Arizona:

Tucson – The superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District said she didn't feel comfortable accepting a $20,000 bonus. Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, in her second year at TUSD, returned the money to the district saying she would prefer it be spent on school choice transformation and leadership development for staff.

Arkansas:

Little Rock– A jury sentenced a man to life in prison for the beating death of a TV personality, sparing him death. Jurors recommended that Curtis Vance, 29, be sentenced to life in prison without parole for the death of Anne Pressly, 26, in 2008.

California:

Los Angeles – Police fatally shot a man they said climbed into a woman's apartment and stabbed her to death. Police spokesman Bruce Borihanh said two officers were in a patrol car completing a report when someone ran up and told them the woman was being attacked. Borihanh said officers ran to the apartment, saw the man stabbing the woman and shot him.

Colorado:

Boulder – Schoolchildren in Boulder Valley are giving a thumbs down to healthier cafeteria food. The school district said fewer elementary students are eating hot lunches this year after the district spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide a menu that avoids processed food and emphasizes fruits and whole-grain breads.

Connecticut:

Fairfield –Fairfield University officials have lodged harassment charges against the student newspaper after a satirical column sparked a protest. The Fairfield Mirror's Sept. 30 column lampooned female students who agree to one-night stands, and described a "walk of shame" from a male dorm. The Mirror published an apology.

Delaware:

Dover – The state medical examiner is confirming that a baby boy found in a motel trash bin over the weekend was stillborn. The Department of Correction said parents Dereke and Jeanne Moore of Smyrna are being held after failing to post bond on abusing a corpse and conspiracy charges.

D.C.:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, worried about lapses in oversight of the city's AIDS program, threatened to cut off $12.2 million in federal funding next year if the problems are not fixed, The Washington Post reported. The newspaper found the HIV/AIDS Administration had paid more than $25 million to non-profits that delivered substandard care.

Florida:

Bartow – Members of an anti-drug task force that was caught on camera playing a video game while executing a search warrant will get retraining. A Polk County Sheriff's Office internal investigation found 11 investigators were at fault for the March 6 incident. The officers' names weren't released.

Georgia:

Jefferson – State Department of Natural Resources rangers are looking for the carcass of a black bear that was hit and killed by a car on Interstate 85. The Marietta couple in the car weren't hurt. Someone took the 200-pound carcass before rangers could get it. Officials want to study the bear and find what drove it into Jackson County.

Hawaii:

Honolulu – A decision to dismiss a lawsuit that claimed the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is racially discriminatory was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court also affirmed Judge J. Michael Seabright's order that plaintiffs' attorney H. William Burgess pay OHA $2,300 in compensation for making what the judge described as "frivolous arguments."

Idaho:

Boise – A former national Republican official in jail for stalking a former girlfriend likely won't face disciplinary action by the State Bar Association, his lawyer said. Blake Hall, 56, quit a post this week representing Idaho on the GOP National Committee. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stalking and is serving 15 days in jail.

Illinois:

Chicago – Commuters can breathe a sigh of relief. The Chicago Transit Authority passed a 2010 budget that doesn't include fare increases. The agency created a stir last month when it proposed raising the basic subway fare from $2.25 to $3.

Indiana:

Indianapolis – The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer is pledging $10 million to support work by Indiana University researchers. The donation follows $10 million that the Fort Wayne-based foundation has given since 1998 to the university's cancer center in Indianapolis.

Iowa:

Iowa City – A group of business owners wants to move panhandlers and make an open-air mall smoke-free from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. City law prohibits solicitations in the downtown area within 10 feet of an entrance or exit of a building, sidewalk cafes and the playground near the library, and within 20 feet of an ATM. The Downtown Association wants that expanded to 25 feet.

Kansas:

Topeka –A winning Powerball ticket was sold for Wednesday's drawing. The jackpot was worth $96.6 million. Spokeswoman Sally Lunsford said the ticket was sold in south-central Kansas. The winner will be announced today. The winning numbers are 8-12-14-22-29, with the Powerball of 22.

Kentucky:

Highland Heights – Northern Kentucky University's student newspaper has published an apology after running an ad for Resistance Records' website, which sold white supremacist music. The Kentucky Enquirer reported that Resistance Records is an arm of the National Alliance, a white supremacist group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Louisiana:

New Orleans – Slowed job growth here has contributed to a rise in vacant apartments, but people cannot afford high post-Katrina rents. A study by the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center and the Urban Institute said the city will have a surplus of 6,500 market-rate units in 2010 but will have a shortfall in affordable or subsidized units of 13,400.

Maine:

Augusta – As the holiday season approaches, state officials kicked off the Survive Your Drive campaign to encourage safe driving habits. The campaign focuses on seat belt usage and observing speed limits. Last year, Maine had the lowest number of highway fatalities since 1959. Even so, the 2008 crash rate was above the U.S. average.

Maryland:

Towson –Towson University in will become the state's first four-year college to ban smoking on campus next August. Smoking is already banned in campus buildings, but the new ban will bar lighting up anywhere on its 330-acre grounds, including sidewalks and garages. Student and staff violators face fines and sanctions. Visitors may be barred from campus.

Massachusetts:

Boston –A National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health report said the Boston Fire Department was "ineffective" and "insufficient" during a fire that killed two firefighters. Paul Cahill and Warren Payne died Aug. 29, 2007, fighting a blaze at the Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant. The report faulted the department's communication system.

Michigan:

Lansing – Gov. Granholm was expected to sign legislation exempting babysitting from day care regulations after the state ordered a woman to stop watching her friend's children before school. In August, the state Department of Human Services warned Lisa Snyder of Irving Township that she could be violating a law aimed at operators of unlicensed day care centers.

Minnesota:

Minneapolis – Storyteller Kevin Kling brings his twisted tales of Christmas past to the Guthrie Theater next month. Kling is to return to the Guthrie with his one-man show, Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, on Dec. 7. After his performance, Kling will sign copies of his new book, Kevin Kling's Holiday Inn.

Mississippi:

Jackson –Robert Johnson, the seminal bluesman, came into the world in 1911 in a home built by his stepfather in the town of Hazlehurst. Seventy-one years after his death, officials want to restore the home in hopes of drawing tourism dollars to Copiah County, about 100 miles from the Delta region most bluesmen called home.

Missouri:

Jefferson City – Conservation officials are trying to learn more about the population of black bears. The bears, once common, nearly died out in the 20th century. Decades later, bear populations are increasing, but officials aren't sure exactly how many live in Missouri. Black bears are a "species of concern" and cannot be hunted.

Montana:

Missoula – Earl Cooley, 98, a pioneering smoke jumper who took the Forest Service's first leap into a flame-riddled wilderness, has died. Cooley made the jump into the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho on July 12, 1940. His chute nearly failed to open. He landed 140 feet above ground, stuck in a spruce tree. Still, Cooley and fellow jumper Rufus Robinson had the fire under control by the next day.

Nebraska:

Ashland –Six former members of a World War II Army unit memorialized in the book and TV miniseries Band of Brothers will make an appearance at the Strategic Air & Space Museum. The former members of E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division will sign books and make a presentation. The event is scheduled for Dec. 5.

Nevada:

Reno –Some faculty and students at the University of Nevada-Reno are angered that an anti-illegal immigration activist was invited to participate at a campus forum next week. Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, is one of two panelists in a Nov. 19 forum sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of Nevada's Flipside Productions.

New Hampshire:

Bow – Henry Ladd Sr., 81, is aghast that someone complained to police because he had a deer carcass hanging in his yard. Ladd said for years he has hung in his yard the carcasses of the animals he hunts before they are cut up. On Halloween night someone called police, who said Ladd had done nothing wrong.

New Jersey:

Paterson – Police said 60 manhole covers disappeared last week from a public works yard. The cast iron pieces weigh 200 pounds. No arrests have been made. Police suspect the covers have been melted down. They can sell for $10 to $20 as scrap.

New Mexico:

Santa Fe –Gov. Richardson ordered five furlough days for workers in executive branch agencies. He made the announcement Thursday as he signed bills to help the state deal with a $650 million budget shortfall. He said he will impose spending cuts on his agencies that will average 7%.

New York:

Montgomery – Authorities said 44 people have been arrested on drug charges in raids in the Hudson Valley. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said the suspects were funneling large amounts of cocaine, prescription drugs and marijuana into Orange County and surrounding areas through three separate drug distribution networks.

North Carolina:

Wilmington – Gov. Perdue was set to sign an executive order reauthorizing The North Carolina Film Council at EUE Screen Gems Studios. The governor appoints members of the Film Council, which is made up of film-industry professionals, business leaders and citizens. The council advises and offers guidance in the interest of the state's film industry.

North Dakota:

Dickinson –Wildlife officials are killing junk fish in Patterson Lake, so game fish such as pike, crappies and walleye can be stocked. The Game and Fish Department has applied chemicals to rivers and streams. Thousands of fish died last winter when heavy snow cover on the lake reduced oxygen levels. Undesirable fish such as carp and bullheads remained.

Ohio:

Findlay – The Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership is using $300,000 in state money to buy seven flood-prone properties that will either be used to build walls or earthen levees or turned into green space. Flood prevention is a top priority along the Blanchard River after a major flood in August 2007 forced hundreds to evacuate.

Oklahoma:

Tulsa – City Councilor Maria Barnes learned hours after her election what it's like to be a crime victim. Barnes was at her election watch party Tuesday night when a man grabbed her wallet from her purse and ran. Barnes and several supporters chased the suspect several blocks before catching Jordan Christ, 26, and holding him for police.

Oregon:

Ashland – Entomologists researching the spread of a harmful fruit fly had been puzzled by its absence in Jackson County until high school senior Will Oursler discovered that it is definitely in southwest Oregon. The spotted wing Drosophila has plagued Oregon farmers since June.

Pennsylvania:

McKeesport – Police said a fire bomb was thrown through the window of a district judge's office near Pittsburgh causing a small fire. Police haven't made an arrest in the incident, reported Thursday morning at District Judge Eugene Riazzi's office. Riazzi said he doesn't know what could have prompted the attack.

Rhode Island:

Providence – A member of the state board that screens candidates for judgeships has said he is stepping down. Judicial Nominating Commission member Solomon Solomon, 83, said his retirement is effective upon completion of the selection process for the Supreme Court justice.

South Carolina:

Myrtle Beach –A father and two children died in a two-vehicle wreck near on South Carolina's Grand Strand. Horry County Deputy Coroner Tony Hendrick identified the victims as Mark Sermon of Surfside Beach, daughter Dajah and son Mark. Media outlets reported the accident happened on U.S. 17 Bypass when Sermon's car collided with a pickup.

South Dakota:

Murdo – Media mogul Ted Turner took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated Murdo Theater. The building has been renamed the Turner Community Center. Money from the Turner Foundation, along with grants and donations, funded the $96,000 project. Residents and Jones County Turner Youth Foundation members provided the manpower.

Tennessee:

Chattanooga – Environmental activists are trying to block the Tennessee Valley Authority from dumping a million gallons of mercury, selenium and other chemicals a day from its Kingston Plant into the same river where coal ash was spilled in December. Representatives of Earthjustice and other groups said technology is available to avoid the potentially toxic discharges. TVA said "there is no reasonable potential for these materials to cause an exceedance of any water quality criteria."

Texas:

Dallas – Police Chief David Kunkle said he is retiring as Dallas' top cop after more than five years in the position. Kunkle, 59, announced he will leave office April 30. He said he decided on his departure about a year ago after 38 years in law enforcement. Since Kunkle took office, the city's violent crime rate has fallen by 32%, and the department has added 700 officers.

Utah:

Salt Lake City – The Bureau of Land Management this week nominated 63 sites along a remote central Utah canyon decorated with ancient Indian art for the National Register of Historic Places. Nine Mile Canyon contains more than 10,000 prehistoric rock carvings and paintings of bighorn sheep, owls and a two-headed snake. In the coming years, the BLM plans to nominate more than 800 sites in the canyon for the national register.

Vermont:

Burlington –Court documents said civil malpractice lawsuits against eye doctor David Chase are nearing conclusion. The Burlington Free Press said the settlements for undisclosed amounts mean three former patients still have claims against Chase, who lost his license in 2003 after the state received reports he was pushing patients into unjustified surgeries.

Virginia:

Charlottesville – The University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs will record a history of George W. Bush's presidency by interviewing White House, Cabinet and Congressional figures as well as foreign leaders. The center's Presidential Oral History Program has conducted similar projects on presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Washington:

Seattle –A man accused of shooting a police officer to death on Halloween was charged with aggravated first-degree murder and could face execution. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg has 30 days to decide whether to seek the death penalty for Christopher Monfort, 41. Monfort is accused of shooting Officer Timothy Brenton and wounding another officer as they sat in a parked patrol car.

West Virginia:

Charleston – A West Virginia University report shows that about 62% of PROMISE scholars stay in the state after graduating, compared with 67% of in-state graduates overall. State Sen. Mike Oliverio said many PROMISE scholarship recipients would look to attend college in other states if it weren't for the tuition aid.

Wisconsin:

Wausau – Brian Witkus of Marshfield pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of crashing his van into a horse-drawn buggy and killing an infant. Six-week-old Ada Mae Miller of Chili was thrown from her mother's arms and killed in the crash Aug. 12. Witkus is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

Wyoming:

Cheyenne –A petition calling for a citywide vote on Cheyenne's new ban on handheld cellphones while driving has failed to gather enough signatures. The petition fell about 700 signatures short of the 2,800 needed. The ban took effect in September after the City Council approved it.

U.S. territory:

Guam – The Department of Defense is confident that the U.S. and Japan will reach a deal on the relocation of the Futenma base to northern Okinawa, and subsequently, the shift of 8,000 Marines to Guam, defense official Derek Mitchell said. His confidence stems from the fact that Japan has already contributed more than $300 million to the move.

From wire reports

Sometimes it’s not all that easy to get busy people together in one place, but when the place is as special as a recently repaired footpath just above Crummock Water, then it’s easy to see why this was the location for Cicerone ‘officially’ to present a cheque for nearly £600 towards the Fix the Fells Project!
Cicerone donate 10p from the sale of every copy of Mark Richards’ best-selling Great Mountain Days in the Lake District to this important project,  dedicated to rebuilding the much-loved paths of the Lake District National Park and keeping them safe for future generations. There to receive the giant cheque were John Atkinson from The National Trust, and Christina Smith from the Tourism and Conservation Partnership.

It was good to be able to choose such a special location for the presentation. As guidebook publishers, our job is to enable great authors to open up the possibilities of enjoying the countryside and mountain areas to anyone who loves exploring wild places. It is only fitting that we support those who work tirelessly to preserve these areas for future enthusiasts.

Well, the rain held off, and the sun even appeared briefly, and while Lizzie (our latest recruit at the Cicerone office) and I returned to Milnthorpe, lucky Mark spent the rest of that day and the following day out on the Fells continuing his research for his next Fellranger guidebooks.