I haven't really seen very many, if any, news stories about this here in Montana. Did you know that masks are no longer required by the federal government on school buses in Montana?

Some of you have been fortunate enough to have your kids in schools where masks are not required, or maybe you live in the larger cities in Montana that have recently ditched the mask mandates. However, even if masks weren't required in your school, they were required under federal mandate on the school bus. I know- it was absurd, wasn't it?

You may not have heard the news but masks are no longer mandated on school buses.

The senior counsel to the Montana School Boards Association sent out this memo to school administrators across the state in a recent email.

The Centers for Disease Control announced that, effective February 25, 2022, it is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems.  This decision means that the January 29, 2021, order requiring masks be worn on public transportation no longer applies to school buses. School districts and their transportation contractors are no longer subject to the order. Boards of trustees retain the authority to decide, at the local level, how mask policies apply within their respective school district.

What changed? Is COVID-19 gone? What changed is this: the Democrats know how unpopular these restrictions are, the mandates haven't been working, Joe Biden has a State of the Union to deliver, and school board and midterm elections are right around the corner.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

 

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