KWIT: Regional News for 7/14 (2008-07-14)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Opinions seem to differ on whether a new
Iowa law designed to stop identity theft does much to help. Some
critics say it simply costs businesses more.
The law requires companies to provide notice of security
breaches "in the most expeditious manner possible."
At least 43 other states have such laws.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania say
they have no real effect. They say that such laws can help reduce
the amount of losses but they create unnecessary costs for
companies and hurt e-commerce.
Lawmakers agree that the legislation won't end identity theft,
but they hope it helps Iowans better monitor their credit and
quickly stop illegal use of their personal information.
Sen. Steve Kettering, a Lake View Republican, worked on a
committee that pushed the measure through the House and the Senate.
He says Iowa lawmakers will likely take more steps to curb identity
theft in future sessions.

OAKVILLE, Iowa (AP)- It was another weekend of cleaning and
thinking about long-term recovery from flooding in Oakville.
Louisa County Public Information Officer Kathy Vance says a lot
of residents are in their homes with volunteers cleaning and
working on rebuilding.
Power was restored to the central part of Oakville last week for
the first time since the levee was breached nearly a month ago.
Vance says Alliant Energy will continue to restore power to the
town throughout the week.
Street lights began coming on a few days ago but residents must
hire a licensed electrician to get their own power back.
Residents can apply to the federal government for manufactured
housing. As of Friday, about 180 mobile homes arrived at five
locations near Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Dike. About 150 more are
on their way.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Warnings that the new smoking ban has
been violated in their business are going out to owners.
Iowa Department of Public Health will mail letters to owners of
businesses where state officials substantiate smoking violations,
said Aaron Swanson, an executive with the department.
The ban so far has resulted in 19 warnings to businesses.
If substantiated claims result in a second warning letter, a
copy will be sent to local law enforcement officials, who can
ticket the person smoking and the business.
A person caught smoking in a banned area could pay a $50 fine.
Employers who fail to enforce the law could pay a $100 fine for the
first offense, $200 for a second offense and $500 for other
violations within one year.
The department received about 240 complaints of potential
violations about the law as of Friday.

ALTON, Iowa (AP) - A man injured in an explosion at a farm
cooperative in Alton last week is home from the hospital.
Matthew Galles, of Remsen, was unloading corn near the elevator
at the Midwest Farmers Cooperative when an explosion occurred. The
31-year-old Galles suffered serious burns. He had been treated at
the St. Elizabeth Regional Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Alton Fire Chief Frank Van Es says small fires continue to burn
this weekend. Workers continue to empty the elevator, which had
60,000 bushels of corn stored when the explosion and fire erupted
inside.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Officials from the Iowa Lottery and Iowa
Department of Veterans Affairs are touting new lottery games that
are supposed to benefit veterans' causes.
They plan to unveil the games at a news conference on Monday.
They'll also detail how the proceeds from the games will support
the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.
In March, Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a bill that
authorizes the lottery to create two instant-scratch games and two
pull tab games each year. All the proceeds must support the Iowa
Veterans Trust Fund.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to
accompany Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on an
upcoming trip to the Middle East, fueling speculation about the
Nebraska politician's future.
Both senators have confirmed the summer trip to U.S.
battlefronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will also include
Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Hagel says U.S. policies in those countries are key to national
security and need to be addressed in a bipartisan manner.
Hagel served as an Army sergeant in Vietnam and was twice
wounded in 1968, earning two Purple Hearts. Reed, a West Point
graduate, was a former Army Ranger and paratrooper.
Each has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Obama.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack
Obama has been raking in more campaign dollars from Nebraska, but
Republican John McCain could close the gap with this week's visit
to the state and a high-dollar fundraiser.
The latest fundraising numbers from the Federal Election
Commission show Obama raised $365,134 through the end of May.
McCain pulled in $154,776.
Obama and his wife visited Nebraska in February in the days
leading up to the Democratic caucus, and his numbers were helped by
a fundraiser last summer hosted by billionaire investor Warren
Buffett.
But McCain could fatten his coffers with Wednesday's fundraiser
in Ashland.
Former Congressman Hal Daub, chairman of McCain Victory 2008,
says 250 people have signed up for the event. The minimum donation
to attend is $1,000.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - From the coal fields of West Virginia to the
corn fields of Iowa, governors are talking at their summer meeting
about moving beyond ethanol produced just from food sources.
They sometimes have different priorities in reaching this
conclusion - priorities that can be as simple as who grows corn and
who feeds it to livestock.
And they're also not talking about replacement so much as
supplementing: using switchgrass or wood waste products, for
example, along with corn.
Still, the conversation has big implications. According to the
Renewable Fuels Association, the nation has 134 ethanol plants in
26 states with 77 more under construction or expanding.
Nebraska is the second-largest ethanol producer in the country.
The state's Ethanol Board says Nebraska's 21 ethanol plants
annually produce more than 1.3 billion gallons of ethanol.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) - South Sioux City police say a man
died after accidentally setting himself on fire with a cutting
torch.
Police Chief Scot Ford says a passer-by reported seeing a man on
fire about 3 p.m. Friday. Officers who arrived at the scene
determined the man was dead.
Authorities have not released the man's name.
Ford says there was no evidence of an explosion, and that the
man was probably using the torch to salvage a piece of equipment
and set himself on fire.

In South Dakota...

HUTTERVILLE COLONY, S.D. (AP) - The Hutterville Colony near
Stratford raises a crop that can't he hailed out or lost to drought
or flooding.
About 15 months ago, the colony began fish farming -- raising
tilapia (til-AH'-pee-uh) in 32 huge tanks in a building.
The colony now raises about 390 tons of tilapia per year.
The fish arrive about an inch long from a Colorado hatchery and
leave the colony a few weeks later about 10 inches long and
weighing about a pound and a half.
Colony members need to monitor the water closely for temperature
and acid content. They need to make sure the fish are properly fed.
And if a storm knocks out the electricity, the colony members
need to start up alternate power sources quickly to keep the water
circulating and maintain the temperature.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Just like nearly every other business, the
plumbing industry continues to change as new devices hit the
market, new materials are used and new ways of plying the trade are
developed.
South Dakota lawmakers want to make sure your local plumber is
up to snuff when it comes to modern tricks of the trade.
That's why plumbers in the state will have to go back to school
from time to time.
A 2008 state law requires plumbers, apprentice plumbers and
plumbing contractors to get at least 4 hours of continuing
education before they can renew their licenses.
There's a little lead time on that, however.
The training requirement begins on January 1st, 2010.

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. (AP) - Visitors to Wind Cave
National Park this summer have the chance to see black-footed
ferrets at night.
To mark the one-year anniversary of the reintroduction of the
creatures to the Black Hills park, rangers are offering night hikes
through prairie dog towns in hopes of seeing the rare animal.
The program starts at Elk Mountain Campground at 9 p.m. every
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through Aug. 16.
After a brief presentation, the group will caravan to a nearby
prairie dog town where rangers will lead the group across the
prairie.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Officials say a sports complex planned
for Mission will honor the Lakota Code Talkers of World War Two.
Indian Code talkers used their native languages to baffle the
Japanese and help win the war in the Pacific.
Plans for Code Talkers Memorial Park call for a baseball field,
playgrounds and picnic areas.
Also, the complex could offer summer recreation and wellness
programs through an agreement between the tribe and South Dakota
State University.
The project could cost $1 million and take three years to
complete. Fundraising will be conducted through the SDSU
Foundation.