are, on average, nationwide. Partially as a result, at $1,033,325, the estimated cost to live comfortably in the state from age 65 on is about $101,000 less than the estimate for the nation.

Likely due in part to the lower retirement costs, North Dakota residents are less likely to have to work into retirement age. Just 37.5% of 65 and older households are earning wages or salaries, below the 38.0% national average.

35. Ohio

• Est. total retirement spending: $941,018 (7th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 11.6% less than avg. (8th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $464 (25th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.1% (17th highest)

Accounting for Ohio's cost of living, which is 11.6% lower than the national average, state residents 65 and older spend an estimated $44,960 a year. That means that 65-year-olds in Ohio who live to be 83.2 years old – Ohio's average life expectancy for those age 65 – can expect to spend $941,018 to live comfortably throughout the rest of their lives.

For many in the state, those expenses can be, at least partially, met through retirement savings and Social Security. Still, 36.0% of Ohio residents age 65 and up are still working.

36. Oklahoma

• Est. total retirement spending: $925,507 (6th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 11.6% less than avg. (8th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $401 (13th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.7% (15th lowest)

Oklahoma is both one of the least expensive states to live and one of the states with the shortest life expectancies at 65, at 17.9 years (to nearly 83), or 1.5 years less than the national life expectancy at 65. Homeownership for seniors in the state is relatively inexpensive, and the typical home owned by state residents 65 or older is worth $133,800, which is about $83,000 less than the national median home value for properties owned by residents 65 or older.

37. Oregon

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,153,081 (16th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +1.1% more than avg. (14th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $531 (12th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.6% (11th highest)

Living out retirement in relative comfort will cost an estimated $1,153,081 in Oregon, almost exactly in line with the average cost nationwide. Oregon's estimated cost of living is in line with the national average, and the average life expectancy in the state at age 65 is over 19 years to 84.5, only slightly higher than the 84.4 year national average.

38. Pennsylvania

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,083,509 (24th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 2.5% less than avg. (20th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $528 (14th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 18.2% (8th highest)

In Pennsylvania, 18.2% of residents are 65 or older, the eighth largest share of any state in the country. A comfortable retirement in the state will cost the average retiree a total of $1,083,509, about $51,000 less than the average cost nationwide.

Retirement-age adults in Pennsylvania are less likely to struggle financially than older Americans nationwide. Just 8.3% of Pennsylvania residents 65 and older live below the poverty line, a smaller share than the 9.4% of older adults nationwide.

39. Rhode Island

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,138,360 (17th most)

• Avg. cost of living: 0.7% less than avg. (17th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $699 (6th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.3% (14th highest)

Adjusting for the state's cost of living, seniors living in Rhode Island can expect to spend just over $50,000 per year. Including a 15% financial cushion, a comfortable retirement will cost an estimated total of $1.1 million in Rhode Island. It appears that the state's 65 and older residents are among the least likely to be able to afford those expenses, as the state has the fifth highest poverty rate among senior citizens, at 11.2%, compared to the national 65 and over poverty rate of 9.4%.

40. South Carolina

• Est. total retirement spending: $975,088 (12th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 8.9% less than avg. (18th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $376 (9th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.7% (10th highest)

South Carolina has a relatively large elderly population, at 17.7% of its total population, the 10th largest share among states. It also has a relatively affordable housing market, with below average monthly ownership costs for seniors, with and without a mortgage. Likely partially as a result, about 85% of the state's 65 and over population owns the homes in which they live. With relatively low living costs for other goods and services as well, the total expected expenditure for retirees in the state is one of the lowest.

41. South Dakota

• Est. total retirement spending: $997,390 (13th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 12.1% less than avg. (6th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $464 (25th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.6% (24th highest)

South Dakota is one of the least expensive states in the country to live in. Goods and services are an average of 12.1% less expensive in South Dakota than they are nationwide. Partially as a result, the estimated total cost of a comfortable retirement is about $137,000 less than it is on average across the United States as a whole.

Still, senior citizens in South Dakota are more likely than average to have to work into retirement age. Of state residents 65 and older, 44.6% are earning a wage or salary, a larger share than the 38.0% of retirement-age adults nationwide.

42. Tennessee

• Est. total retirement spending: $951,727 (9th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 10.1% less than avg. (14th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $384 (10th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.3% (23rd lowest)

Tennessee has one of the nation's lower life expectancies at age 65, and it is also one of the least expensive states to live in. As a result, it is one of 13 states where the expected lifetime expenses in retirement for a comfortable living is less than $1 million.

The state's low cost of living might help explain why a below-average share of state residents are still working after reaching the traditional retirement age. Just 36.2% of retirement age households in Tennessee are still earning a wage or salary, below the 38.0% national share.

43. Texas

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,087,053 (23rd most)

• Avg. cost of living: 3.2% less than avg. (23rd highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $480 (22nd highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 12.5% (3rd lowest)

The estimated cost of comfortably living one's retirement years in Texas is $1,087,053 – about $48,000 less than the average cost nationwide. Still, Texas residents are more likely than average to have to work into retirement age. Of the state's 65 and older population, 42.6% are earning a wage or salary, the sixth highest share among states and well above the 38.0% national share.

Older Texans are also more likely than other elderly Americans to struggle financially. Of the state's retirement age population, 11.1% live below the poverty line, a higher poverty rate in the age group than in all but five states and well above the 9.4% national rate.

44. Utah

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,101,757 (21st most)

• Avg. cost of living: 3.4% less than avg. (24th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $413 (18th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 11.1% (the lowest)

Utah has a slightly lower than average cost of living, but a slightly higher than average life expectancy at 65. While, overall, total lifetime expenses for retirees are somewhat higher in Utah than in the majority of states, a relatively high share of state seniors appear able to comfortably afford those costs. Just 6.1% of state residents 65 and older live in poverty, the third lowest share among states.

45. Vermont

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,192,825 (10th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +3.0% more than avg. (11th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $650 (7th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 19.8% (4th highest)

Vermont has one of the largest retirement age populations of any state. Nearly 20% of the state's population are 65 or older, the fourth largest share among states. Life expectancy in the Green Mountain State is slightly higher than average, and so is the cost of living. As a result, a comfortable retirement in Vermont costs about $58,000 more than the national average.

The higher retirement costs may partially explain why Vermonters are more likely than most Americans to work past age 65. Of the state's retirement age households, 44.9% earn a wage or salary, well above the 38.0% national share.

46. Virginia

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,163,346 (14th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +2.0% more than avg. (12th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $476 (24th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.5% (11th lowest)

Virginia is a relatively expensive state to retire, with a total estimated spending for a comfortable retirement of $1.16 million. Despite this fact, a below-average share of state residents continue to work after reaching retirement age. Those who do tend to be paid relatively well – senior households earning wages in the state have an average income of $67,522, the eighth highest figure among states.

47. Washington

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,254,718 (7th most)

• Avg. cost of living: +7.8% more than avg. (7th highest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $594 (10th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 15.4% (9th lowest)

The estimated cost for a comfortable retirement in Washington state is $1,254,718, the seventh highest of any state. The higher retirement costs are attributable to both the state's higher average cost of living and higher life expectancy at age 65.

Despite the higher retirement costs, savings and Social Security appear to be enough for a large share of the state's 65 and older population in retirement. Just 35.8% of the retirement-age demographic in the state are working, below the 38.0% national average.

48. West Virginia

• Est. total retirement spending: $898,683 (5th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 12.2% less than avg. (5th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $317 (the lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 20.0% (3rd highest)

A comfortable retirement in West Virginia will cost an estimated $898,683, the fifth least of any state and well below the $1.1 million national average. The state's low cost of living – 12.2% less than the national average – partially explains why. Still, the lower total retirement cost is also attributable to West Virginia's low life expectancy. Life expectancy for 65 year old residents in the state is just 17.5 years to 82.5 years, about two years below the national average.

49. Wisconsin

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,058,902 (25th least)

• Avg. cost of living: 8.1% less than avg. (20th lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $529 (13th highest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 17.0% (18th highest)

Goods and services in Wisconsin are less expensive than in most other states, costing 8.1% less than the U.S. average. Life expectancy for state residents who reach 65 is 19.7 years to age 84.7, roughly in line with the national life expectancy at 65 of 19.4 years. The result is that the expected lifetime retirement costs in the state are slightly below that of the nation.

50. Wyoming

• Est. total retirement spending: $1,041,011 (22nd least)

• Avg. cost of living: 7.3% less than avg. (23rd lowest)

• Avg. monthly homeownership cost for senior citizens: $413 (18th lowest)

• Pop. 65 and older: 16.7% (23rd highest)

The estimated cost of comfortably living one's retirement years in Wyoming is $1,041,011 – about $94,000 less than the average cost nationwide. Still, Wyoming residents are more likely than average to have to work into retirement age. Of the state's 65 and older population, 42.0% are earning a wage or salary, the 12th highest share among states and well above the 38.0% national rate.

Methodology

To determine what it costs to retire comfortably in every state, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the amount of money needed to last the average retiree for the rest of his or her life using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Our calculation was based on the average annual expenditure for U.S. residents 65 years and older in 2018 – $50,860 – according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. We adjusted that figure by local cost of living, using state-level data on regional price parity in 2017 from the BEA, and multiplied the result by 115% in order to reflect greater financial stability and comfort in retirement.

Finally, to determine the amount needed to last the average retiree for the rest of his or her life, we multiplied the adjusted annual expenditure figure by the number of years residents are expected to live at age 65, using state-level data from the IMHE’s Global Health Data Exchange for 2017.

Data on the share of the population that is 65 and over, the mean annual earnings for 65+ households, the share of 65+ households with earnings, the 65+ homeownership rate, and homeownership costs came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey. All data are for the most recent period available.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

The Best and Worst Thing About Every State – 24/7 Wall St.

Michael B. Sauter

24/7 Wall Street

Residents of each state have at least one aspect of their home they can brag about, but also one they would probably rather forget.

New York state residents may gloat about the fact that the state has the highest-paid public school teachers, but probably wouldn’t want to broadcast that state workers have the longest average commutes. Alaskans are probably happy to live in a state with wide-open spaces, but they are likely less proud of the state’s nation-worst unemployment rate. Idahoans no doubt are proud of their potato production, but also are probably unhappy about their state’s high risk of wildfires.

Not all states are created equal. Some are home to major metropolises rich with culture and commerce. Others are blessed with natural resources, beautiful natural monuments, parks, and waterways. Some states have healthy populations; in others, important historical events unfolded, while highly positive social or economic factors are the main attraction of others.

The other side of this coin is that some states are devoid of resources or culture. In some states, the populations are struggling due to poor economic conditions or pollution. The histories of some states include events residents would prefer to be forgotten.

24/7 Wall Street reviewed many data sets and state facts to identify the best and worst features of every state:

Alabama

Best: America's best college football program

The University of Alabama has won 17 national football championships, including the 2017 title, and is No. 1 again this year.

Worst: Nobody walks anywhere

Just 1.2 percent of Alabamians walk to work, the lowest rate in the country, and less than half the national rate.

Alaska

Best: Wide open spaces

There are just 1.2 people per square mile in Alaska. The next lowest density state, Wyoming, has a density of 5.8 people per square mile, while the United States has 87.4 people per square mile.

Worst: High unemployment

Alaska's 2017 unemployment rate of 7.2 percent is well ahead of the 4.4 percent national rate and a full percentage point higher than the next highest state.

Arizona

Best: The Grand Canyon

What is 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep? America's greatest natural wonder, the Grand Canyon.

Worst: It is very hot

In Phoenix and Tucson, the nation’s hottest cities, normal mid-summer temperatures are at least 100 degrees.

Arkansas

Best: Ozark Mountains

The picturesque Ozarks owe their name to French explorers. The name is derived from the French phrase "aux arcs," the northernmost bend in the Mississippi River.

Worst: Fewest broadband users

Just 73 percent of Arkansas households have access to a broadband internet connection and all the resources it can connect them to.

California

Best: Lowest gender pay gap

California women make 89 cents for every dollar a man makes -- certainly not perfect, but a higher rate than in any other state.

Worst: Lowest high school attainment

Roughly one in six Californians have not finished high school, the highest rate in the country.

Colorado

Best: Least obese

Just 20.5 percent of Colorado adults are considered obese. Most states have obesity rates well over 25 percent.

Worst: Into thin air

Colorado has an average altitude close to 7,000 feet above sea level, which means that it can be harder to breathe for those who aren't acclimated. The "Mile High City" of Denver has an estimated 17 percent less oxygen.

Connecticut

Best: UConn basketball teams

The women's and men's basketball teams at the University of Connecticut have won 15 national championships between them. In March 2018, though, the women's team had its 36-game winning streak snapped by Notre Dame in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

Worst: Most expensive electricity in lower 48

Connecticut is the only mainland U.S. state in which residents pay, on average, over 20 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Delaware

Best: Tax haven

More companies are incorporated in Delaware than in any other state. Over 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies are based in Delaware.

Worst: Blink and you'll miss it

Delaware has no real identity -- it has no major cities and is overshadowed by the sprawling metropolises of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Florida

Best: Not falling apart

According to an index of structurally deficient bridges, hazardous dams, and unserviceable roads, Florida has the safest infrastructure in the nation.

Worst: Fewest libraries per capita

It may be tough for Floridians, especially children, to become avid readers as the Sunshine State has fewer libraries per person than any other state.

Georgia

Best: Birth of civil rights movement

Georgia is the birthplace of both the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.

Worst: Bad traffic on highways, particularly Atlanta

Atlanta's "Spaghetti Junction" was ranked worst by the American Transportation Research Institute in its listing of the Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks in the U.S.

Hawaii

Best: Longest life expectancy

The island lifestyle may have unknown benefits, as Hawaii residents are the only ones in the country with an average life expectancy of 81 years.

Worst: Least sleep

Experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night, but 44.7 percent of Hawaiians fail to meet that threshold.

Idaho

Best: Potatoes

Idaho’s soil is ideal for growing potatoes, and the state famously produces more of the crop than any other state.

Worst: Most destruction due to wildfires

Between 2008 and 2017, most states had less than 1 percent of their land damaged by wildfires. In Idaho, 10.6 percent of the land was burned -- accounting for nearly 5.6 million acres.

Illinois

Best: Quality education

Illinois is home to many of the country’s top-ranking public schools.

Worst: City of rats

Chicago was rated as the rat capital of the world in 2017, with more than 50,000 complaints about rats filed.

Indiana

Best: A city that likes to go fast

The state capital of Indianapolis is arguably more connected with motorsport racing than anywhere in the country. The Indianapolis 500 race is considered one of the biggest single-day events in sports.

Worst: A less-than-comfortable retirement

Indiana is one of only two states with an average retirement income of less than $20,000.

Iowa

Best: Recession-proof

Iowa has had a remarkably stable economy over the years. While national unemployment rose above 10 percent after the housing crisis, Iowa unemployment topped out at 6.6 percent. Since January 2008, the state's unemployment has averaged at 4.6 percent, one of the lowest of any state.

Worst: A bad place to bike

According to a recent report, Iowa is the least safe state to bike, as five of the 10 most dangerous cities to bike are in the state.

Kansas

Best: Fewest roads in poor condition

Less than 1 percent of Kansas roads are deemed unserviceable, the lowest share of any state.

Worst: Perhaps the most geographically boring state

Kansas is flat and geographically homogeneous. Driving through the state can put many to sleep.

Kentucky

Best: Horse breeding and racing

Home to the Kentucky Derby, the state is known for breeding and raising horses. Its famous bluegrass is ideal for horse pasture because it is considered nutritious and palatable for the animals.

Worst: Highest cancer mortality

There were 512 cancer diagnoses and 196 cancer deaths per 100,000 Kentucky residents in 2015 -- both are the highest rates in the nation.

Louisiana

Best: Least expensive electricity

Louisiana residents pay less per kilowatt hour of electricity than those in all other states.

Worst: Largest gender pay gap

American women make just over 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. In Louisiana, female workers make less than 69 cents on the dollar.

Maine

Best: Lowest violent crime rate

Maine ranks as the safest state in the country, as there were just 124 violent crimes reported for every 100,000 residents -- less than a third of the national rate.

Worst: Least diverse

According to the latest Census data, 94.4 percent of Maine's population is white, beating out nearby Vermont and New Hampshire as the least diverse states.

Maryland

Best: Highest median household Income

Maryland residents are the most affluent in the country, with a median household income of $80,776 -- more than $20,000 higher than the U.S. median.

Worst: Murder in Baltimore

There were over 50 murders committed in Baltimore per 100,000 residents last year, the highest murder rate among cities with a population of at least 100,000.

Massachusetts

Best: Highest health insurance coverage

At 97.2 percent, Massachusetts has a higher share of residents with health insurance than anywhere else in the country.

Worst: Boston sports fans

Some may find Boston sports fans insufferable because their professional teams win frequently. It's about to get worse. The Red Sox have already won 100 games and have their sights set on winning the World Series. The Patriots are primed to extend their streak of consecutive winning seasons to an NFL-record of 18 wins.

Michigan

Best: Great Lakes

Michigan borders two of the Great Lakes, and has miles of beautiful shoreline to visit.

Worst: Detroit and Flint, the two worst cities to live in

According to a 24/7 Wall St. index of crime, economy, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure, Detroit and Flint are the worst cities in the U.S. to reside in.

Minnesota

Best: lowest premature mortality

Minnesota residents are the most likely to live into old age, with a U.S.-low premature mortality rate. Just 263 state residents per 100,000 die before turning 75.

Worst: lowest average winter temperatures

In the land of 10,000 lakes, you can bet almost all of them are frozen in winter. Minnesota has the lowest annual average temperature in the contiguous United States.

Mississippi

Best: Mississippi Delta, birthplace of the blues

Many American genres owe their origins to the blues, which were developed in the Mississippi River delta.

Worst: highest poverty rate

Those who live in Mississippi are more likely to be impoverished than residents of any other state. Some 19.8 percent of state residents earn incomes at or below the poverty line..

Missouri

Best: Kansas City and St. Louis Barbecue

Folks in Kansas City and St. Louis will put their barbecue up against offerings from Texas or North Carolina.

Worst: flooding

Author Mark Twain immortalized life on the Mississippi River, but for MIssouri residents, the waterway can be deadly. Some of the worst floods in American history are due to the Mississippi's fury.

Montana

Best: High school attainment

Montana has one of the highest high school attainment rates in the country among adults.

Worst: Dangerous roads

Montana has among the highest driving fatality rate in the country, likely in part due to long drives on dangerous, remote country roads.

Nebraska

Best: Officially nonpartisan legislature

Nebraska has the only unicameral -- or single chamber -- legislature in the country.

Worst: Lowest state pre-k spending

Among the states that offer pre-kindergarten programs, Nebraska is the only one that spends less than $2,000 per child in state funding.

Nevada

Best: Lowest skin cancer rate

Even though it is hot and sunny in Nevada, its residents are less likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer than those in any other state.

Worst: Least Literate State

According to a 24/7 Wall St. index of reading skills, educational attainment, and library prevalence, Nevada ranks as the least literate state in the U.S.

New Hampshire

Best: Healthiest senior citizens

Some 83.2 percent of older adults in New Hampshire reported being in either good, very good, or excellent health -- a higher share than all other states.

Worst: High property taxes

New Hampshire, which once had a reputation as among the most fiscally conservative states, assesses the second-highest property taxes in the nation.

New Jersey

Best: Highest state Pre-K spending

New Jersey spends over $12,000 per child enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs. No other state spends even $10,000 per child for pre-k.

Worst: Most hazardous waste sites

Although New Jersey is one of the smaller states, it has 114 hazardous waste sites, the most of any in the country.

New Mexico

Best: Lowest average monthly energy bill

Power bills can be frustrating, but typically less so for New Mexico residents. The average state resident paid just $75.96 per month for energy in 2016.

Worst: Worst chance for school success

According to Education Week's Quality Counts 2018 report, New Mexico children have just a 67 percent chance at success, meaning education does poorly in promoting positive outcomes over the course of an individual's schooling.

New York

Best: Highest paid public school teachers

New York public school teachers earn a U.S.-best median of $79,152, nearly $2,000 higher than the next state.

Worst: Longest average commute

The typical New York resident who commutes to work every day spends 34 minutes in their vehicles, or in public transit, the longest commute of any state.

North Carolina

Best: The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks, home to America's first colony and where the first manned flight took off, are a tourist mecca because of their beaches, state parks, and shipwreck diving sites.

Worst: Evictions all too common

North Carolina has one of the highest rates of evictions in the country.

North Dakota

Best: Oil boom

North Dakota's economy has been through a boom period, thanks in part due to the development of the Bakken shale oil formation. Between 2011 and 2016, state GDP rose by roughly 25 percent.

Worst: Recent GDP decline

While GDP is up over five years, stalled oil prices have resulted in a recent decline in North Dakota's economy. In the last year, state GDP has declined by almost 5 percent, the largest GDP decline.

Ohio

Best: Lowest projected Alzheimer's increase

The number of people with Alzheimer's is expected to increase by just 13.5 percent between 2018 and 2025, the smallest increase of any state.

Worst: Horrible air pollution

Ohio has the highest average concentration of fine particulate pollution of any state.

Oklahoma

Best: Excellent Pre-K

Oklahoma has one of the more comprehensive Pre-K programs in the country. It is one of only three states to mandate Pre-K for all four-year-olds.

Worst: Smallest improvement in life expectancy

Life expectancy has improved across the country over the past few decades, but Oklahoma had the smallest improvement. Life expectancy at birth in the state increased by just 3.8 percent since 1980. Oklahoma's current life expectancy is the fifth lowest among states.

Oregon

Best: Most environmentally friendly

According to a 24/7 Wall St. index, Oregon ranks as the most environmentally friendly in the country.

Worst: Homelessness is a serious problem

Soaring rents have contributed to Oregon's homelessness problem. In some counties, homelessness has risen by more than 100 percent.

Pennsylvania

Best: Cheesesteak sandwich

Debate raged about the best maker of the Philadelphia delicacy, but the sandwich is popular enough to be made all across the country.

Worst: Highest gas tax

Pennsylvania has the highest gas tax in the country, at 58.7 cents per gallon.

Rhode Island

Best: Mansions of the rich and famous

You can see vestiges of the Gilded Age at estates such as the Breakers in Newport.

Worst: Falling apart

In 24/ Wall St.'s infrastructure index, Rhode Island rated the worst for the combined quality of its roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

South Carolina

Best: Charleston one of best cities to travel

Tourists are beguiled by the antebellum charms of Charleston, annually ranked as one of the best U.S. cities according to Travel + Leisure magazine.

Worst: Highest average monthly energy bill

South Carolinians pay an estimated $146 on average on their monthly energy bill, the highest in the country and more than double that of some states.

South Dakota

Best: Most sleep

Just 28.8 percent of South Dakota adults report getting insufficient sleep every night, the lowest share of any state, and well below the 36.5 percent of Americans who do.

Worst: Poorly paid teachers

The average salary for a public school teacher in the state is just $42,025 per year, the lowest of any state.

Tennessee

Best: A city of music

Known as Music City, Nashville is home to one of the most vibrant music scenes of any city. And Elvis Presley himself called Memphis, which also has a strong music community, home.

Worst: A violent crime problem

Tennessee has one of the highest violent crime rates of any state, and Memphis, the second largest city in the state, has the third highest violent crime rate in the country.

Texas

Best: Energy production

Oil produced in Texas accounts for about 30 percent of the nation's oil-refining capacity. A recent surge in oil prices is serving as a tailwind for the Texas economy.

Worst: Lowest health insurance coverage

Just 82.7 percent of Texas' population has health insurance coverage, the lowest share of any state. The national civilian health insurance coverage rate is 91.3 percent.

Utah

Best: Fewest smokers

Just 8.8 percent of Utah adults report smoking, the lowest share of any state.

Worst: Highest skin cancer rate

Utah has by far the highest rate of reported new cases of skin cancer among both men and women.

Vermont

Best: Most doctors per capita

There are 112 primary care physicians per capita in Vermont, the most of any state in the U.S.

Worst: Opioid epidemic

In 2014, the opioid crisis became so bad in Vermont that the state declared an emergency.

Virginia

Best: Home of the most U.S. presidents

Virginia is the birthplace of eight presidents -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson -- more than any other state.

Worst: Bad state for sports fans

Virginia is the 11th most populous state but does not have a single team in the NHL, NBA, MLB, or NFL.

Washington

Best: Highest one-year GDP growth

Washington’s GDP grew by nearly 4 percent in 2016, higher growth than in any other state.

Worst: Rain, rain, rain

Seattle doesn't quite as much total rainfall as its reputation suggests compared with many other American cities, but it rains often -- 152 days a year.

West Virginia

Best: Fewest excessive drinkers

While some parts of West Virginia face addiction problems, that does not extend to alcohol. According to the latest CDC figures, less than 12% of state adults drink to excess, which is the lowest share among states.

Worst: Most smokers

Almost one in four West Virginian adults smoke, the highest share in the country.

Wisconsin

Best: Cheese

If you had any doubt that Wisconsin is the center of the cheese universe, this next fact should put it to rest. In August 2018, a cheese board with 4,437 pounds of dairy goodness graced a Madison, Wisconsin, street to set a Guinness World Record.

Worst: Most excessive drinkers

Over one in four Wisconsin adults drink to excess, which is the highest share of any state.

Wyoming

Best: Yellowstone

Almost all of Yellowstone National Park, one of the most beautiful places in the country, can be found in the northwest corner of Wyoming.

Worst: Unequal representation

Just 11.1 percent of the state's senate and legislature seats are occupied by women, the smallest share of any state.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.