Darla Sidles on horseback at Shadow Mountain Lookout Photo: NPS
It’s been a wild year-and-a-half for Darla Sidles, the superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. In a mere 18 months, the park has experienced record levels of visitors. It shuttered its entrances temporarily in spring 2020 as the global pandemic forced many national park sites to rethink how to open its doors and keep its staff and visitors as safe as possible. Then, Rocky Mountain shuttered them again in late fall when two of Colorado’s largest-ever fires ripped through the park and burned 10% the equivalent of a whopping 30,000 acres of the park.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers on Monday voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The House of Representatives voted 68-27 for the bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. The high-stakes promotion requirement is set to take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation to the 2023-2024 school year. “These kids have had 14 months of not normal schooling. All they are asking for is a little compassion,” said Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. “I have never ever had a bill where I’ve had
Clinics for kids, ban on pens, changes to benefits: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers on Monday voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The House of Representatives voted 68-27 for the bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. The high-stakes promotion requirement is set to take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation to the 2023-2024 school year. “These kids have had 14 months of not normal schooling. All they are asking for is a little c
Despite reports to the contrary, Montana’s Glacier National Park is not sold out, and there’s still time to reserve entry and shuttle tickets for Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, and Zion. Here’s everything you need to know about the national parks requiring reservations this year.