KWIT: Regional News for 7/3 (2008-07-03)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A group of bar and restaurant owners has
filed a lawsuit in Polk County District Court seeking to overturn a
new statewide smoking ban.
The Iowa Bar Owners Coalition, based in Clinton County, filed a
petition in Polk County District Court in Des Moines on Tuesday.
The group's attorney, George Eichorn says he's seeking a temporary
injunction on the enforcement of the ban until the case can go to
trial.
No court date has been set.
The petition names Iowa Department of Public Health Director
Thomas Newton, his agency and the State of Iowa as defendants.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver has announced two new
judicial appointments.
Culver is appointing Sixth District Court Judge Amanda
Potterfield, of Tiffin, to the Iowa Court of Appeals and Dubuque
Attorney Michael Shubatt as judge for Iowa Judicial District 1A.
Potterfield received her undergraduate degree from Hollins
College and her law degree from George Washington University
National Law Center. She replaces Judge David Baker, whom Culver
appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Shubatt, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from the
University of Iowa, will replace Judge Alan Pearson, who retired.

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Hundreds of Iowa companies lost workers,
revenue and continue to face challenges to recovery in the
aftermath of recent flooding.
That's according to a new survey data from Iowa State University
Extension's Center for Industrial Research and Service.
The survey, which has included over 800 companies so far, shows
that 53 percent of the businesses reported back that they had been
affected by the floods.
The ongoing survey shows companies lost workers who had to
respond to personal flood-related issues. Others saw a disruption
in production because of structural damage or a disconnection of
utilities.
CIRAS's director, Ron Cox, says the survey is being conducted to
identify areas where relief funding will have the greatest impact.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Police have arrested a Cedar Rapids
man on charges he used a fake ID to obtain more than $900 in flood
benefits.
Police say Nathan Blakley scammed the American Red Cross by
using identification that showed him with an address inside of the
flood zone in order to obtain rent assistance.
Authorities say Blakley's real address is outside of the flood
zone.
The Red Cross told police that they've stopped payment on the
checks to Blakley. Police say he has been taken into custody and
faces charges of second-degree theft and false statement on an Iowa
ID.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - State environmental officials say a
second black bear has been shot in Iowa this summer.
The most recently reported incident happened last week in
Fremont County.
The more than 200-pound bear was shot by an Iowa Department of
Natural Resources conservation officer who says the animal acted
aggressively after raiding his garbage cans.
Another bear was shot by a citizen in Franklin County last week.
Officials say there have been a total of five confirmed
sightings of black bears this year, including the bears that were
shot. The other sightings were in Winnisheik, Johnson and Davis
counties.
Before this year, the last confirmed sighting of a black bear in
Iowa was in Allamakee County in 2005.

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) - Authorities say a woman whose body was
found in a burning apartment in Spencer died of smoke inhalation.
Firefighters found the body of 47-year-old Karen Colding in a
first-floor bedroom late Monday night.
Spencer Fire Chief Doug Duncan says an autopsy showed that
Colding had high levels of carbon monoxide in her system.
He says the fire was started by improperly discarded smoking
material, which ignited a sofa in the living room.
The apartment building has three units. No was else was injured.

In Nebraska...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Supporters of a proposed ban on affirmative
action in Nebraska say they have gathered enough petition
signatures to put the measure before voters.
Doug Tietz of the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative would not say
exactly how many signatures the group will turn into Secretary of
State John Gale today. Tietz' group needs to have about 114,000
valid signatures.
His group and an organization that opposes the ban on government
affirmative action have fought bitterly.
One ad from opposition group Nebraskans United suggests voters
could fall victim to identity theft or other crimes if they sign
petitions.
Nebraskans United also claims some signatures were gathered
illegally and may challenge the validity of the signatures.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A former teacher has pleaded guilty to
fleeing to Mexico with a 13-year-old student so she could have sex
with him.
The deal 26-year-old Kelsey Peterson struck with federal
prosecutors means she'll likely face six or seven years in federal
prison.
The reduced charge of transporting a minor across state lines
for the purpose of sex calls for a sentence between 70 months and
87 months in prison.
Attorney Amy Peck, who represents the boy and his family, says
they're ready for the case to be over.
Peterson and the boy left Lexington in October and were found a
week later in Mexicali, Mexico.
The guilty plea doesn't mean Peterson is off the hook on state
charges, which include kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska National Guard soldiers are going
to help fight wildfires in California.
Gov. Dave Heineman said the guard is also sending two
helicopters to assist with water drops in northern California,
where dozens of wildfires are burning.
Fifteen soldiers from an aviation battalion headed to
California.
Others will fly a helicopter from Grand Island, and another
helicopter from Lincoln. Both helicopters are equipped with water
buckets.
Heineman said California requested the help. He recalled how
other states helped Nebraska in 2006 when homes and cities in the
north central and western parts of the state were threatened by
fires.

In South Dakota...

FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The governor says he hasn't heard
anything about a proposal by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to
build a casino along Lake Oahe north of Pierre.
In the past, governors have resisted proposals by tribes to
locate casinos outside the boundaries of reservations.
Tribes and the state typically negotiate gambling compacts.
Stanley County Commissioner Jim Stoeser (STOH'-sur) says the
plans are very preliminary.
Stoeser says several sites are being considered, including one
just a few miles north of Oahe Dam.
Such a location would not be within the boundaries of the
reservation.
The Cheyenne River Tribe is the only one in South Dakota that
does not have a casino.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Federal officials say less corn and
more soybeans were planted in South Dakota this year.
The Agricultural Statistics Service says 4.65 million aces of
corn were planted, a 7 percent decline from last season.
At 4.1 million acres, the area devoted to soybeans in South
Dakota is up 28 percent from 2007.
Biotech varieties accounted for 95 percent of corn acreage and
97 percent of soybean acreage.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The state Transportation Department plans to
close state Highway 44 west of the Platte-Winner bridge starting
Tuesday so it can repair a landslide.
The closure from just west of the Missouri River bridge to
Highway 1806 South will last at least 10 days and possibly up to 40
days.
The DOT says the road continues to slide and deteriorate because
of a landslide brought on by heavy spring rain and runoff.
Alternate routes across the Missouri River include Interstate 90
at Chamberlain and U.S. Highway 18 at Pickstown.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Forty-two people died in South Dakota
traffic in the first half of the year.
That's a 39 percent reduction from the same period last year.
Governor Rounds says there were no fatalities over the Memorial
Day weekend for the first time in five years.
He's urging motorists to be especially careful over the long
Fourth of July holiday period.
There were 40 serious crashes during the Independence Day period
last year, resulting in 25 injuries but no fatalities.
There were three deaths on South Dakota roads during the Fourth
of July period in 2006, six deaths in 2005, and five motorists were
killed in 2004.