Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
POLICE DEATH-NORTHWEST PROTESTS
Rioting after protest leads to curfew for Seattle
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a 5 p.m. curfew for the entire city Saturday and Washingon Gov. Jay Inslee activated the National Guard after rioters torched police vehicles and spilled onto Interstate 5, forcing the freeway’s temporary closure through the central part of the Northwest’s largest city. Thousands of people had gathered peacefully in the rain to protest the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but some later broke windows, tagged buildings and set fires. Police at times deployed flash bangs to disperse crowds and pepper-sprayed demonstrators who got close to police lines. Although many dispersed dozens remained downtown after curfew setting fires and breaking into retail stores while police fired gas and arrested at least one person.
EXCHANGE-GRIZZLY CROWDS
Volunteer to help with crowds at Wyoming grizzly sightings
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Crowds of naive tourists have made for an occasionally dicey situation when grizzly bears appear near the highway over western Wyoming's Togwotee Pass. Bridger-Teton National Forest officials hope to improve safety by bringing on a volunteer to patrol the area this summer. Dale Barker will wear an official uniform and drive an official vehicle and forest officials say they'll be glad to have his help. A grizzly bear people call Felicia is a popular target of wildlife watchers. She and a male grizzly were recently spotted on the pass. Felicia appeared with two cubs in 2019 but only one of them is with her this year.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-IDAHO
Latinos increasingly affected by COVID-19 in rural Idaho
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — New data shows a recent spike in coronavirus cases has hit Latinos in rural Idaho, an already disproportionately affected community that makes up a third of the state’s cases where the race is known. The Idaho Statesman reported that data collected from all seven Idaho public health districts has shown a majority of the people who have contracted the coronavirus in multiple Magic Valley counties are Latino. Lincoln County had the highest percentage in the Magic Valley region, with Latinos making up 78% of the county’s 33 COVID-19 cases. The data says outbreaks in food processing plants may be driving the increasing cases.
AP-ID-VIRUS OUTBREAK-IDAHO-LAWSUIT
Idaho newspaper plans lawsuit over COVID-19 records denial
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A southwestern Idaho newspaper says it will file a lawsuit against the state Department of Health and Welfare if the agency doesn't turn over the names of long-term care facilities in the state with confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff. The Idaho Statesman on Friday, through its attorney, sent a letter to the agency contending the information should be made available under Idaho's Public Records Act. The newspaper requested the information in a public records request earlier this month. But the agency denied the request, saying it failed to meet the requirements of the public records law.
ASIAN GIANT HORNET
Another Asian giant hornet found in northwestern Washington
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A dead Asian giant hornet has been found in Washington state, and officials said Friday they are trying to learn if the insects have established colonies. The Washington state Department of Agriculture said it was the first confirmed sighting of an Asian giant hornet in Washington this year. The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet and a predator of honey bees and other insects. A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honey bee hive in a matter of hours. The hornets are known as Murder Hornets in Japan, a name that Washington state officials frown upon.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WASHINGTON STATE
WA virus order expiring, counties get more flexibility
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington's COVID-19 stay-at-home order will expire Sunday night, and the state's counties will have more flexibility to apply to advance through the current four-phase reopening plan using updated benchmarks that some larger counties had been seeking. Most counties are already approved for Phase 2, which allows restaurants and taverns to reopen at half capacity with limited table sizes, hair and nail salons and barber shops to resume business, and for retail stores to reopen for in-store purchases at 30% capacity. Under the guidelines issued Friday, any county can apply, and the application will be assessed on several targets, including whether they’ve had fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
