Coronavirus: Parents in Clark, Champaign have mixed feelings about sending kids back to school

Aug. 8—Parents in Clark and Champaign school districts have mixed feelings about sending their children back to school in the fall as cases of the coronavirus rise. All districts will be in person with no alternating days for attendance as they did last year to maximize social distancing. Masks were also required, but will be optional this year in most districts. Two districts — Springfield …

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Imagination runs wild in a strange place

Aug. 7—I do not believe in ghouls and ghosts, but I have always been intrigued by cemeteries, especially old cemeteries. Walking through a cemetery lets one’s imagination flow as you imagine the stories that those buried there could tell. As a teen, one of my best friends lived near a cemetery in Bisbee, Arizona. I frequently visited his home, and we would walk through the cemetery to get to …

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Colorado mudslides wreak havoc on major transportation route

As ominous storm clouds gathered in western Colorado over a large area blackened by a recent wildfire, torrential rain fell and the charred land stripped of vegetation gave way, sending a rush of mud and boulders tumbling down steep canyon walls and onto a major highway. The July 29 mudslides stranded more than 100 people in their vehicles overnight and caused extensive damage that closed Interstate 70, capping several weeks of perilous conditions in a scenic canyon carved through the mountains by the Colorado River. Each forced long detours for semitrailers that deliver fuel and food, and inflicted economic pain on businesses that cater to tourists in the popular summer destination of Glenwood Springs.

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Invasive insect found in Rhode Island for 1st time

An invasive insect that can cause damage to native trees and agricultural crops was found in Rhode Island for the first time, state environmental officials said Friday. A single, spotted lanternfly was found in an area in Warwick near Jefferson Boulevard recently, the state Department of Environmental Management said in an emailed statement. A photo of the insect was sent to the agency, and the state Division of Agriculture confirmed the sighting earlier this week.

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Philippine police say officer killed police chief over hair

A policeman staffing a coronavirus quarantine checkpoint in the southern Philippines killed a provincial police chief who criticized his long hair, police said Friday. Security escorts for Sulu provincial police director Col. Michael Bawayan Jr. returned fire and killed the suspect at the checkpoint in Jolo town, a police report said. Bawayan was conducting a routine check of police enforcement of quarantine regulations when he spotted police Staff Sgt. Imran Jilah’s long hair at the checkpoint in Jolo’s Asturias village, the report said.

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Arkansas lawmakers adjourn, leave mask mandate ban intact

Arkansas lawmakers on Friday left the state’s mask mandate ban in place, ending a session called to revisit the prohibition for schools because of the state’s COVID-19 surge. The majority-Republican Legislature adjourned the special session that GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson had called to consider rolling back the ban for some schools. Hutchinson signed the ban in April but said the change was needed to protect children under 12 who can’t get vaccinated as the state’s virus cases and hospitalizations skyrocket.

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Recreation at risk as Lake Powell dips to historic low

A thick, white band of newly exposed rock face stretches high above boaters’ heads at Lake Powell, creating a sharp contrast against the famous red desert terrain as their vessels weave through tight canyons that were once underwater. It’s a stark reminder of how far the water level has fallen at the massive reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border. Now, the level at the popular destination for houseboat vacations is at a historic low amid a climate change-fueled megadrought engulfing the U.S. West.

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