KWIT: Regional News for 8/19 (2008-08-19)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - State investigators claim a company
disguised E85 ethanol fuel as unleaded gasoline or 10-percent
ethanol-blended fuel and sold the fuel at stations in Sumner and
Fairbank.
The Iowa attorney general's office filed a consumer-protection
lawsuit in Black Hawk County District Court against Jerry Fratzke,
who owns Pronto Market stations in Sumner and Fairbank. The suit
ordered Fratzke to immediately stop selling E85.
The lawsuit against Fratzke of Jesup seeks reimbursement to
consumers and civil penalties up to $40,000 per violation.
The suit alleges Fratzke ordered at least 2,500 gallons of E85
between March 10 and June 6, though the Pronto Markets have no
specific tanks to store the ethanol blend.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Key lawmakers say the chances for a
special legislative session to deal with flooding issues is no
better than 50-50.
A special session wouldn't be held until mid-September, after a
panel appointed by Gov. Chet Culver issues its recommendations for
flood relief legislation.
That would mean a session only three months before the regular
session is scheduled to convene in January. Senate Majority Leader
Michael Gronstal and others say a special session might not be
worth the tens of thousands of dollars it would cost.
House Speaker Pat Murphy notes that Culver already has broad
powers to spend state money and waive regulations without any
action by lawmakers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - University of Iowa professor Dave
Redlawsk has a long history of political activism, but one thing
he's never done is attend the Democratic National Convention.
Now that he's secured a ticket, he's aiming to take his students
with him - sort of.
With the help of his research assistant, Redlawsk plans to teach
his class live from Denver using a Web cam. Redlawsk will gather
behind-the-scenes footage and excitement from the convention floor,
where he is serving as a Democratic delegate for the first time.
Redlawsk says he was elected as a delegate for John Edwards
after pitching state Democrats on his ability to show students what
the convention was like behind the scenes. He says he will support
Barack Obama at the convention.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa City man who set a goal of
reaching the Iowa State Fair to help battle cancer has taken home a
blue ribbon.
Paul Neuzil, 81, of Iowa City was diagnosed with bone marrow
cancer in 2007, and was told he was terminally ill. His doctor
advised him to set a goal to work toward, and Neuzil set his sights
on showing his draft horses in the state fair.
Neuzil's cancer has since gone into remission, thanks to
treatment and support from his family. He showed off his draft
horses Sunday and placed first out of 12 competitors.
Neuzil's wife, his nine children and about 50 relatives were in
Des Moines to cheer him on.

In Nebraska...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Two U.S. senators emerged from a special ag
committee hearing on food, feed and fuel production with a strong
sense of optimism.
Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Ben Nelson of Nebraska were in
Omaha yesterday gathering information about the changing economic
landscape for agriculture and renewable fuels' production.
Harkin says that as the biofuel industry grows there will be
some headaches. But he says he believes that most people and
businesses can get through the rough spots, given proper federal
policies and advice from the private sector.
Livestock and poultry industry officials say they are paying
billions of dollars more now to raise their food animals, blaming
higher corn and other prices.

CARTER LAKE, Iowa (AP) - Pottawattamie County officials in Iowa
are considering taking legal steps to stop the construction of a
proposed casino in Carter Lake.
Carter Lake is on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River, just
northeast of downtown Omaha.
Iowa local officials say they will consider joining an existing
lawsuit, or filing their own lawsuit, to stop the Ponca Tribe of
Nebraska from building a casino in Carter Lake. The Pottawattamie
County Board planned discuss those options at its meeting Monday.
Under federal law, Native American tribes may offer gambling
that is legal in a state where the tribe owns land.
The U.S. Justice Department has already said that Nebraska has
no legal standing to challenge the Ponca Indian Tribe's plan.

In South Dakota...

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Rapid City School Board members have
agreed to call Superintendent Peter Wharton whenever they get a
request for information from news reporters. But now, some members
say the procedure might not be best for the democratic process.
Two board members say they're not completely on board with the
procedure -- with one of them saying it's all about control.
In the past, Wharton has said it's not about control but rather
a courtesy to keep communication lines open.
Board president Sheryl Kirkeby, who supports the procedure, says
reporters can get exact information from the superintendent rather
than hearsay.
South Dakota Newspaper Association attorney Jon Arneson says if
the superintendent is dictating policy to the board that he serves,
"the tail would seem to be wagging the dog."
He also says any prior restraint on the public or their elected
representatives is "virtually indefensible" in a democracy.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - According to the weekly crop report,
South Dakota's winter wheat harvest is nearly complete, and most of
the spring-planted small grains have been harvested as well.
The report, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says 97
percent of the winter wheat, 81 percent of the oats, 68 percent of
the barley and 60 percent of the spring wheat had been harvested as
of Sunday.
All those percentages are behind last year and the five-year
average.
Eighty percent of the corn crop is rated either in good or
excellent condition. But the report says some farmers are worried
about the damage an early frost could do to row crops.
As for alfalfa, the second cutting is 78 percent complete and a
third cutting is 24 percent complete.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A Tucson, Arizona, man who was hired as
Pierre's new airport manager didn't show up for his first day of
work yesterday.
Steve Miller, who has 20 years of experience in the industry and
works for an airport consulting company, e-mailed Pierre city
officials Sunday, telling them he decided not to take the job.
City Commissioner Larry Weiss says officials had been in contact
with Miller for the past month. He says Miller had some concerns
but that city officials had no clue he would back out.
Pierre has had four airport managers since the early 2000s, with
most leaving to take better airport jobs.
Weiss says the absence of a full-time manager has stressed
existing staff, especially city engineer John Childs, who will
remain as interim airport manager.