KWIT: Regional News for 6/5 (2008-06-05)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Multiple tornadoes touched down last
night in southwest Iowa, causing isolated damage as heavy rain and
hail moved into the area and prompted flooding concerns.
The twister began forming near Nodaway and headed east to
Corning in Adams County. The county emergency management office
confirmed damage to homes and trees near Corning but said not much
of the town was affected. The office would not release further
details.
More tornadoes hit nearby Union County near Creston and caused
isolated damage such as downed power lines and farm damage.
Weather officials say the major concern in the overnight is hail
and heavy rain. The National Weather Service has issued flash flood
watches for much of central and southern Iowa until 7 a.m. today.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The second place finisher in the
Republican primary for U.S. Senate says he hasn't decided whether
to seek a recount.
Christopher Reed of Marion narrowly won the race, with 35.32
percent of the vote. That's just ahead of Stratford lawyer George
Eichhorn, who had 34.74 percent. Cedar Rapids businessman Steve
Rathje finished third.
Because the victory margin was less than 1 percent, Eichhorn
could seek a recount without posting a bond. But an Eichhorn
spokesman says no decision has been made.
Seeking a recount is a cumbersome process, requiring that
requests be filed in each county.
The Republican winner will face Democratic Senator Tom Harkin.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A new study says New Jersey schools lead
the nation in high school graduation rates. New Jersey is followed
by Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
An analysis of the class of 2005 was done by Editorial Projects
in Education, a Maryland-based nonprofit.
The analysis finds that 83 percent of New Jersey's high school
students get diplomas on time. Iowa's rate topped 80 percent.
At the bottom were Louisiana, New Mexico and Nevada, with rates
under 55 percent.
The national average rate was just over 70 percent.

In Nebraska...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - In cities across the state, officials
aren't sure whether property owners have a right to force petition
circulators to leave.
That's why Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood asked the
Attorney General for an opinion. Flood says there are plenty of
other places where signatures can be collected without sacrificing
the control business owners have over their property.
Lincoln is enforcing trespassing complaints against circulators
and so-called blockers - people who try to persuade people not to
sign a petition - on private property. But other cities are nervous
about enforcing those laws.
City Attorney John Hendry concluded that they don't have the
right to remain if they're asked to leave.
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler says local businesses contacted him
with complaints.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The swimming competition that begins in Omaha
today will attract some big names even though it's not the Olympic
trials.
The Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational starts today at the Qwest
Center and runs through Sunday.
Olympic hero Michael Phelps is one of the swimmers who compete.
The meet is a USA Swimming Grand Prix event and a last chance
for Olympic hopefuls to qualify for the trials. Swimmers will be
the first to compete in the temporary indoor pool at the Qwest
Center.
Phelps will be at the Swimvitational along with 2004 Olympians
Katie Hoff, Gary Hall Junior, Kaitlin Sandeno, Eric Vendt and Neil
Walker.
Grand Island's Scott Usher also will compete.

In South Dakota...

WASHINGTON (AP) - South Dakota's last undecided Democratic
superdelegate has decided to endorse Hillary Clinton for the
presidential nomination, despite the fact that Barack Obama now has
enough delegates to secure it.
Cheryl Chapman, the vice chairwoman of the South Dakota
Democratic party, said Wednesday that Clinton won South Dakota
"the old fashioned way" by campaigning from town to town. She
added that she admired her tenacity.
Chapman is the second Democratic superdelegate in the state to
throw support behind Clinton after the New York senator won the
state's primary Tuesday night.
South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, who had previously endorsed
Obama, said he will support Clinton at the Democratic convention if
she is still in the race. He had said he would support the winner
of the state's primary.

ELK POINT, S.D. (AP) - Rural Union County voters said no, but
two cities near South Dakota's southeastern tip helped seal the
deal for a Texas company looking to make the county the site for
the first new U.S. oil refinery in more than 30 years.
Union County residents yesterday approved Dallas-based Hyperion
Resources' request to zone nearly 3,300 acres of farm land north of
Elk Point as a development district for the 400,000-barrel-a-day
refinery.
Hyperion -- with the help of state officials -- has spent months
courting support from city, county and economic development
leaders. That effort was highlighted when numbers from the final
precinct rolled in late last night.
An 81-percent margin of voters in Dakota Dunes overwhelmingly
stood behind the project, pushing a tally that remained
neck-and-neck for most of the night to a 58 percent to 42 percent
final margin.
The nearby North Sioux City area gave 73-percent support.

CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL, S.D. (AP) - Two dynamite blasts removed
1,300 tons of rock and marked the 60th anniversary of the start of
work on the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills.
Ruth Ziolkowski (jewel-CUFF'-skee) says the mountain carving is
an example of perseverance.
The monument honors Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. Korczak
Ziolkowski began work on it in 1948.
His widow Ruth says he never put a deadline on when it would be
done, so she can't answer when it will be finished either.