KWIT: Regional News for 7/23 (2008-07-23)

In Iowa...

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Board of Regents has unanimously
voted to reopen its investigation into how the University of Iowa
handled an inquiry into the alleged assault of a woman by two
football players.
The board met on Tuesday afternoon to talk about letters sent by
the mother of the woman who claims she was raped on Oct. 14 at a
campus dorm. The letters were sent to University of Iowa President
Sally Mason.
Regents officials say the letters, sent in November and May,
weren't provided to them until last week. In them, the mother
accuses the university of mishandling its response to her
daughter's allegations.
Mason apologized during Tuesday's meeting for not turning over
the letters to the regents. She says she thought that releasing
them would violate federal privacy laws.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver is asking Congress to
move quickly to approve more disaster assistance to help Iowa
recover from last month's flooding.
Culver, who's in Washington D.C., says the state sustained
nearly $10 billion in damage from the flooding, making it the worst
disaster in Iowa history.
Culver says Congress has already approved $2.6 billion in flood
aid for Iowa. He says FEMA officials have indicated future funding
will be made available to cover more of the damage.
But Culver says the $1.2 billion in unmet needs is mostly
housing, and that the figure is more than what FEMA officials have
indicated will be covered.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) - State environmental officials say three
cities have reported wastewater bypasses after severe storms this
week knocked out power.
Burlington had two bypasses - one early Saturday and another
early Monday. The first bypass released an estimated 600,000 of
untreated wastewater into the Mississippi River. The next
discharged about a million gallons into the river.
That's according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The agency says that in Muscatine, a bypass on Monday morning
dumped an unknown amount of untreated water into the Mississippi
River.
A windstorm knocked out power to a lift station in Buffalo,
causing the city to release up to 1,000 gallons of wastewater into
an unnamed tributary of the Mississippi River on Tuesday.
That bypass was still in progress.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Madison County attorney says more arrests
are likely in a 2002 slaying linked to one of the Norfolk bank
killers.
County Attorney Joe Smith said yesterday his investigation into
Robert Pearson's murder continues. He says he believes other people
were involved in Pearson's murder that weren't involved in the 2002
bank robbery and killings of five people.
Jose Sandoval, who is on death row for the bank slayings,
pleaded guilty Monday to murdering Pearson and Travis Lundell
months before the September 2002 U.S. Bank robbery.
Juries found two of the other bank killers eligible for
execution because of their roles in Lundell's death. Smith says he
believes all the men responsible for Lundell's death have now been
held accountable.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Madison County Attorney decided not to
pursue the death penalty for the man who pleaded guilty to two
murders Monday.
County Attorney Joe Smith says he didn't pursue the death
penalty now partly because Jose Sandoval is already sentenced to be
executed for the five Norfolk bank slayings in 2002.
Smith says the aggravating factors that are required for the
death penalty also weren't as clear in the murders of Robert
Pearson and Travis Lundell. Sandoval pleaded guilty to Pearson's
and Lundell's murders and received two life sentences yesterday.
Pearson and Lundell's family members say they appreciated
finally getting some answers about the deaths.
Robert Pearson Senior of Columbus told the Norfolk Daily News
he's glad it's all getting closer to concluding.
Lundell's mother, Janie Heuson, addressed Sandoval in court. She
thanked him for finally admitting what he had done.

U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel is repeating calls for U.S. withdrawal
from Iraq, saying at a news conference in Jordan yesterday that
even the Iraqi government wants U.S. combat forces out by 2010.
The Nebraska Republican is accompanying Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama on an overseas trip.
Hagel says Iraqi leadership understands that the Iraqi people
will determine the nation's future. He says it's time for the
United States to start accepting the nation's sovereignty.
Hagel's opposition to the Iraq war -- and Obama's decision to
invite him on the trip -- has stirred speculation that Obama may
consider the Republican as a running mate.
Hagel told The Associated Press last month that he would
consider it, although he doesn't expect to be on any ticket.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Lincoln police say a woman was arrested after
she tried to wire money, with some counterfeit cash.
Sgt. Don Scheinost says the 52-year-old Lincoln woman tried to
wire $1,000, $790 of it in counterfeit cash, via Moneygram from a
Wal-Mart on Sunday.
Scheinost says Wal-Mart employees used a counterfeit detecting
pen to test the authenticity of the bills.
At the time of the arrest, Scheinost says, he found $2,810 in
counterfeit bills in the woman's purse. The denominations were $20,
$50 and $100.
Scheinost says the woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing
forged instruments.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Gov. Mike Rounds says the state must help
South Dakota school districts recruit more teachers for math,
science, music, special education and other critical subjects.
The governor says scholarships can be used to attract more
teachers into critical areas. He says teachers in those critical
subjects also could be paid more.
In a discussion with school superintendents from around the
state, Rounds said he doubts the Legislature will raise taxes for
general education. But he says the Legislature might provide more
money for specific projects.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The trial of two Hells Angels bikers
charged with sparking a 2006 gun fight that injured six rival
Outlaws will move to Sioux Falls.
Chad Wilson of Washington state and John Midmore of Indiana are
each charged with seven attempted murder, conspiracy and gun counts
for the shootout that injured six rival Outlaw gang members.
Defense lawyers asked to move the trial because they believe the
men can't get a fair trial in Custer County due to pretrial
publicity. Prosecutors didn't oppose it because of safety and
logistic concerns over the smaller Custer courthouse.
At a hearing today in Rapid City, the judge granted the request
to move the trial and also granted a delay of a few weeks so a
defense expert witness could be available.
The trial starts November third.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Governor Rounds says a crane will be needed
to remove two large trees that were blown down at the governor's
residence during a storm in Pierre Friday night.
He says the trees are 50 years old and fell into each other on
the east side of the house.
Rounds says the trees are big enough and the job is dangerous
enough that a crane will be needed. He says several other large
trees and tree branches were blown down near the state Capitol, but
neither the Capitol nor the governor's residence were damaged.