KWIT: Regional News for 6/13 (2008-06-13)

In Iowa...

BLENCOE, Iowa (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff says it looks as if Boy Scouts who were caught in a
Western Iowa tornado "didn't have a chance."
On Thursday. he toured the 1,800-acre camp where four Scouts
were killed and more 48 injured after a twister struck. Many of the
Scouts were in a shelter when it collapsed.
Chertoff says it looks like the tornado came through the camp
"like a bowling ball."
He expressed condolences and also says the federal government
will do whatever it can to help tornado- and flood-ravaged areas in
Iowa and the rest of the Midwest.
At least 14 Boy Scouts remained hospitalized Thursday.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - More flood problems are hitting Cedar
Rapids as Iowa splashes through another day after more heavy rain.
More than 3,900 homes in Cedar Rapids have been evacuated and
part of downtown is under water from the rising Cedar River.
Officials estimate that 100 blocks are under water -- nearing the
top of stop signs.
In Des Moines, officials are urging residents to evacuate more
than 200 homes north of downtown because of concerns that the Des
Moines River will top a nearby levee. City leaders are also
watching the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers through downtown.
In Iowa City, residents are being evacuated in the Normandy
Drive area on the city's north side near the Iowa River. In
Coralville, residents along two streets have until 5 p.m. today to
evacuate.
Governor Culver has now declared 55 of the state's 99 counties
as state disaster areas. Nine rivers are at or above historic flood
levels.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver will join members of
Iowa's congressional delegation and FEMA Administrator R. David
Paulison on a tour of flood damaged areas in eastern Iowa.
The delegation will visit the areas on Friday. The tour's first
stop will be in Waterloos Chautauqua Park neighborhood.
Culver will then travel to Cedar Rapids, where he plans to hold
a press briefing. Reps. Dave Loebsack and Bruce Braley and Sens.
Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin will join Culver on the tour.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Lawmakers say they will create a
committee to look at the economic impact the flooding is having on
Iowa's livestock industry.
The Legislative Council, which runs the Legislature between
sessions, approved a 10-member committee on Thursday to study the
matter.
At least initially, the biggest problem facing livestock farmers
appears to be soaring commodity prices.
U.S Senator Tom Harkin predicted corn prices could reach $9 a
bushel as crops wither in flood-soaked fields.
House Speaker Pat Murphy says other legislative committees would
look at ways lawmakers can deal with other financial impacts of the
flooding.
Lt. Governor Patty Judge told the Legislative Council that
officials are only beginning to see the extent of the damage.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Top Democrats and Republicans have
agreed to postpone the party's state convention because of flooding
and violent weather battering the state.
Both Democrats and Republicans had been scheduled to hold the
respective state conventions in Des Moines on Saturday just blocks
apart, drawing big names in both parties.
Iowa Democratic Chairman Scott Brennan announced this (Thursday)
afternoon, however, that his party's state convention would be
postponed. He says many would have difficulty getting to Des Moines
and many others are dealing with the fallout of the violent
weather.
A new date for the convention will be set in the near future.
Republicans say they will reschedule their conventions for July
11 and July 12.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The National Weather Service says seven
tornadoes struck eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, but most
caused little damage.
Van DeWald, meteorologist with the service's Valley office, said
six of Wednesday evening's tornadoes were "touch and goes."
The seventh hit a Boy Scout camp near Little Sioux, Iowa,
killing four youths and injuring 50 other people at the camp.
DeWald says four of the tornadoes were in Nebraska, near
Louisville, Elkhorn, Greenwood and Jansen.
The Weather Service says mostly clear weather is in the forecast
for eastern Nebraska through Sunday.
But flood warnings remain posted some southeast Nebraska
counties.

OMAHA, Neb (AP) - First came the shock. Then the grief.
As dozens of people injured in a deadly tornado at an Iowa Boy
Scout camp recovered, families and friends tried to make sense of
the tragedy that claimed the lives of four teenage Scouts.
Scoutmaster Doug Rothbeg of Omaha says parents and scouters know
the risks, but it's tough to understand.
Rothgeb's troop spent yesterday in Omaha, comforting the family
of 13-year-old Josh Fennen, who was a member of the troop and one
of teens who died after the twister. The tornado destroyed a
building where the group had taken shelter.
The family of another victim, 14-year-old Ben Petrzilka, put
grief into action. They planned to raise money to build underground
storm shelters at the 1,800-acre Little Sioux Scout Ranch.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Sam Thomsen of Omaha was just days shy of his
14th birthday when he was killed by a tornado at a west Iowa Boy
Scout camp.
Sam and three other boys died in the Wednesday night storm.
Those who knew him best say he was doing what he loved most --
enjoying the outdoors.
His pastor, Jim White of Omaha, says Sam also loved playing
baseball and basketball and rooting for the Husker football team.
White called the boy a "vibrant, great kid."
He was son of Sharon and Larry Thomsen and was home-schooled. He
had two older sisters: one who recently graduated from high school
and another who attends Wheaton College in Illinois.
Other Omaha boys killed in the storm were 13-year-old Josh
Fennen, who recently finished eighth grade at Andersen Middle
School in Omaha, and 14-year-old Ben Petrzilka (pet-rah-ZIL-kah),
going into the eighth-grade at Mary Our Queen Catholic School.
Also killed was 14-year-old Aaron Eilerts (EYE-lerts), who
attended Blue Middle School in Eagle Grove, Iowa.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The State of Nebraska is giving larger pay
hikes to more than 1,500 managers and supervisors in July.
State officials say the salaries of some were being overtaken by
the employees they supervise. Some will see their salaries boosted
by as much as 17 percent.
The average increase among all supervisors and managers is about
six percent.
All 2,600 supervisors and managers working for state government
are getting a two percent raise.
The governor is giving 3 percent raises to agency directors
again this year, with a few exceptions.
Labor Director Fernando "Butch" Lecuona is getting a 2 percent
raise.
Last week, the state auditor said accounting errors caused the
Labor Department to overspend nearly 7 million dollars in federal
money.
Heineman's spokeswoman said she didn't know whether issues at
the department were a factor in they governor's decision.

In South Dakota...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Senator Tim Johnson says he will
introduce a bill to allow home health care providers hit by soaring
gas prices to be reimbursed for their rising costs.
The two-term Democrat says he wants Medicare reimbursement rates
changed back to a cost-based plan -- covering the true cost of the
service provided.
He says cost-based payments would allow home health care
providers to receive a settlement payment at the end of the year
for the actual cost and would be easier and fairer.
In Johnson's words: "This will close the gap between the
current Medicare reimbursement and rising gas prices."
The senator says he doesn't know how much more it would cost
over the current fixed-payment system but that he doesn't think it
would be very much in the grand scheme of things.
Johnson says the bill should be introduced soon.

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - The Meridian Bridge over the Missouri River
at Yankton is scheduled to be closed to all traffic after Tuesday
morning's commute so workers can repair gusset plates on the
bridge's undercarriage.
Ron Peterson with the South Dakota Department of Transportation
said the closure is scheduled for two weeks, but could be less if
things go well.
The bridge has been limited to vehicles under 10 tons because of
corrosion on plates that connect steel beams.
The restricted traffic has been allowed while crews repair
exterior gussets, which Peterson said should be completed Monday.
A replacement for the 84-year-old Meridian Bridge is under
construction and should be open in fall.