KWIT: Regional News for 5/19 (2008-05-19)

In Iowa...

POSTVILLE, Iowa (AP) - Speaking in both Spanish and English,
Archbishop Jerome Hanus of the Archdiocese of Dubuque offered words
of comfort to nearly 300 residents who packed into St. Bridget's
Catholic Church in Postville.
Hanus held Mass for parishioners and others Saturday night, less
than a week after federal immigration officials raided the
Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville. Nearly 400 workers were
detained.
Parishioners say Hanus' presence in the community helped
reinforce the Church's support for immigrants and their families.
Since the raid, St. Bridget's has provided information to
Hispanics. A list of detainees is posted at the church's entrance.
It also has provided shelter to some families affected by the raid.
Catholics from Waterloo and Dubuque traveled to Postville for
the Mass. Churches throughout the region have donated food,
clothing, money and other items for the families affected by the
raid.

ALTOONA, Iowa (AP) - Riders on an attraction at Adventureland
amusement park in Altoona were stuck upside down when the ride
malfunctioned.
A park spokeswoman, Molly Vincent, says 18 people were stuck
upside down on the "Splash Over" for about seven minutes
Saturday.
She says she hasn't heard of anyone being injured.
Vincent says all safety restraints were working properly.
She says the ride will remain closed until inspectors can
determine what caused the malfunction.

In Nebraska...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Scarlet and Cream singing group at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln has lost its funding.
The group had just celebrated its 35th anniversary a month ago,
but now the singers must hope they'll be able to raise enough money
to keep the group going next school year.
UNL's alumni association suspended funding for the group to save
money while it deals with a $500,000 budget shortfall.
Last year, the Scarlet and Cream group cost the Nebraska Alumni
Association $80,000.
The group already had begun booking shows for next year, Ranard
said, and is now working to cancel those. Typically, Scarlet and
Cream made 50 to 60 appearances each year at a variety of events.
The association hopes the group can be saved if a sponsor or
donor steps forward.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Later this week Nebraskans will have a
chance to hear and talk about proposed changes to Medicaid at a
hearing in Lincoln.
The state Department of Health and Human Services is holding a
series of hearings throughout the day on proposed changes in dental
services, hearing aids, outpatient medical visits, chiropractic
care and eyeglass frames and lenses.
One planned change would put a $1,000 annual cap on dental
services. Another would limit Medicaid coverage of replacement
hearing aids for adults to every four years, if medically
necessary.
A hearing will be held Thursday in the lower level of the State
Office Building in Lincoln.
For more information on when hearings start, visit the state
health department's Web site at http://www.hhs.state.ne.us or call
402-471-4047.

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - Repair work will start next week on the
U.S. Highway 81 Meridian Bridge at Yankton.
The bridge currently is closed to vehicles over 10 tons because
of corrosion on gusset plates that hold steel beams together.
The Transportation Department says the first phase o the project
will take four weeks and involves repairing external connecting
plates in four locations. Traffic under 10 tons will be allowed to
use the bridge during the work.
Phase two involves work on internal connecting plates. That work
is also expected to take four weeks and will require that the
bridge be closed to all traffic.
A replacement bridge under construction is expected to be open
in fall.

In South Dakota...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Sioux Falls native Mike Fossum will be
on the crew of the space shuttle Discovery during its upcoming
mission to the International Space Station.
Discovery is to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
on May 31st.
Its mission is to deliver the pressurized module and robotic arm
of the Japanese Experiment Module, known as "Kibo," to the space
station.
Fossum will be one of six aboard the space shuttle. He will
serve as the mission's lead space walker and will conduct three
during the flight. NASA says he also will operate the shuttle's
robotic arm.
Fossum, now an Air Force Reserve colonel, was born in 1957. His
family lived in Pierre for about two years during the 1960s and
later moved to McAllen, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M
University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical
engineering and received a commission in the U.S. Air Force that
year.

HURON, S.D. (AP) - History shows that political heavyweights do
lose elections. That was the message that Dusty Johnson, a
Republican member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission,
delivered to Beadle County Republicans this past week.
He says Bill Janklow, Joe Foss, George McGovern, Tom Daschle and
John Thune all have been on the losing end of elections.
Johnson says the word "unbeatable" should be retired.
He told those at the Beadle County Lincoln Day Dinner that
current Democratic incumbents will be hard to defeat, but it can be
done.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Sanford Health will break ground next
month on a 185-acre research park in Sioux Falls.
The complex will be a collection of biomedical research, office
and light-manufacturing buildings.
The first building in the park will consolidate research efforts
under way by Sanford Research and the University of South Dakota.
Officials believe the project will spur development in the area.
A portion of the park is planned for retailers, hotels and other
businesses.
The park is one of several Sanford projects in the works.
A children's hospital is currently being built and could open
next spring.
And plans for a new heart and vascular building on the north end
of Sanford's campus have more than tripled in scope since it was
announced last year.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Seven American Indian students in South
Dakota have been chosen to get state scholarships for the next
school year.
The scholarship program was started by the 2003 Legislature
after Minerva Harvey left the proceeds of her estate to the state
Education Department.
The late-Richard Hagen, a tribal member and longtime state
legislator, pushed for the scholarships.
The individual grants are limited to $6,000 over four years.
Students may use the scholarships to attend South Dakota
universities, including tribal colleges, and technical schools.
The latest recipients include Francis Waln of Parmelee; Albert
Her Many Horses of Rosebud; Mariah Emery of Mission; LaToya Brave
Heart of Kyle; Kyrie Campbell of Sisseton; Alana Stars of Pierre;
and Lindee Lawrence of Eagle Butte.