BUTNER — Fifteen cars, with drivers blasting horns and waving signs, rolled past the federal prison complex Friday to protest the treatment of prisoners confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prison security quickly blocked all entrances. Prison staff began video recording protesters as they pulled away. “The prisoners are in a position where they can’t social distance and many of them have underlying health issues that could lead to death,” said Muffin Hudson, one of the protesters. “They...

SUBMITTED PHOTO Weeks ago, the intensive care unit at Cooley Dickinson Hospital was empty. The preparations had gone well, equipment gathered and staff was at the ready. And we waited. A few weeks later, our unit was full and looked like a war zone. It looked like nothing we had ever seen before. The goal posts had moved, the rules had changed, routines disappeared, barriers were crossed and we adapted to the chaos. Everyone had risen to the challenge and no one person or department was more...

With the coronavirus spreading like wildfire, nothing is the same in our new socially distant world, not even the way we bank. Folks used to interacting with tellers may be limited to doing so through a drive-up window. And for many account holders, their nearest branch or financial center is temporarily closed. So banks are encouraging customers to use digital channels instead. While plenty of Americans are comfortable using their bank’s mobile and online features, some may be struggling. If...

Given the circumstances, Americans are doing the best they can to stay afloat. The U.S. economy lost more than 700,000 jobs in March as employers laid off workers and temporarily shut down businesses to stem the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, a record number of people — more than 16 million — have filed for unemployment in the past three weeks. Concerns about the stock market and the country’s economic future have led more than half of respondents (52 percent) to cut back on...

CREEDMOOR — Saying goodbye to a loved one is never an easy thing to do. In the COVID-19 era of social distancing, coming together to grieve a death is now all the more difficult. “We are experiencing a significant change, but we are doing everything possible to work out accommodations wherever possible,” said Daniel Kuhn, funeral director of Gentry-Newell & Vaughan Funeral Home in Oxford. “I made funeral arrangements entirely over the phone and internet with a family. We will be hosting our...