KWIT: Regional News for 5/16 (2008-05-16)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Federal agents remain in Waterloo, even
after more than 300 people detained in the Postville raid were
moved out yesterday.
Federal agents arrested 389 people Monday at the Agriprocessors
meatpacking plant, most from Guatemala and Mexico.
A majority were taken to the National Cattle Congress
fairgrounds in Waterloo to await court proceedings. Since then, a
temporary courthouse on the grounds has been bustling with
detainees making their initial court appearances.
That process ended yesterday, with most being sent to local
jails pending their next hearings. Now the cells are empty again
and federal agents are staying put at the detention grounds they
leased through May 25th.
That has prompted questions about whether another raid is
pending.
Bob Teig is a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office. He has
acknowledged further arrests are possible but has not said whether
company officials are being investigated.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Governor Culver says the state will
spend 1 million dollars of Vision Iowa grant money to support the
John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Garden in downtown Des Moines.
John and Mary Pappajohn of Des Moines have donated more than 20
sculptures with an appraised value of nearly 30 million dollars.
Culver announced the grant yesterday.
The Pappajohns' gift is believed to be the single largest public
donation of art in Iowa history. The garden will be located in the
new Western Gateway Park in the city's downtown.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A robbery was prevented by an unusual
crime-fighting tool - a parked car.
Karla Gierstors of West Des Moines was walking in downtown Des
Moines about 6:15 a.m. yesterday when a man threatened her with a
box cutter and grabbed her purse.
A passing motorist stopped to help, and as the robber looked
back at the victim he slammed into the car, dropping the purse and
box cutter. He then ran away.
Nothing was missing from the purse, but the side and trunk area
of the car were damaged.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Allegations of sexual abuse at Boys Town will
be resurrected in court later this month.
Attorneys will argue before state Supreme Court justices that a
"sideshow" of inflammatory comments and inappropriate evidence
tainted the first trial.
John Sturzenegger sued Boys Town and Glenn Moore, a former
counselor, accusing Moore of sexually abusing him in 1997, when
Sturzenegger was a 14-year-old resident.
A jury in 2006 ruled against Sturzenegger, who sought up to 1
million dollars in damages in Douglas County District Court.
Attorneys argue among other things that evidence presented about
Sturzenegger's bad behavior bore no relevance to whether or not
Sturzenegger was abused.
The court is scheduled to hear arguments May 28th on
Sturzenegger's appeal.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Police have cited an Omaha landlord for 17
criminal counts related to renting out what inspectors say are
unsafe houses.
Police say Kevin Meyer faces up to six months in jail for the
string of charges.
Investigators say he rented a southeast Omaha house to a woman
and her children last month, even though the house had been
declared a danger and unfit for occupancy last August.
Problems with the house include a hole in the living room
ceiling that has water running from it, disconnected water pipes in
the kitchen sink and a furnace that leaked carbon monoxide. The
house also lacks a refrigerator and stove, even though the woman's
lease agreement promised those appliances.
Meyer, who lives in a $500,000 Omaha home, says he's not a bad
landlord and rented the property after a visual inspection he
conducted himself.

In South Dakota...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Now it's Barack Obama's turn.
After two visits to South Dakota by Hillary Clinton and one by
her husband Bill Clinton in the past week, Obama takes his campaign
to the state's Democrats today.
He's scheduled to be in Watertown late this forenoon and in
Sioux Falls this evening.
It's his first campaign trip to South Dakota.

BATH, S.D. (AP) - Hillary Clinton's visit to a farm east of
Aberdeen yesterday focused mostly on agriculture. She told the
crowd of about 500 that she'd make agriculture a priority if
elected president.
Clinton encouraged President Bush not to veto the farm bill that
passed Congress this week. She said a veto is the same as saying no
to rural America

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Opponents of the Keystone pipeline have
lost a bid to halt construction in North Dakota.
Judge Gail Hagerty denied a request by the Dakota Resource
Council and landowners along the route who appealed the Public
Service Commission's permit for the pipeline route.
The Keystone Pipeline would run through eight eastern North
Dakota counties. TransCanada Corporation hopes to start
construction this month.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Utility crews are working to restore
electricity to a final few ranches that have been without power
since an early May blizzard in northwest South Dakota.
Five-hundred to 600 residential customers of Grand Electric
Cooperative lost power for at least several days.
General Manager Jerry Reisenauer (RISE'-en-hour) says he hopes
to have power restored to the last of the ranches sometime today.
Then, crews will try to get power restored to water wells in
pastures.
The rain, ice and snow pulled down hundreds of power poles.
Reisenauer says the damage will be around $4 million.