Some Alabama residents can breathe a sigh of relief as rain showers have finally brought an end to a statewide fire ban. The Alabama Forestry Commission lifted burn restrictions in 33 counties in the southern half of the state on Wednesday. However, Alabama is not in the clear just yet. .
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Today, nearly 4,000 Utahns are lacing up their running shoes and putting on a costume for the Utah Food Bank s 18th annual Utah Human Race. Ginette Bott, president and CEO of the Utah Food Bank, said as many gather in the spirit of Thanksgiving, it is an important time to remember close to 320,000 Utahns face hunger, and one in 10 Utah kids do not know where their next meal is coming from. She explained by running with an "attitude of gratitude," many are helping the food bank in the fight against statewide hunger. .
North Dakota officials said they will appeal a recent federal court ruling requiring the state to rework legislative voting district boundaries for certain tribal areas, as Native American advocates pressure the state to comply with the order. Last week, a judge said the state violated a federal statute in its redistricting plans by diluting the Native American voting strength for communities along the Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservations. A key action was packing the populations into a separate subdistrict. .
Florida lawmakers are being asked to use the winter months to swiftly install air conditioning in prison housing units before the return of scorching summer temperatures. Ricky Dixon, secretary of the Department of Corrections, told a Senate committee 75% of Florida prison housing currently lacks air conditioning. Denise Rock, executive director of the advocacy group Florida Cares Charity Corp., a nonprofit working with people who are incarcerated and their families, said she is convinced the sweltering conditions in state facilities ultimately are unsafe. .