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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 8 June 2019
Central US flooding hits recreation, tourism industries

By HANNAH GRABENSTEIN Arkansas Department of
JIM SALTER Parks and Tourism reported
Associated Press an impact by the flood ,
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — As said deputy director Kristine
the waters of the swollen Puckett.
Arkansas River rose in Little The department has been
Rock, and threatened to working to combat fears
reach record heights, Sam- that the entire state is un-
uel Ellis had to make the derwater and is reminding
tough, but prudent, deci- tourists and residents alike
sion to indefinitely shutter that the Natural State has
kayak rentals from his tour 50 state parks, as well as
company. dozens of towns and cities,
Weeks of flooding along unaffected by flooding.
the Arkansas and Mississip- For some Mississippi River
pi rivers has hit tourism and towns that rely heavily on
recreation businesses in the tourists, the perception of
central U.S., whether or not the flood is as bad as the
they're directly dependent high water itself.
on the river. Kimmswick, Missouri, just
Three years ago, Ellis' new south of St. Louis, has only
kayak and bike rental and Kevin Jones, right, assistant chief of the Prairie du Rocher Volunteer Fire Department catches a 170 residents but draws
sandbag from firefighter Devin Godier as he joins Sean Koch, left, to add sandbags to a sand boil
tour company had three seeping through the Prairie du Rocher Levee along the Mississippi River on Thursday, June 6, 2019. hundreds of thousands of
kayaks for rental; now he Associated Press visitors annually to small res-
says he often has 25 people taurants, quaint shops and
at a time paddling down and his typically more pro- tours have been restricted Record flooding has hit two huge festivals. One of
the usually gentle river. tected location slightly fur- to dry areas downtown. much of the south and them, the Strawberry Festi-
Ellis says waters tend to be ther upstream in anticipa- "It has hit me pretty hard central U.S. this spring, as val scheduled for last week,
higher in June anyway, but tion of historic flooding. His this month. higher than average rains had to be canceled due to
around Memorial Day this company, Rock Town River I'm hoping the water will go have strained dams and the flooding.
year, Ellis had to temporarily Outfitters, also rents bikes, down fast so that we can aging levees . The town itself is dry, thanks
close down both his down- but the river has spilled over at least have our bike trail About a quarter of the to a levee reinforced with
town riverfront boathouse onto trails along its banks so back," Ellis said. businesses surveyed by the sandbags. q

Capitol flag flap in Wisconsin over gay pride rainbow

By SCOTT BAUER ing symbols for all Wiscon-
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Fly- sinites," Craig tweeted. "The
ing a gay pride rainbow governor's action today is
flag over the Wisconsin in no doubt a statement
state Capitol for the first to advance a cause. The
time Friday drew backlash only cause that the Capitol
from conservative Republi- flags should represent is fifty
can lawmakers who said it states united in one repub-
was divisive, while Demo- lic."
crats hailed it as a sign of Evers, who defeated con-
inclusivity. servative Gov. Scott Walker
The flag flap erupted af- in November, said in an
ter Democratic Gov. Tony executive order that the
Evers ordered the raising of rainbow flag has become
the flag to recognize June an important symbol for
as "Pride Month." The move the LGBTQ community and
drew a fast rebuke from publicly displaying it "sends
state Rep. Scott Allen, who a clear an unequivocal
tweeted , "Is this any more message" that in Wisconsin
appropriate than erecting "everyone can live without
the Christian flag over the fear of prosecution, judg-
Capitol?" ment, or discrimination."
Allen, who describes him- In this Tuesday, April 9, 2019, file photo, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers talks to reporters The flag was flying above
self on Twitter as "Child of during a lame-duck legislative session in Madison, Wisconsin. where the governor's office
God/Family Man," said in a Associated Press is located in the Capitol.
follow-up message to The Evers also authorizes other
Associated Press that the ing Democratic state Sen. in a statement thanking cheered as the flag was state government buildings
rainbow flag "advocates Tim Carpenter, one of five Evers. "We are showing that raised on a pole just below and any jurisdiction of the
a behavior or lifestyle that openly gay state lawmak- we are a welcoming and the U.S. and Wisconsin state state to fly the flag in June.
some Wisconsin residents ers. inclusive state and that flag. Republican state Sen. The governor has the sole
may not condone. There- "This is a very welcoming means a great deal." David Craig joined Allen in authority to decide what
fore, it is divisive." sign to many of us and it Dozens of people stood criticizing the move. flags fly over the Capitol,
Democrats praised the signifies a new direction for outside the Capitol's east "The US and Wisconsin flags said Evers spokeswoman
raising of the flag, includ- Wisconsin," Carpenter said wing Friday afternoon and are flown over us as unify- Melissa Baldauff.q