After Delaware River spill, utilities say water safe in Pennsylvania

Water utilities along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey continue monitoring a Friday night chemical spill in a river tributary northeast of Philadelphia.

The utilities say there's no risk to people so far from the latex polymer release, and none of the contaminant has been detected in city water supplies.

Utilities are tracking a plume of contamination in the river, and updates are expected later today in Bucks County and the city of Philadelphia.

In Philly, the city said its water should be safe through at least 11:59 p.m. Monday, based on the time it takes water from the Delaware River to move through its system.

The water available to customers has been treated and tested to confirm that it is "safe to drink and use for bathing, cooking, and washing," the city said in a news release Monday morning.

Elsewhere, Pennsylvania American Water said it had determined there was no impact to its Yardley water treatment plant 15 miles upstream from the spill. "We will continue to monitor the source water and provide updates if we receive additional information," the water company said.

What happened in Pennsylvania?

An estimated 8,100 gallons of a 50/50 mix of water and a latex polymer solution was released Friday evening when a pipe failed at a Trinseo Altuglas acrylic resins manufacturing facility. The plant is in Bristol, roughly 17 miles northeast of Philadelphia.

The material overflowed a containment system and entered a storm drain, where it flowed into Otter Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River in Bucks County, plant owner Trinseo said in a news release.

The company and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said the latex mixture is nontoxic to humans. Trinseo said the mixture is a white liquid that's visible in surface water.

Why are people buying water in Philadelphia?

Earlier on Sunday, Philadelphia's water department said residents who receive water from the city's Baxter drinking water treatment plant might want to use bottled water "out of an abundance of caution. However, by Sunday afternoon, the city told residents there was "no need to buy water."

"Customers can fill bottles or pitchers with tap water with no risk at this time," the city said.

The department said it was confident water from its Baxter facility would be safe to drink and to cook with through at least 11:59 p.m. Monday. That was based on the time it takes water from the Delaware to enter the utility's Baxter intakes and move through the treatment system.

No contaminants had been found through Monday, city officials said.

What's the latest update with Philadelphia water?

At 11 a.m. Monday, the Philadelphia Water Department said the spill could potentially affect water treated at its Baxter Water Treatment Plant, which draws water from the Delaware River and services part of Philadelphia.

Residents who want to make sure they have water available can fill bottles or pitchers with tap water with no risk at this time, the city said.

The tidally influenced Delaware will flush itself out, especially given the influx of rain that fell Saturday, city officials said, but they planned to continue testing the water from the river throughout the day on Monday and into Tuesday to be certain.

Where does Philadelphia get its tap water?

The Philadelphia Water Department uses water from the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River, pumping it to a reservoir or basin where sediments settle out. Chlorine is added to kill pathogens, and then the water is pulled through filters and treated for drinking.

The city is using a computer model to track the movement of the plume of contaminant through the river.

Two additional Philadelphia water treatment plants draw water from the Schuylkill River and have not been impacted by the spill, the city said.

Residents can find out if their area is affected here: Spill map

Is the water safe to drink in south New Jersey?

New Jersey American Water said its water is safe to drink. Delaware River water provided to customers in South Jersey was "not impacted" by the spill, the utility said.

However, the utility did ask customers in three counties – Burlington, Camden and Gloucester – to limit nonessential water use to reduce demand at its facility in Delran, where water is pulled from the Delaware River.

Environmental group responds

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, an environmental advocacy group, suggested Monday that people in the region monitor and report smells or any impacts on fish and wildlife.

"The public is worried and has a right and need to know what is going on when there is a hazardous release," said Maya van Rossum, the network's leader. The network chided state and federal agencies for not releasing more timely live reports or issuing emergency notifications to residents.

“It is always a concern when there is a spill of chemicals or hazardous materials to our River system," van Rossum said. "Once a chemical is released, the flow of the water, including the tidal effects of the estuary reach of the river, can carry the impacts significant distances."

Contributing: John Bacon and Thao Nguyen with USA TODAY and Jim Walsh of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post

Delaware River chemical spill includes toxin released in Ohio train ...

A rainy Saturday wasn’t what most Bucks County and Philadelphia residents wanted to see this past weekend but the water runoff that flowed into the Delaware River during and after the storm may help to dilute a toxic chemical spill from a Bristol Township manufacturing plant into a river tributary Friday night, officials said Sunday.

Same chemicals released in Palestine, Ohio

The accidental spill of more than 8,100 gallons of latex emulsion chemicals, some of which flowed into the Otter Creek in Bristol Township and then into the Delaware in Bristol, included butyl acrylate, which gained notoriety as one of the hazardous chemicals released during a horrific train derailment last month in Palestine, Ohio, it was announced at a Philadelphia press conference Sunday on the spill.

Trinseo, a plant that manufactures acrylic resins on Route 413 in Bristol Township, estimated that the equipment failure allowed 8,100 gallons of a solution of water and latex polymers to be spilled into a containment area and then into the creek that flows into the river late Friday night.

Environmental remediation teams were still working to contain the spill Monday, as another round of rain sent more water into the contaminated creek. On Sunday, the Coast Guard said some 60,000 gallons of contaminated water had been collected.

Crews with Lewis Environmental were drawing contaminated water from the channel. Hundreds of gallons of potentially tainted water was gathered up and shipped away in large trucks.

Teams from the Banks Industrial Group installed four plastic dams to slow the spread of the contaminated water. But a milky white, bubbly sludge remained visible downstream.

Delaware River spill:Is Bucks County at risk after Delaware River chemical spill? What we know about drinking water

Details of Delaware River incident:Maps, timeline of the latex chemical spill that threatened drinking water in Philadelphia

What is butyl acrylate?

Butyl acrylate is a clear colorless liquid with a sharp, distinct smell less dense than water, which can form a surface slick on water, according to the National Library of Medicine. The chemical is used for making paints, coatings, caulks, sealants and adhesives, according to a story in the Columbus Dispatch about the train derailment.

Short-term exposure to butyl acrylate can cause skin and eye irritation and respiratory problems.

The other chemicals are ethyl acrylate and methyle methacrylate. Both are colorless liquids that can irritate eyes, nose, lungs and throat.

“The latex emulsion is a white liquid that is used in various consumer goods. Its pigmentation makes the water-soluble material visible in surface water,” Trinseo said on its website.

How have officials monitored and secured water in Delaware River since spill in Bristol?

Many residents of Lower Bucks get their drinking water from Aqua Pennsylvania which said its water intakes in Bristol were immediately shut down and the drinking water here is safe.

"We continue to monitor the situation while also working closely with state and federal agencies. We will reopen our intake only when we are confident that the source water is safe for our customers and meets our stringent quality standards," Aqua stated. Aqua said its system uses water from multiple sources.

"Our Bristol Plant is upstream of the confluence of the spill, which gives us added flexibility," the utility said in another statement Monday afternoon. "While we continue to test the river water through our lab with highly specialized analysis equipment, we also perform other operational tests as we've begun turning on the plant when the tide moves downstream. And we monitor the tide and shut down the plant when it begins to move upstream."

Bucks County issued a statement Monday that there continues to be "no known adverse impacts to drinking water in Bucks County." The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, the North Penn and North Wales water authorities and Pennsylvania American Water also stated that their water supplies are not affected.

"Pennsylvania American Water is monitoring the water quality of the Delaware River ...The company has determined there is no impact to our Yardley Water Treatment Plant, which is 15 miles upstream of the chemical release and serves Yardley Borough, Lower Makefield Township, and part of Falls Township," the company stated.

Philadelphia remains a concern after chemical spill

But Philadelphia officials have more concerns about the safety of the water taken from the river south of the spill by the Philadelphia Water Dept. For a time on Sunday morning, residents were urged to use bottled water and there was a run on supermarkets, including in Lower Bucks close to the border with the city.

At a press conference late Monday afternoon, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials said that water from city taps is safe until at least 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and urged residents to save three days worth of water in case the water entering the city system at its Baxter plant would show signs of contamination at that time.

Philadelphia police helicopters took aerial views of the river and determined there was no plume of toxins visible in the water, officials said Sunday.

The city is concerned that if contaminated water was found through testing, it would have to work its way through the system, which could take until next week, and that people and restaurants would be advised to use other sources of water until that happens.

Supermarkets there were already out of bottled water. The mayor said that people living on the other side of the Schuylkill River had no concern about their water, as it is not treated at the Baxter plant.

So far, the city has not seen any signs of contamination through 40 tests of the water involving the Baxter plant and city officials said it is safe to drink.

The mayor didn't blame Bucks County for the problem. "We have a good relationship with Bucks County and its government and this is a private company," Kenney said about the spill.

Riverkeeper won't drink from Delaware

But Maya van Rossum wouldn’t drink the water, she said Monday.

The longtime head of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network said she was deeply concerned about the release of information related to the spill and – in particular – notices sent to nonprofit organizations charged with protecting the environment.

DNR is routinely notified of spills that could impact the Delaware River watershed, said van Rossum. “We received no indication of this event.”

Among her concerns, the tidal flow of the Delaware could send chemicals both up and down the river. “The river sloughs up and down,” she said.

Her organization is sending right-to-know requests to the Coast Guard and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “In situations like this, we ask for everything,” she said. “We want to see everything related to this incident.”

On Monday, van Rossum refrained from making an assessment of the possible environmental damage caused by the spill. The DNR needs much more information before it can determine the potential impact on the environment, including endangered fish species on the Delaware, van Rossum said.

The DEP said Sunday the water in the Delaware had not been contaminated and no fish or wildlife were injured, but they continue to monitor and take samples.

GenX water crisis: Recap of the key moments, recent stories

For more than 30 years, an untold amount of toxic, cancer-causing chemicals entered the Cape Fear River and private residents’ drinking wells from a chemical manufacturing plant outside Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The chemicals that leaked from the plant are known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, and their manufacturers have allegedly known for decades that they are dangerous to humans.

Yet Chemours and DuPont, the two manufacturers who owned the Fayetteville Works plant, contaminated the drinking water for more than 300,000 North Carolinians since as early as 1980. It wasn’t until 2017 when the StarNews broke the story, that the public became aware they were consuming toxic chemicals in dangerously high amounts.

In the four years since the crisis began, Chemours has had to pay a $12 million fine to the state of North Carolina, and is now required by legal agreement to clean up its manufacturing facility and help some of the thousands of affected residents.

But a vast majority of the 300,000 people affected by the GenX water crisis have yet to receive any assistance from Chemours or DuPont, and major questions remain over how many will ever get any help, what the chemicals will do to people long term and what stops the same crisis from happening again.

Since 2017, the StarNews has provided comprehensive coverage of the GenX water crisis by publishing dozens of articles. Here are the most recent stories and key coverage from the past:

Residents still awaiting help 4 years after GenX water crisis began

Residents around the Fayetteville Works plant say Chemours is doing very little to help them. In a crisis that’s affected more than 300,000 people, fewer than 5,000 have received any direct assistance from Chemours in the four years since the disaster began.

While some in Cumberland County have slowly gotten help from Chemours, an open question remains over what assistance, if any, everyone else will see.

Read on:4 years later, residents say little help has come in GenX water disaster's aftermath

4 years later; Chemours, DuPont face 1,000+ lawsuits for part in GenX water crisis

In the four years since the GenX water crisis began, a vast majority of those affected haven’t gotten any assistance from Chemours or DuPont. Many have decided to sue as a result.

Chemours and DuPont face more than 1,000 lawsuits for their part in the GenX water crisis, but North Carolina is just the tip of the iceberg for the two chemical makers when it comes to water contamination lawsuits.

Read on: GenX lawsuits: North Carolina, other states accuse Chemours, DuPont of fraud, negligence and misconduct

4 years later; what stops the GenX crisis from happening again? Nothing, experts say

The field of chemistry, especially for commercial purposes, is a quickly expanding area, and there’s no realistic way for scientists or regulators to keep track of all the compounds companies come up with.

While some progress has been made in terms of monitoring, environmentalists and experts say little has changed in terms of regulations that could prevent a similar crisis from happening.

Read on:GenX water crisis: Could we face another toxic water disaster? Experts say danger is still there

4 years later; health impacts of GenX crisis remain a mystery

In the four years since the GenX crisis began in the Cape Fear region, scientists have established that North Carolinians who drank the water from the Cape Fear River had higher amounts of PFAS in their bodies compared to the average American.

Yet little is known about what high amounts of PFAS exposure will do to people. Scientists have established some compounds such as PFOA, also known as C8, are possible human carcinogens, but other chemicals leaked into the river by Chemours aren’t as well understood by scientists.

Scientists, including many in North Carolina, are making progress in determining the health impacts of PFAS on humans, but they say progress is slow and ultimately understanding the true effects of the crisis might never be possible.

Read on:GenX and your health: What we know 4 years after the toxin was found in Wilmington's drinking water

Chemours, North Carolina and Cape Fear River Watch enter into consent order

In February 2019, Chemours, the state of North Carolina and Cape Fear River Watch entered into a consent order requiring the chemical manufacturer to reduce its chemical emissions and clean up its manufacturing facility outside Fayetteville.

As part of the agreement, Chemours agreed to pay a $12 million fine to the state and make a $100 million investment in its operation to reduce PFAS emissions. The consent order also mandated Chemours help those around the Fayetteville Works site by installing filters in their homes if their drinking water wells were contaminated.

Read on:Judge signs GenX consent order

Chemours admits to polluting Cape Fear River since 1980s

In a public meeting with local and state officials, Chemours said it had been dumping unregulated chemicals into the Cape Fear River since as early as 1980. Despite the admission, Chemours didn’t commit to ceasing its chemical discharges into the public waterway.

Chemours officials believed GenX ended up in the Cape Fear River as a result of a vinyl ether process that takes place on the massive industrial site.

Read more:Chemours: GenX polluting the Cape Fear since 1980

StarNews breaks story on PFAS contamination

In June 2017, a StarNews investigation revealed that a chemical known commercially as GenX had been identified in the drinking water system of Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, which provides drinking water to approximately 200,000 people.

The discovery of the PFAS compound, which at the time CFPUA couldn’t filter out, came after years of researchers finding the toxins in the Cape Fear River flowing down from the Fayetteville Works plant approximately 100 miles upstream from Wilmington.

At the time, scientists had only tested CFPUA for the compound, but expected the contamination zone to spread as more areas were tested.

Read on:Toxin taints CFPUA drinking water

50 States roundup

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Rogersville: It’s unknown when a popular north Alabama state park that was hit by a tornado on Dec. 14 will be fully reopened. The lodge, marina and some other sections of Joe Wheeler State Park are operating following the strike by what forecasters determined was an EF-1 twister. But the campground and day-use areas were badly damaged, and park officials said clearing away fallen trees and other debris will take time. The park is on the Tennessee River at Rogersville. The weather service said it was struck by a twister with 110 mph maximum winds that left a trail of damage as wide as 500 yards.

Alaska

Willow: At least six homes were evacuated after an ice jam caused a creek to flood in a subdivision north of Anchorage, emergency officials said. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Department of Emergency Services responded to flooding reports in Willow around 11 p.m. Saturday, The Anchorage Daily News reported.No injuries were reported. Residents near the Willow Creek and Deneki Road areas were evacuated late Saturday and early Sunday. A large chunk of ice jammed at the Deneki bridge and restricted water flow, which caused upstream flooding, a National Weather Service flood advisory said. The American Red Cross opened a temporary shelter at the Willow Community Center, although some residents chose to remain in their homes, officials said. The Willow Fire Department, Alaska State Troopers and Mat-Su Water Rescue Team responded to provide assistance in the community about 70 miles north of Anchorage, the borough said. The water began to recede Sunday, but a layer of ice formed and cars were frozen in place.

Arizona

Safford: After a devastating 2017 wildfire nearly wiped the species out, the Mount Graham red squirrel, the nation’s rarest small mammal, continues its slow climb out of the danger zone. The annual survey of the bushy-tailed rodents found at least 78 squirrels living on the upper slopes of Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona, a 4% increase from 2018. The survey was conducted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Coronado National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation at the Phoenix Zoo, and the University of Arizona. Although the species’ growth this year was much smaller than the 91% rise noted in the year after the 2017 Frye Fire, biologists are still encouraged that the half-pound critters are on the comeback. But a report released Nov. 18 suggests that the tiny mammal – which has survived fire, construction, introduced competitors and drought – faces a foe that could finally do it in: climate change. The report in the journal Nature Climate Change found that virtually all the of country’s 459 endangered species, including the red squirrels, have at least some vulnerabilities to long-term alterations like drought, increasingly intense storms and temperature rise.

Arkansas

Mountain Home: The Baxter Regional Medical Center officially broke ground Wednesday on the hospital’s outpatient surgery center. The 23,000 square-foot facility, which will be located along Beard Drive southeast of the hospital, is estimated to cost $8.7 million and should be completed in early 2021. The hospital presently performs close to 8,000 surgeries a year, medial center CEO Ron Peterson said, with about 65% percent of those outpatient procedures. The hospital expects the outpatient surgery center to perform about 3,000 procedures in its first year of operation, and it has the capacity to perform about 7,000 a year at full capacity.

California

Santa Barbara: A shark reportedly bit a surfer Saturday afternoon off Southern California in a “truly terrifying situation,” the Coast Guard said. The 37-year-old man had been surfing near Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands, during the attack, according to a news release. A friend aboard a nearby boat applied a tourniquet to his leg and called the Coast Guard for help, the release stated. A helicopter crew flew the man to the Santa Barbara airport for treatment and he was in stable condition Saturday night. Coast Guard video footage posted on Twitter showed the man, wearing a full-body wetsuit, being hoisted up from the boat into the helicopter. “This was the best possible outcome to a truly terrifying situation,” Coast Guard Lt. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble said in the release.

Colorado

Denver: The city’s water utility said it will speed up the removal of lead pipes from homes across the metro area. Denver Water said it expects the program to launch in 2020 and take 15 years at a cost of $500 million, Colorado Public Radio reported. The public agency estimated there are between 64,000 and 84,000 lead service lines in the system. Denver Water said it committed to removing at least 4,500 lines annually under an agreement with the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Lead exposure can lead to kidney and brain damage, as well as developmental issues for children. Homes built before 1951 are more likely to have lead service lines, Denver Water said.

Connecticut

Bridgeport: A police officer grabbed onto a driverless SUV that had rolled into traffic and stopped it from potentially hitting a group of children, authorities said. Surveillance video posted online by news outlets showed Bridgeport School Resource Officer Carlos Carmo Jr. running toward the moving vehicle and using his body to slow and stop the car. A group of Harding High School school students was walking on the sidewalk near the path of the SUV. There were two passengers in the car – one in the passenger seat and one in back – but no driver, when it somehow slipped out of park and rolled away, officials said. It had been parked on the street on a downward slope. Carmo was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, authorities said. No other injuries were reported. Mayor Joe Ganim said Carmo will be honored for his actions.

Delaware

Georgetown: Two weekend events recently brought a group of Satanists and hundreds of Christian worshippers together in the middle of town. Hundreds of people attended a live nativity Saturday night in Georgetown, while a group of Satanists held a quiet vigil nearby, The News Journal reported. The Satanist organizers said their vigil marked the winter solstice and celebrated religious diversity and equal rights during the holiday season. The group describes itself as a “nontheistic Delaware-based modern Satanic group.” A group called the Good Ole Boy Foundation is sponsoring the nativity scene each night until Christmas. “Everybody has the right to celebrate whatever they celebrate,” Georgetown resident Katie Rohlfing told the newspaper.

District of Columbia

Washington: Advocates for homeless people marched through the streets of the nation’s capital with an empty coffin as part of an annual vigil to the honor those who have died. City data showed at least 117 homeless people have died in the district this year, The Washington Post reported. Data showed about 52 of the deaths were considered accidents, including 44 that involved intoxication and three that involved the person being hit by a car. Of the remaining deaths, 26 causes were still pending, two were suicides, eight were homicides and 27 were considered natural, including several that involved alcoholism or cardiovascular disease. The seventh annual vigil hosted by the People for Fairness Coalition opened late Thursday with attendees singing hymns in front of the coffin at a local church before carrying it to Freedom Plaza. After the overnight vigil, participants attended a ceremony at another church where the names of those who died were read aloud.

Florida

Tampa: Sheriff’s deputies were searching for a suspect who they believe exploded an ATM in an unsuccessful effort to steal money. In a news release, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that an ATM exploded early Sunday just after surveillance cameras caught the male suspect spray-painting the exterior cameras black at the Pilot Bank. The Tampa Bay Times reported the suspect was unable to get through the ATM’s internal safe so no money was taken. Authorities said a similar incident took place at another bank in nearby Oldsmar in November.

Georgia

Savannah: The National Park Service plans to place a more storm-resistant roof on a historic building that serves as its staff headquarters at Fort Pulaski on the Georgia coast. The building wasn’t an original part of the Civil War-era fort east of Savannah. It was constructed just before World War I as an attendant’s quarters for a nearby quarantine station. The station was used to treat people with highly contagious diseases between 1889 and 1937. The park service is seeking public comment on its plan to replace the existing asphalt shingle roof with one made of steel, the agency said in a news release. The current roof suffered damaged from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma in 2016 and 2017. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the last surviving building associated with the former quarantine station. The park service said Georgia’s state historic preservation office determined a steel roof would adversely affect the building’s historic character because it would lack the appearance of the original shingle roof. The park service said it plans to minimize the new roof’s impact by applying steel in a diamond shingle pattern that mimics the original design.

Hawaii

Honolulu: New U.S. Navy contracting terms have resulted in a pullout by a major contractor that is expected to result in the loss of hundreds of jobs at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, officials said. BAE Systems PLC will no longer perform Navy surface ship repair at Pearl Harbor, eliminating about 325 jobs, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The Navy contracts with private shipyards and other firms for maintenance on nonnuclear surface ships. The multinational security, aerospace and ship repair firm was the prime contractor for repair projects through which subcontractor surface ship work was funneled. BAE announced a five-year multiship, multioption contract in 2014 for modernization and maintenance on nine destroyers and cruisers at Pearl Harbor. But multiship, multioption contracts using cost-reimbursement have been replaced nationally by a Navy strategy called “multiple award contract-multi order,” officials said. The new system uses firm-fixed-price contracts that do no allow adjustments for cost overruns, officials said. BAE cannot bid on smaller, $1 million to $2 million contracts under the new Navy format, but can seek major ship projects that can be $50 million to $100 million, officials said.

Idaho

Coeur d’Alene: A state Supreme Court ruling has upheld a lower-court decision regarding ownership of a launch on Lake Coeur d’Alene. The Dec. 11 ruling said the Eastside Highway District does not own a park boat launch in Coeur d’Alene’s Boothe Park, The Coeur d’Alene Press reported. The highway district had appealed a decision establishing a boundary on the park’s east side. The case has led to a debate over who can access the boat launch and whether the district and the public are allowed lake access at the park, district administrators said. The state Supreme Court affirmed the lower-court decision that Gregory and Ellen Delavan own the launch. The court found that any boundary agreement between the couple and the highway district no longer exists, regardless of whether an agreement existed between the district and previous property owners. The Supreme Court also ruled the summary judgment granted to the Delavans by the district court must be readdressed. The park was established around 1955 when it was conveyed to the Coeur d’Alene Highway District, the precursor to the Eastside Highway District.

Illinois

Chicago: New HIV diagnoses in Chicago continue to go down and have declined for four consecutive years, according to figures released by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s health department. The 734 new diagnoses reported in 2018 among Chicago residents are the lowest number since 1988, health officials said Monday. Chicago Department of Public Health’s 2019 HIV/STI surveillance report showed 23,580 people were living with HIV through the end of 2017, the year for which most current data is available. The health department’s HIV Services Portfolio is awarding more than $40 million annually to more than 60 community-based and health care organizations. Although HIV rates are declining in Chicago, other sexually transmitted infections are rising. More than 30,600 cases of chlamydia, nearly 12,700 cases of gonorrhea and 877 primary and secondary cases of syphilis were reported to the health department in 2018.

Indiana

Fishers:A 4-year-old girl who sledded Saturday onto a frozen pond that was rapidly melting was rescued by firefighters as the ice began to crack while they pulled her to safety. The incident happened at 10 a.m. Saturday in the girl’s backyard, according to a post on the fire department’s Facebook page. The sled was parked near the house but the snowy backyard led directly to the retention pond on a downward slope. Firefighters said the child hopped on the sled before the parents could react, and it carried her onto the pond. The ice did not crack and the parents did not try to walk out to the sled, which firefighters said was the right thing to do because the ice was brittle. Instead, they called 911 and waited for the fire department. The rescuers arrived quickly as the child waited on the sled, according to the post. They used equipment to scoot onto the ice and grab the girl. As they did, firefighters heard the cracking but “luck held that the ice could support the weight,” according to the Facebook post. Officials with the fire department could not be reached immediately for comment but they warned on Facebook that ice-covered ponds will continue to melt this week as temperatures remain above average.

Iowa

Des Moines:Twice within an hour on the afternoon of Dec. 9, police said a Des Moines woman intentionally struck young pedestrians with her SUV, later telling authorities that she targeted a teenage girl because she was Latino. The other victim is a black male. Nicole Marie Poole Franklin, 42, is accused of hitting a 12-year-old boy with her SUV as he walked on a sidewalk within an apartment complex property in the 6000 block of Creston Avenue in Des Moines. Franklin is charged with attempted murder in the incident, which occurred at 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 9, according to a news release from Des Moines police. Witnesses told police the SUV accelerated before striking the boy, who suffered minor injuries. About 30 minutes later, Clive police said Franklin drove off the roadway and struck 14-year-old Natalia Miranda as she walked on a sidewalk along Indian Hills Drive. Franklin faces an attempted murder charge in the hit-and-run. Clive Police Chief Michael Venema said Franklin told police that she targeted Miranda because the girl "is Mexican." Miranda suffered several injuries but returned to school less than a week after the incident. She told KCCI after the crash that she remembers the vehicle coming toward her, but doesn't recall being hit. About an hour after Miranda was hit, West Des Moines police were called to a Conoco gas station where Franklin allegedly stole merchandise and referred to employees and customers by racial and ethnic slurs. West Des Moines police on Sunday said Franklin would face a felony hate crime charge – assault in violation of individual rights – for the Conoco incident, on top of previous charges of theft and public intoxication.

Kansas

Topeka: Shawnee County has an extra $75 in its coffers because of a former thief with a guilty conscious. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that someone anonymously sent the money to Shawnee County along with a letter dated Dec. 18. The letter stated that the sender is in a 12-step program and working to make financial amends. It stated that many years ago, the writer stole a receptacle meant for cigarette ashes that was in front of the courthouse. County Commission Chairman Bill Riphahn said the letter was accompanied by three $20 bills, a $10 bill and a $5 bill.

Kentucky

Frankfort: State Police collected more than 236 tons of food for Kentucky families with the 10th annual “Cram the Cruiser” food drive. Post 16 in Owensboro collected the most this year with a total of 60,925 pounds of food. Post commander Capt. Brenton Ford credited Master Trooper Corey King for organizing the drive and also recognized the support of local people and businesses, a state police news release said. State police initiated the program in 2010 to help families in need in local post and region areas. Since then, the agency has contributed nearly 2 million pounds of food to shelters, food banks and churches around the state.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: At least one bald eagle, and possibly a second, might have been killed in northwest Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Agents believed it happened in the Lake Claiborne area, though they don’t think it was in the state park there, enforcement division spokesman Adam Einck said in an email Monday to the Associated Press. Einck said he couldn’t provide any details because agents are still investigating. The birds are no longer endangered but remain protected by two federal laws. Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, a first offense of killing a bald eagle can bring up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The other law is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The number of bald eagle nests being used for eggs and nestlings fell to at most seven in the early 1970s. A survey in southeast Louisiana, where the birds are most numerous, found 264 active nests in 2018.

Maine

Portland: A Maine lobstering group has promised to fight the approval of an oyster farm off the state’s southern coast that has become part of a protracted fight over access to the water. The Maine Department of Marine Resources approved a lease of about 35 acres on Maquoit Bay on Dec. 19 for the Mere Point Oyster Company. The state uses a leasing system to allow people raising seafood to use state-owned waters to grow shellfish such as oysters and mussels. Many Maine lobster fishermen opposed the application because they fear it will take away their access to the bay bottom, where they trap lobsters. Some have also said the project is symptomatic of an aquaculture industry they think is growing too fast for the state and will make it difficult to catch Maine’s signature seafood. Opponents of the project are filing an appeal in court to attempt to stop it. Representatives for the Mere Point Oyster Company did not return calls seeking comment.

Maryland

Ridge: The state’s first formal stock assessment supported claims by environmentalists that oyster numbers have experienced a sharp decline in the Chesapeake Bay – down 50% since 1999. The study estimated market-size oysters dropped from 600 million in 1999 to about 300 million in the Maryland portion of the bay in 2018. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science collaborated in the study at the request of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources after the state legislature mandated it. Oysters play an important role in the bay’s ecosystem because of their water-filtering capabilities. They also create reefs for habitat for other bay life. DNR chief Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said the stock assessment provides “the best available science” to move forward. She also said the state’s oyster management plan has been updated, with the goal of creating a sustainable oyster fishery in eight to 10 years.

Massachusetts

Boston: A federal judge is hearing arguments in a case challenging how Massachusetts prisons treat inmates with opioid addiction. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts is seeking a temporary restraining order compelling the state Department of Correction to provide three prisoners their prescribed medication for opioid addiction while they serve out their sentences. The ACLU and the law firm Goodwin Procter filed suit Friday alleging that the three inmates had been prescribed addiction treatment medication before being incarcerated but were told by prison officials that they would only receive them for up to 90 days, after which they would be withdrawn. The organizations argue the policy violates the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act’s protections for people suffering from opioid addiction. The organizations said the inmates are effectively being forced to go through painful withdrawal and face an increased risk of relapse, overdose, and death without their medication. The Correction Department has said it doesn’t have a policy restricting the dosage or length of treatment for opioid addiction medications. It said any decisions about maintaining or discontinuing medications are made by the company it contracts for inmate health care service.

Michigan

Madison Heights:The state said there is no immediate health threat as crews continue to clean up a greenish-yellow chemical ooze that ran onto I-696 in Madison Heights on Friday, apparently seeping from a nearby chemical plating plant that was closed three years ago. The underground plume is not impacting air quality or the drinking water, Jill Greenberg, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said Sunday. The contaminated water is migrating underground and working its way to the freeway, she said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is working with the state, determined the liquid likely was groundwater contaminated with hexavalent chromium. Samples results from the site are expected this week, Greenberg said. The spill has been traced to a nearby, closed electro-plating company in Madison Heights whose owner was convicted of storing dangerous chemicals in leaky containers. Hexavalent chromium is the same chemical Pacific Gas and Electric Company was accused of contaminating the drinking water in a California town in the famous lawsuit brought by activist Erin Brockovich.

Minnesota

Millerville: Authorities said two brothers are dead after being overcome by fumes in a grain silo on a western Minnesota farm. The Star Tribune reported the victims were identified as 47-year-old Curt F. Boesl and 49-year-old Steven T. Boesl. Authorities said an 11-year-old son of Curt Boesl’s, Alex, also fell ill to the fumes late Saturday morning and was taken by air ambulance to a Twin Cities hospital. His condition has not been released. Authorities said Boesl and his son were working in the top of the silo and “were apparently overcome by fumes.” Another son outside the silo saw what happened and called 911. He also called his uncle, Steven, who arrived and went to the top of the silo to try and rescue his brother and nephew. Authorities said Steven Boesl also was apparently overcome by fumes. By the time deputies arrived, all three were unconscious. Emergency responders removed them from the silo. Ambulance personnel declared Steven Boesl dead at the scene. Curt Boesl died Sunday morning.

Mississippi

Jackson: Average wait times have tripled at Mississippi’s driver’s license stations over the past two years, according to a report by a state legislative watchdog agency. The Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review report released Dec. 18 attributed the spike in waits to reasons including vacancies, malfunctioning kiosks and clients being provided outdated or inaccurate or incomplete information. Other reasons include the adoption of a computer system that the report said increased processing times for routine transactions by 40% to 50%, news outlets reported. The state Department of Public Safety is working to lessen wait times, the report said. Changes include implementing appointment scheduling, filling vacant positions and improving online services, the report and Public Service Commissioner Marshall Fisher said.

Missouri

St. Clair: Authorities said two boys have died after plunging through a frozen pond near their home in eastern Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the 7- and 8-year-old boys were found Sunday afternoon in the private pond in Franklin County. The search began after the boys didn’t return from a bicycle ride. The patrol said a family member found one of them floating in the pond. A diver then located the second child. The report didn’t say how long they had been in the water. They were pronounced dead several hours later. Their names weren’t immediately released.

Montana

Billings: US officials transferred 33 disease-free bison from Yellowstone National Park to a Montana Indian Reservation as part of efforts to reduce the slaughter of bison that migrate out of the park. Robert Magnan with the Fort Peck Tribes said a trailer carrying the animals left the park Monday morning. It was expected to arrive at the reservation in northeastern Montana later in the day. The animals were to be released into a pasture on Tuesday. The shipment includes bison and their descendants who were trapped to prevent the spread of the disease brucellosis. They have been tested repeatedly to make sure they are disease-free. Brucellosis can cause pregnant animals to prematurely abort their young. It has been eradicated in the U.S. except for the Yellowstone area, where it persists in herds of elk and bison. Yellowstone has captured thousands of bison and sent them to slaughter for disease control over the past few decades. Monday’s transfer was done under a program that puts some captured animals through a quarantine to make sure they do not carry brucellosis. The quarantine program has been in place for more than a decade, but struggled in its early years in part because of opposition from the livestock industry due to worries about cows becoming infected.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Prison officials have canceled Christmas Eve visits to the Nebraska State Penitentiary to fight a prison system flu outbreak. Nearly four dozen flu cases have been confirmed and a higher number are suspected at five prison facilities, the Department of Correctional Services said in a new release Sunday. The penitentiary in Lincoln has the highest number of confirmed and suspected cases, said prisons director Scott Frakes. The department is taking several steps to help stop the outbreak, including providing face masks for staffers and inmates and encouraging inmates to get flu shots.

Nevada

Reno:State water officials want to pause the approval of groundwater for new developments in Cold Spring Valley north of Reno, which has seen thousands of new homes in recent decades. They want to know more about the sustainability of the valley’s groundwater supply before signing off on new projects. On Friday, state engineer Tim Wilson, Nevada's highest-ranking water official, signed an order declaring a moratorium on approving new subdivision maps if the development would rely on groundwater pumped from the Cold Spring Valley. The order makes exceptions for developments that would import water via pipeline, such as the proposed 5,000-unit Stonegate development. Pumping to support existing homes in the valley isn't affected by the order. Wilson and his boss, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Director Bradley Crowell, are concerned the amount of water rights approved exceed the rate at which nature replenishes the underground aquifer.

New Hampshire

Concord: State lawmakers will be considering two bills to crack down on vaping this session. Last session, the Legislature added vaping to state’s tobacco laws and raised the minimum age for cigarettes and vaping products to 19. Next year, lawmakers will consider a bill to go even further and raise the minimum age for vaping to 21. Lawmakers also will take up a bill that would ban all flavored vaping products except for menthol. Democratic Rep. Jerry Knirk told New Hampshire Public Radio that he believes it’s a public health issue and that lawmakers should be doing everything they can to stop teens from vaping. But Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said he would not support banning sales of any vaping products.

New Jersey

Freehold Township:About 200 people rallied Saturday for Stephanie Parze, a 25-year-old missing Freehold Township woman, an effort by her family to keep a light burning for her. The group stood outlined in yellow police tape shaped into a heart as a tower ladder from the East Freehold Fire Company hoisted photographers over the crowd. Parze was last heard from on Oct. 30 after a night out with family. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, John D. Ozbilgen, 29, was named by police as a person of interest. He took his own life on Nov. 22, hanging himself in the garage of his parents’ Freehold Township home. That was two days after he was released from Monmouth County Jail, where he was held for 11 days on a child pornography charge that resulted from a review of his cellphone in connection with Parze’s disappearance. Suspicion hung over Ozbligen up to his death. He was accused of choking and beating other women and posting Facebook messages and sending texts that alluded to abuse, violence and homicide. Parze’s father, Ed, said the outpouring of support has been surprising. One woman delivered 21 baskets of gifts worth thousands of dollars that she collected from neighbors to be auctioned off at a fundraiser. The family is continuing to schedule searches and fundraising events. A search will be staged at 9 a.m. Sunday at 333 Route 522 in Manalapan.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: President Donald Trump signed legislation Friday that extends federal grant programs aimed at preserving indigenous languages and expands eligibility so more tribes can participate. The legislation was named after Esther Martinez, a traditional storyteller and Tewa language advocate from northern New Mexico’s Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo who died in 2006. Her family, tribal leaders and members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation said reauthorization of the programs through 2024 marks a commitment by the federal government to keeping Alaska Native and American Indian languages alive. Dozens of tribes from Alaska to Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana and Massachusetts have benefited from the programs over the years. There are more than 40 active grants totaling more than $11 million that are being used for language preservation and immersion efforts.

New York

New York City: The most popular baby names in New York City last year were Liam and Emma, according to data released by city health officials Monday. Of the babies born in New York City in 2018, there were 779 Liams and 501 Emmas, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s birth certificate records. The number of births in the city decreased from 117,013 in 2017 to 114,296 in 2018, according to the city’s data. Liam has been the top name for boys since 2016, and Emma has been the top name for girls since 2017. Some New Yorkers opted for rarer names: There were a handful of girls named Aminah, Ida and Zadie and boys called Bentley, Lucian and Warren. Nine of the top 10 boy names from 2017 remained on the list in 2018. Jayden was dropped from the 2018 list while Alexander was added as the 10th-most popular name. Eight of the top girl names stayed on the top 10 list for 2018. Amelia and Chloe joined the list as the ninth- and 10th-most popular names in 2018 respectively.

North Carolina

Waynesville: Authorities said a man impersonating a police officer pulled a woman over and told her to get out of her car at gunpoint. The man is still at large. The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the incident happened Sunday. The sheriff’s office said the man was driving a silver Dodge Charger with dark-tinted windows and white strobe lights. The woman thought it was a police vehicle and pulled over. The sheriff’s office said the man wore a black button up collared shirt, cargo pants and silver badge. He also had a gun on his belt. Authorities said the man pulled out his gun and told the woman to “get out of the car.” The woman drove off only for the man to briefly chase her in his car.

North Dakota

Bismarck: A landslide closed a road in the Bismarck area, but authorities said no one was injured. A driver called authorities Sunday afternoon about the impassable River Road. It wasn’t immediately known what caused the landslide that blocked both lanes of traffic. Burleigh County highway department engineers were assessing the situation and how best to reopen the road.

Ohio

Dayton: Aerospace fans who have trouble fitting a museum visit into daytime hours will have the opportunity next year to make evening visits to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The extended schedule once a month will give busy families and other people with time crunches more options to see and experience the museum’s exhibits, museum officials said. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will remain open until 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month beginning next year. Visitors on select evenings will get up-close looks at different vintage aircraft in the museum’s collection with volunteer experts on hand to discuss and answer questions. The museum near Dayton plays host to some 800,000 visitors a year who can see more than 350 aerospace vehicles and thousands of artifacts. It also shows movies and offers simulators and other attractions. Admissions and parking are free.

Oklahoma

Tulsa: An iconic building in downtown Tulsa that was once the world headquarters for televangelist Oral Roberts’ ministries is losing its distinctive diamond-shaped facade for safety reasons. The Tulsa World reported workers are removing the diamond-shaped slabs of granite that cover the Abundant Life Building, The building was originally constructed in 1958 but has been vacant since the 1980s. Its ownership has changed hands several times over the years. It’s now owned by Sharp Development. Brian Elliott, with Sharp Development, on Friday said several of the diamonds have fallen on their own. Preservation Oklahoma chose the windowless structure as one of 2016’s most endangered historic places. Preservationists said the building exemplifies at-risk midcentury architecture and is woven into the fabric of Tulsa’s past. The building had been subject to several nuisance violations between 2004 and 2014. A trespasser died in 2013 after falling down an elevator shaft.

Oregon

Salem:A group of homeless people followed up on a plan to set up tents on the state Capitol grounds Monday after being displaced from downtown under a camping ban passed by the City Council earlier this month. About 25 people with about a dozen tents occupied the park before State Police and Parks and Recreation Department officials arrived. State officials and Salem Housing Authority staff told the homeless they had two hours to leave the Oregon Capitol State Park. At least one camper was arrested on an outstanding warrant. City officials briefly revisited an idea to allow sanctioned tent camping Friday, but they have backed away from that proposal. Instead, they are redoubling efforts to find a space to operate a 90-day warming shelter after Salem First Presbyterian Church decided not to participate.

Pennsylvania

Gladwyne: Joseph Segel, a “quintessential entrepreneur” who founded the home-shopping network QVC, has died, the company that owns the channel announced. He was 88. Segel died Saturday in Gladwyne because of congestive heart failure, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. He was remembered as an innovator for creating QVC, short for “Quality Value Convenience.” It launched in 1986 and was played by nearly 60 cable stations. It now reaches 380 million homes throughout the world, according to a press release from Qurate Retail Group. In 1993, Segel retired as chairman of QVC. He stayed on as a company adviser until 2013. Segel’s entrepreneurial streak wasn’t just limited to QVC. He also founded the Franklin Mint, a private mint company that produces commemorative coins and other collectibles. It is now owned by Sequential Brands Group.

Rhode Island

Burrillville: State environmental officials have cited two people and are looking for four others they said were deer hunting out of season over the weekend. Environmental officers responded to Burrillville on Sunday after getting reports of out-of-season hunters, according to Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management posts on social media. The first officer on the scene made contact with two people they described as poachers, but four others fled into the woods. A department dog was brought to the scene and found three shotguns hidden under the snow and leaves. One was still loaded. A fourth hidden shotgun was located by officers searching another area of the woods. No names were released.

South Carolina

Spartanburg: Nearly 1,200 city employees are getting early Christmas presents in the form of January pay raises. The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported that the County Council recently adopted the county’s first pay restructuring in more than a decade, which includes $5.3 million in annual pay increases and benefits for jobs in 27 pay grades ranging from $23,500 to $167,710. The increases will affect 1,183 employees. The Council had budgeted for 4% increases. Some will get more, and others will get less. County Administrator Cole Alverson said tax revenue is greater than expected, and all the raises can be paid for without a tax increase. The raises take effect Jan. 3, and will be seen in the Jan. 23 paychecks, he said. Designed to attract and retain employees, council members said they hope the raises make up for several lean budget years of no or little pay increases.

South Dakota

Pierre: Two South Dakota companies have paid off all lunch debt in the Pierre School District. Karber Construction and American Trust Insurance have eliminated a negative balance of about $2,300 in students’ meal accounts. Mandy Karber said that as a small business, they were looking for a way to give back. She said it’s typical of the community where there are a lot of people willing to help out, according to the Argus Leader. American Trust Insurance said it raised about $1,000 with an employee-giving campaign. District business manager Darla Mayer said school officials are grateful for the generous individuals and businesses.

Tennessee

Memphis:Two American originals, Elvis Presley and David Lynch, will converge when Graceland plays host to a fan convention celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Twin Peaks.” The gathering – officially known as “Twin Peaks 30: Official Fan Celebration” – is set for April 3-5, with most events at the Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment complex across the street from the mansion. According to Graceland, the convention will include “‘Twin Peaks’-themed parties; exhibits of props and costumes; screenings of fan-favorite episodes; and autograph and meet-and-greet sessions “accompanied by cherry pie and ‘damn good coffee,’” according to a press release citing the culinary preferences of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, the series hero played by Kyle MacLachlan. Celebrity guests who are scheduled to attend include Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Chrysta Bell, Michael Horse, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson and Sheryl Lee. Lynch, the celebrated director who created the cult series with writer Mark Frost, is not scheduled to attend. Ticket packages for the “Twin Peaks 30: Official Fan Celebration” go on sale at 2 p.m. Thursday at www.graceland.com/TwinPeaks. Tickets initially will be offered in expensive “packages,” ranging from $399 to $999; one-day tickets and other types of admission are expected to be made available at a later date.

Texas

Katy: A dispute over a child’s haircut ended with gunfire Saturday at a barbershop, according to authorities. Deputies are looking for a man who shot an employee of a barbershop in the Houston suburb of Katy during an argument, the Harris County Sheriff’s office said in a tweet Saturday. Witnesses said the argument was over a haircut given to the man’s son. The alleged shooter left the barbershop in a grey, four-door sedan, according to the sheriff’s office. The employee was shot three times and was in stable condition at an area hospital, KPRC-TV reported Saturday. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to requests for information Sunday.

Utah

St. George: Federal officials are considering whether to allow a highway to be built through protected Mojave desert tortoise habitat in southern Utah, a plan that has drawn criticism from conservationists. The proposed four-lane highway would pass through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area north of St. George to connect traffic from Washington City to St. George, the Spectrum newspaper reported. The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comments through Jan. 6 ahead of a draft environmental impact statement that’s expected to come out late spring or early summer. Elected officials in southern Utah have been pushing for the road to address current and future traffic concerns in one of the most rapidly growing parts of the country. Conservationists argue that officials should consider alternatives to a highway that could put the threatened tortoise and other sensitive species at risk.

Vermont

Barre: Three school districts will soon be using electric buses to carry some of their students to and from school. The Barre Unified School District, Champlain Valley School District and Franklin West Supervisory District will each replace a regular bus as part of an electric bus pilot program. The districts were chosen from a long list of applicants to participate in the program funded by Vermont’s legal settlement with Volkswagen for violations of the Clean Air Act, MyChamplainValley.com reported. Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Emily Boedecker said it’s an opportunity to check the benefits of electric transport on a small scale. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation are working together on the program. Over the next few months the districts will be working with the sponsors to purchase the buses, build charging infrastructure, and look at any other facility upgrades that might be needed.

Virginia

Richmond: Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that he hired Melissa Baker to oversee 38 state parks and more than 270 employees. She will be the first woman to run the department in the park system’s 83-year history when she starts in January. Baker previously worked as the director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department and previously worked as chief of operations for Montana State Parks. She previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Maine.

Washington

Seattle: Health officials are warning people to stay away from area beaches and bodies of water as the region’s record-breaking rainstorms have caused sewage spills. Medina Park Beach along Lake Washington, Saltwater State Park in Des Moines and Port Washington Narrows in Kitsap County were hit by sewage overflows caused by a 48-hour storm system that soaked the region. The heavy rainstorm began Thursday, dropping more than 6 inches of rain before easing up Saturday. Friday was the wettest day in Seattle in 10 years, and the most rain for Dec. 20 since record-keeping at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport began in 1945. The National Weather Service said the airport recorded 3.25 inches of rain Friday, making it also the fifth-rainiest day in city history. Seattle also broke a daily rainfall record on Thursday with 2.91 inches, making it the 11th-wettest day recorded at the airport. King County said the Medina Pump Station was fully functioning when it overflowed on Friday for about four hours. Advisory signs have been posted. Officials said coming into contact with fecal contaminated waters can cause gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other waterborne illnesses.

West Virginia

Charleston: Residents who want to recycle their Christmas trees after the holidays will be able to donate them to be used for fish habitats. The recycling event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 4 at Charleston’s Capitol Market. There’s no limit to the number of trees each person can donate and no size limit. Trees must be real. All decorations must be removed, and branches must be attached to the tree. The trees will be repurposed as fish habitats in lakes across West Virginia, including Cheat, Tygart, Stonewall Jackson, Stonecoal, Burnsville, Sutton, Summersville, Big Ditch, Sherwood, R.D. Baily, Beech Fork and East Lynn lakes, and the Apple Grove Hatchery in Mason County. The program is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan in conjunction with West Virginia State Parks and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Staff will be at the donation site to help unload trees. Those who donate can register for prizes, and each person who donates will receive a gift from the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan.

Wisconsin

Wausau: For decades, those who have participated in snowball fights in Wausau have risked getting in trouble with the law. But that might be about to change. A 1962 ban on throwing projectiles in Wausau lumps snowballs into the same category as rocks and other items that can cause serious harm. City Council President Lisa Rasmussen said that recent negative national attention over the rarely used ordinance has raised questions about whether it could be time to take snowballs off the naughty list. Wausau police and the mayor even made a video showing officers having a snowball fight. The City Council will consider decriminalizing snowball fights at a meeting next month.

Wyoming

Cody: The city plans to continue using police sharpshooters to reduce its deer population. A Wyoming Game and Fish Department permit allows the city to cull as many as 50 deer per year. A recent count showed 180 deer in the city limits, down from 192 in 2018 and nearly 300 in 2015, the Cody Enterprise reported. A task force in 2015 recommended reducing the deer population to 150. Police sharpshooters have killed 151 deer since the local program began. Allowing the herd to grow would cause the deer to have insufficient food and become unhealthy, Police Chief Chuck Baker said. The Police Department provides the deer to people willing to process and eat the meat.