The St. Thomas University Action and Response Team released a statement on One St. Thomas Thursday that the university will maintain its current mask requirement through the end of the semester. Face coverings are required in classrooms and labs, on the campus shuttle and in the Center for Well-Being.

The statement also said that if COVID-19 infection numbers on campus continue to be low, St. Thomas will drop the requirement when summer sessions begin on May 25.

Satellite photos provided by Maxar Technologies of what appeared to be rows upon rows of freshly dug mass graves on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine brought the horrors of the war with Russia increasingly into focus Thursday.

Initial estimates from the Ukrainians said the apparent mass graves could hold 9,000 bodies. Local officials accused Russia of using the graves to try to conceal the slaughter taking place in the city.

Polaris Inc. , announced Friday that it donated nearly $120,000 to off-road (ORV), utility-terrain (UTV) and all-terrain vehicles (ATV) organizations across the United States as a part of its ongoing T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program. The 13 nonprofit organizations that were awarded a Spring 2022 T.R.A.I.L.S. grant received awards ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. The grants will support the development, improvement and expansion of trails, and help to educate riders on safe and responsible riding practices.

Luana Karl can be reached at karl2414@stthomas.edu