KWIT: Regional News for 5/12 (2008-05-12)

In Iowa...

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - The superintendent of Dubuque schools will
recommend the closing two school programs in June to help alleviate
a budget crunch.
Superintendent John Burgart will recommend to the school board
tonight the closing of Central Alternative High School and Jones
Hand-In-Hand Preschool.
Students at the alternative high school would be enrolled at
Hempstead and Senior high schools. The special-education students
at Jones would be enrolled at other schools.
The measures are the latest effort to reduce a deficit of more
than $5 million anticipated in next year's budget. School officials
estimate the restructuring plan could save about $400,000.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Federal money that funds dozens of
county and regional drug task forces around the state may go away
if congressional action doesn't restore a grant program.
About 20 rural drug task forces in the state could see grants
that fund most of their budgets go away in July. State officials
say 10 counties have already shut down their task forces.
Last year, drug task forces opened more than 3,000
investigations into local and interstate drug activity. Arrests
ranged from small-time drug users up to high-level dealers.
The governor's drug control policy officials say task forces
seized more than 3,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth more than $31
million.
Regional and county drug task forces were started in Iowa and
other states in the early 1990s with federal grants.
As it stands now, the grants face a two-thirds cut in the fiscal
year that starts July 1.
Senator Tom Harkin says Congress is making an effort to restore
most of the money, but President Bush, who wants to end the grant
program, may veto it.
Iowa lawmakers provided nearly $1.8 million for drug task forces
but that still leaves task forces short about $1 million compared
with this year's funding levels.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) - Psychiatric help in rural areas is
getting harder to find as the state continues to see a serious
shortage of mental health professionals.
Experts say recruiting and keeping psychiatrists in the state is
not easy because compensation for them is frequently lower and
working in rural areas can mean long hours and frequent on-call
schedules.
Dr. Douglas Steenblock, a Marshalltown psychiatrist who is
leading a task force on the issue, says Iowa is 47th in the nation
in the number of psychiatrists per capita. No neighboring state is
as low.
The University of Iowa has the state's only psychiatric training
program. The widely respected program attracts top students from
around the country only to see most of them leave the state after
graduation.
The state is trying, however. Starting this year, the state is
offering five $40,000 annual stipends to psychiatrists willing to
work in underserved areas.
Iowa has about 225 practicing psychiatrists, a number which has
remained steady in recent years as demand has soared. Most of them
work in or around the state's six largest cities leaving rural
areas underserved.
Currently, there are about 65 openings for psychiatrists in the
state.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - One person is dead and another injured after
an off-duty police officer opened fire on an armed assailant at a
gas station in north Omaha.
Omaha police have identified the man killed as 21-year-old Leroy
Goodwin of Omaha.
Another man, 29-year-old Michael Moss of Omaha, is reportedly
hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police say two officers were working at a gas station in the
area early yesterday morning and observed a fight. Police say when
Goodwin brandished a weapon, one of the officers shot him.
It was not immediately clear who shot Moss.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A memorial service will be held Wednesday in
Pierre to honor South Dakota law enforcement officers who have died
in the line of duty.
The service at Church of Christ will be preceded by a
wreath-laying ceremony at the Law Enforcement Memorial at Capitol
Lake.
A national memorial for fallen law officers will be Thursday in
Washington.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The state is taking applications for a
program offering a $5,000 incentive to health professionals who
agree to work in rural areas for at least two years.
There are 60 slots open.
The state pays half of the incentive in communities over 2,500
population and 75 percent in smaller towns. The community pays the
rest.
It covers professions such as dietitians, nurses, occupational
therapists, physical therapists, paramedics, pharmacists and
respiratory therapists.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The level of the three upper reservoirs
on the Missouri River fell in April, but they're expected to gain
up to 2 feet of water this month.
The Army Corps of Engineers says there was little rain in April,
and runoff from the mountain snowmelt is late. So Fort Peck,
Garrison and Oahe reservoirs each lost about a half-foot of water.
Even with more runoff this month, the corps says the three
reservoirs will still be 20 to 30 feet below normal elevation.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A study finds that the pheasant hunting
season last year pumped $219 million into the state's economy.
That's how much resident and nonresident hunters spent on gas,
shells, motel rooms, food and other things.
It comes out to about $103 for each rooster pheasant that was
shot.
The Department of Game, Fish and Parks came up with the number
based on previous surveys done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
The top five counties in terms of hunting-related spending were:
nearly $16 million in Brown, more than $13 million in Beadle,
almost $12 million in Spink, nearly $10 million in Tripp and more
than $9 million in Brule.

CHESTER, S.D. (AP) - A virtual school that offers online classes
to residents of Hutterite colonies has received a $10,000 award
from the American Association of Retired Persons.
The Chester Area Cyber School uses the WebCT e-learning system
to provide instruction to 260 students in 26 Hutterite colony
schools in South Dakota.
The three-year-old program provides students of any age an
opportunity to earn a high school diploma. Most students graduating
from eighth grade in a Hutterite colony do not have an opportunity
to further their education.
Superintendent Mark Greguson says the $10,000 will be used to
send staff to conventions and workshops to enhance the distance
learning program.
AARP South Dakota volunteer state president Pat Gross says the
school showed a creative use of technology to educate rural
students in South Dakota.