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Indiana: Indianapolis -- Hoping to sell outdated possessions, the state created a website selling unneeded state property. The site, www.surplus.in.gov, includes photos and descriptions of items such as an old transportation facility, a 1.7-acre vacant lot and a helicopter.

Iowa: Des Moines -- The amount of unclaimed wealth being held by the state is nearly $163 million, officials said. By law, the state must hold assets including forgotten bank accounts, lost savings bonds, uncashed checks and stock certificates. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is encouraging Iowans to check his office's website, www.treasurer.state.ia.us, to see if they're owed money.

Kansas: Wichita -- A ripped and tattered flag stuffed in a cigar box turned out to be an authentic Confederate regimental flag. Experts determined the flag is one of 22 carried by the 32nd and 45th Mississippi Volunteers. Only 13 are known to have survived, 11 of which are in museums. Rob Swinson, who had bought the flag for $3,600, is selling it to a private collector for $160,000.

Kentucky: Frankfort -- Officials reached a compromise allowing any Kentuckians who may have been inappropriately removed from state voter rolls to cast ballots in a primary election today. The secretary of state's office last month purged more than 8,000 voters because they were also registered in Tennessee or South Carolina. Under the compromise, affected voters would need to show proof of Kentucky residency.

Louisiana: Harvey -- ExxonMobil lost a round in its U.S. Supreme Court appeal of a pollution verdict when the judge refused to delay the implementation. The verdict awards more than $225 million to a retired judge who leased land here to a now-defunct ExxonMobil contractor. About 33 acres of the land was contaminated with radioactive material.

Maine: Portland -- Reimbursements from the federal government are slow in coming to some Maine agencies for expenses incurred helping with the cleanup of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, which sent three deputies to Louisiana, said it's been told it may be two years before it receives $15,000 for expenses, if any.

Maryland: Hagerstown -- Kelly Ruck, 26, was sentenced to five years in prison for abandoning her newborn son. At a hearing earlier, Ruck acknowledged prosecutors had sufficient evidence for an attempted second-degree murder conviction. The infant was found in September beneath two blocks of wood under a parked trailer.

Massachusetts: Boston -- The state's highest court revoked a former state representative's annual pension of $21,000. Francis Woodward, a Democrat from Walpole, was convicted of federal bribery, conspiracy and mail-fraud charges in the 1990s. A district judge had reinstated the pension last year on grounds the original revocation was not properly handled.

Michigan: Lansing -- A patient-advocacy group criticized the state's nursing homes for having one of the USA's lowest percentages of sprinkler systems. About 36% had complete systems last year, compared with 83% nationwide, the American Health Care Association said.

Minnesota: International Falls -- A judge sentenced James Waltz, 68, who is white, to at least 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of Ricky Davis, a black man. Waltz shot Davis outside a bar in northern Minnesota, prosecutors said. The jury decided the shooting was not racially motivated, as the prosecution alleged, or the sentence could have been longer.

Mississippi: Canton -- The canine star of the movie My Dog Skip will receive the key to the city of Canton today. Enzo, the title character, is in town shooting a promotional video and working with the city's tourism and film office. Enzo is the son of Moose, who portrayed Eddie on the TV show Frasier. My Dog Skip was based on Willie Morris' book of the same name.

Missouri: Springfield -- A young man recently evicted from a homeless shelter was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of an elderly man at a motel. Jesse Kitterman, 23, was being held in Greene County Jail. Vernon Wayne Neal, 78, died from multiple stab wounds. Kitterman was asked to leave the Springfield Victory Mission in March for breaking rules, officials said.

Montana: Helena -- Organizers of the Montana Meth Project launched an expansion of the drug-prevention program, announcing more than $300,000 in prize money in a statewide art contest for teenagers. Project officials said PPL Montana contributed $250,000 and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana gave $100,000. The art should convey an anti-meth message, officials said.

Nebraska: Hastings -- Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy reported for jury duty Monday in his hometown. His notice came in the same year that Gov. Heineman and other state officials declared the "Year of the Juror." The proclamation is to recognize jurors' role in the justice system.

Nevada: Reno -- High exposure to secondhand smoke in casinos causes more damage to employees' DNA than in other workplaces, according to a University of Nevada, Reno study funded by the National Institutes of Health. It followed 125 casino workers and found they were exposed to four times the smoke of any other workforce. The increased DNA damage leads to higher risks for heart disease and cancer, the study said.

New Hampshire: Concord -- Flooding in New England appears to have washed out the rest of the academic year at St. Paul's School, which is working to get 530 students back to their homes around the USA and in other countries. Rector Bill Matthews said the school hasn't decided yet what to do about final exams, but said St. Paul's will still try to have a graduation and reunion weekend June 4.

New Jersey: Trenton -- A state task force recommended allowing motorists who lose their licenses for reasons other than drunken driving and moving violations to get back behind the wheel in some cases. Conditional licenses would permit them to drive to work, school or a medical appointment.

New Mexico: Silver City -- The Gila National Forest plans to use a herbicide to kill invasive salt cedars along the Gila River of southwestern New Mexico, federal officials said. The non-native evergreen trees crowd out cottonwoods, willows, alders and other native vegetation, the U.S. Forest Service said.

New York: Monticello -- A couple pleaded guilty to holding an Ohio man captive and beating him so badly that his kidneys shut down and he nearly died. Kasseopia Morris and Christopher Gonsalves, both 18, and the victim, 21, met in an online chat room and had a sadomasochistic relationship, prosecutors said. The victim was living with the couple in Liberty when he was beaten with a belt and cane, authorities said.

North Carolina: Raleigh -- A woman accused of prostituting her teenage daughter was sentenced to at least six years in prison after a judge told her the crime showed a lack of "any motherly decency." The woman, 48, apologized in Wake County court and said she didn't mean to hurt anyone.

North Dakota: Devils Lake -- At least six vehicles have ended up in the water in this area this spring, leading to three deaths, authorities said. Five vehicles went into Devils Lake; one went into a slough. Highway Patrol Capt. Kyle Ternes said water near roads can be up to 20 feet deep.

Ohio: Cincinnati -- City officials want to peel paint, glue and tile from a ceiling section in City Council chambers to see whether the artwork underneath is salvageable and worth the cost of restoring. Charles Pedretti, from a Cincinnati family of muralists, painted the ceiling when City Hall was under construction from 1888 to 1893. His work was covered in the 1930s with acoustical tile.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City -- For the first time since 1994, an Oklahoman died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a disease transmitted by ticks. Katarina Wheats, 4, died on April 30, the state Department of Health said. Ticks' saliva carries the bacteria that cause the fever. It can be treated with antibiotics, but if treatment is delayed, the disease's fatality rate is up to 25%.

Oregon: Corvallis -- Two police officers violated regulations when they posed for photos with lingerie-clad women while investigating a noise complaint at a college party, an internal affairs investigation found. A report said the officers violated several department policies but did not break any laws. The photos appeared on a website.

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh -- A city bridge that served the region's steel industry in the 20th century may be getting a cooler use in the 21st. The Hot Metal Bridge, over which trains carried molten iron from the Hazelwood neighborhood across the Monongahela River to furnaces on the South Side, is to be converted to a walking and biking bridge. The project is expected to cost $6 million to $7 million.

Rhode Island: Providence -- Psychiatric hospitals for children don't have enough beds to meet a surging demand in Rhode Island, hospital officials said. The shortage means children who need mental health treatment are waiting for days in general hospitals or emergency rooms. Officials also cited a shortage of child psychiatrists.

South Carolina: Columbia -- Richland County sheriff's deputies charged Justin Mallory, 24, with murder in the death of his wife in the couple's home. Nakia Mallory, 24, bled to death after Mallory stabbed her in the neck; police arrested him several hours later. The couple's two young children, who were asleep in the home during the attack, are with relatives.

South Dakota: Pierre -- State lawmakers said the Legislature likely will have to adopt its own policy in light of Gov. Rounds' order banning all smoking on state property. The lawmakers' policy would determine whether they can continue to take smoke breaks on the Capitol steps or have to cross the street.

Tennessee: Nashville -- High gasoline prices concern Tennessee officials but not enough to cut or suspend the 21.4 cent-per-gallon fuel tax. Gov. Bredesen's office said he has no such plans. Senate Transportation Chairman Mark Norris said Tennessee needs the tax money to pay for infrastructure.

Texas: Austin -- The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation is giving $50 million to the University of Texas for a pediatric research institute, a center for health living and a computer sciences building, officials said. Michael Dell founded Round Rock-based Dell, which has become the world's largest personal computer maker, when he was a UT student. He dropped out to start the company.

Utah: Salt Lake City -- By a narrow margin, Utah motorists prefer the state's "Greatest Snow on Earth" license plate over one showing Delicate Arch. All other designs account for less than 5% of plates. State officials said 49.5% of about 2.7 million registered vehicles have the ski-related plates, while 46.1% use the Utah Centennial plates featuring the natural arch.

Vermont: Middlebury -- Middlebury College wants to increase student aid, hire more faculty and diversify its student body over the next decade. The school's plan calls for reducing the amount of financial aid loans in favor of grant packages as a way to ease student debt after graduation. The college also plans to hire an additional 25 faculty members, an increase of 10%.

Virginia: Alexandria -- The city may get a poet laureate. Job duties would include writing inspirational words after tragedies and stirring interest in poetry at public schools, said City Council member Ludwig Gaines, who made the proposal. The council is expected to vote on the measure following a public hearing Saturday.

Washington: Seattle -- An indoor play and learning space for children called the Zoomazium opens Friday at the Woodland Park Zoo. Officials hope the $9 million, 8,500-square-foot center -- which has a climbing mountain, tree house and slide -- will give children a way to relate to the outdoors, foster respect for nature and get them thinking about conservation.

West Virginia: Morgantown -- Separate all-terrain vehicle accidents over the weekend brought the number of ATV fatalities in West Virginia to 18 this year. Officials fear the death toll will surpass last year's figure of 40 if high gasoline prices cause residents to rely more on the machines. Jim Helmkamp of West Virginia University's Injury Control Research Center noted that the prime ATV-riding season has yet to begin.

Wisconsin: Madison -- Former state Senate majority leader Chuck Chvala was placed on home detention as part of a nine-month sentence for felony misconduct in office and illegally funneling money to a candidate. The Democrat already has served three months in the Dane County work-release center.

Wyoming: Cheyenne -- An engineering firm will review plans for a new state medium-security prison in Torrington to see if any changes can be made to save money. The review follows a construction bid of $125.6 million, 86% over estimates. Rich Cathcart, manager of the state's construction division, said Oregon-based Coleman Engineering will look for potential efficiencies.

U.S. territory: Puerto Rico -- Retail sales dropped 50% during the two weeks of a partial government shutdown, during which about 100,000 public workers were furloughed and 43 government agencies closed. Sales were down $325 million compared to the same period last year, according to the government. The shutdown ended last week when the governor and lawmakers agreed on a plan to end a budget impasse.

The Associated Press

(c) USA TODAY, 2006