North Dakota voters this fall could end the property tax by approving a ballot measure that opponents say would drastically slash a variety of state services.

Authorities say the heavily armed man who ambushed Fargo police officers investigating a fender bender likely had a bloodier attack in mind, with at least two fairs taking place at the time in and around the city.

Authorities in North Dakota say a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition and explosives unleashed a “murderous barrage of fire” as he ambushed officers who were investigating a crash.

Seven of 10 intensive care beds were filled in Utah hospitals and about six in 10 in Montana. Due to competing demands, particularly from flu season, 71% of the state’s hospital beds are occupied, the Nevada Hospital Association reported. State officials worry that hospital beds will fill up if trends continue. Minnesota reported 35 confirmed new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, tying a single-day record set on May 28. And the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 31 new deaths, the most confirmed in a 24-hour period since the beginning of the pandemic.

(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Authorities in Sri Lanka have closed the country’s main fish market and widened the curfew in many parts of the island nation following a surge of coronavirus infections related to a new cluster centered on a garment factory. — Boston schools will switch to all-remote learning in response to rising coronavirus cases in the city. Kelly said Wednesday that two-thirds of the state’s confirmed cases now are outside the Wichita and Kansas City region. On Wednesday, the state reported its first patient to the field hospital on the state fairgrounds in West Allis outside of Milwaukee. ___ROME — The Italian region of Lazio, which includes Rome, is imposing an overnight curfew to combat surging coronavirus infections.

Virus cases are surging across Europe and many U.S. states, but responses by leaders are miles apart, with officials in Ireland, France and elsewhere imposing curfews and restricting gatherings even as some U.S. governors resist mask mandates or more aggressive measures. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, reiterated Tuesday that he has no plans to do so and would instead leave such decisions to local officials. Doug Burgum’s approach of leaving management of the virus to local officials. Mahoney, himself, cast the deciding vote against a city mask mandate early this month. Associated Press writers Adam Causey in Oklahoma City, Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota, and Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this story.