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

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Floodwaters have spread across Iowa, and
it could get a lot worse.
The National Weather Service predicts heavy rain and possible
hail to fall across the state through this morning.
Parts of southwest Iowa have been the hardest hit, with some
areas getting isolated tornado damage from Wednesday followed by
heavy rain and hail yesterday.
Up to 7 inches of rain have fallen near the Nodaway River in
Adams County, causing widespread flooding as water poured over the
river's banks.
Residents in Corning were seen paddling makeshift boats across
town while some businesses were halfway under water. One man was
seen pulling a cow from the waters with a rope.
The rest of the state is also at risk for flooding. Steve
Teachout is a forecaster with the National Weather Service. He says
river levels across Iowa are high, and heavy rain could push the
river waters into nearby towns.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A federal judge has found former CIETC
CEO Ramona Cunningham mentally competent to stand trial.
Judge Robert Pratt issued his order yesterday and set trial for
June 30th in Davenport.
Cunningham is accused of being behind a pay scandal at the
now-defunct Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, a
government-funded job training agency.
Prosecutors claim that she helped misspend nearly 2 million
dollars on executive salaries and bonuses, including huge payouts
to herself. She faces 30 charges.
Cunningham's attorneys had claimed she was not able to assist in
her defense because of her psychiatric problems.
The U.S. attorney's office declined to comment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Governor Culver has issued disaster
proclamations for Montgomery, Union, Humboldt and Page counties in
response to severe storms that moved through Iowa overnight.
Culver's action yesterday will let the counties tap into state
resources to help in flood preparation and response.
The action will make it easier for officials to get sandbags,
water pumps and road barricades in preparation for expected and
ongoing flooding.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - With the primary election behind them,
legislative leaders are focusing on control of the Iowa House.
Both Republicans and Democrats see hopeful signs and expressed
confidence about the outcome in November.
House Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, compares the GOP's
upcoming challenge to facing Muhammad Ali in the boxing ring.
House Minority Leader Chris Rants, a Sioux City Republican,
disagrees with that assessment. He says the voter turnout yesterday
was about the same for both parties, which is good news for GOP
candidates in the general election.
Democrats control the House 53-47. In the Senate, Democrats hold
a lopsided 30-20 margin, and even Republican leaders concede it
will take several election cycles to control that chamber.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission and
Attorney General Jon Bruning's office have worked out a deal to
resolve their feud over the handling of discrimination cases.
And the agencies announced yesterday they had agreed on how many
discrimination cases Bruning's office has pursued since 2003.
They've been disagreeing for months on Bruning's handling of
commission cases.
NEOC chairman Arnold Nesbitt says the numbers accord was a
byproduct of the overall agreement.
He expects the agreement will be approved by the commission when
it meets Monday and that Bruning will sign it.
He says he's confident the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development will be satisfied with the agreement, because federal
officials helped draft it.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Ethanol and Nebraska's economy were the
focus of most of the questions at yesterday's debate between
Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat Scott Kleeb.
The two U.S. Senate candidates faced off at an event organized
by the American Legion Cornhusker Boys State. That is a weeklong
government leadership program for about 400 high school boys.
Johanns says he'd use the bully pulpit to combat bad publicity
about ethanol. He is a former agriculture secretary and Nebraska
governor.
Kleeb criticized President Bush's veto of the farm bill, which
included money for cellulosic ethanol. Kleeb is a Yale-educated
ranch hand turned history professor.
With the boys asking questions, Kleeb and Johanns both had the
chance to say they oppose the legalization of marijuana and
prostitution.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - While Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat
Scott Kleeb debated yesterday, the Green Party's candidate was
stuck outside.
Steve Larrick and about a dozen other Green Party members stood
outside the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Kimball Hall
protesting Larrick's exclusion.
Larrick says the Green Party is a legal party in the state and
should have been allowed to participate.
He says the party will consider legal action if it is excluded
from future debates.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
Commission has approved a hunting season on mountain lions that
would start two months later than last year in an attempt to reduce
the number of young lions orphaned when their mothers are killed.
The season would carry the same kill quota as last year. It
would end when 35 total lions or 15 females are killed.
The season until now has coincided with the Black Hills deer and
elk seasons. The next season will open Jan. 1 and run through March
31 or until the quota is reached.
Licensed landowners outside the Black Hills can shoot lions
year-round on private land they own or lease.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
says she thinks the Democratic Party needs to re-evaluate the role
of superdelegates in future elections.
Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders and officeholders
who can vote however they choose when their party picks its
presidential nominee. They have played a pivotal role in the 2008
process.
Herseth Sandlin says superdelegates haven't been an issue before
because the party hasn't had such a close nomination contest in
recent elections.
Hillary Clinton won Tuesday's last-in-the-nation primary in
South Dakota but Barack Obama captured enough delegates nationwide
to secure the Democratic nomination. He gained significant
superdelegate endorsements as the process wound down.
Herseth Sandlin had endorsed Obama and said she's not switching.
She says superdelegates are a lot like expert witnesses in a trial
who can offer advice based on experience.