KWIT: Regional News for 9/2 (2008-09-02)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - State officials are expected to release
the findings of the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission's report on
damage caused by severe weather this summer.
The report - which is the result of months of meetings and
hearings - will outline recommendations for unmet needs.
General Ron Dardis, and Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, who is
also the director the Rebuild Iowa Office, are expected to present
the findings on Tuesday morning at the state capitol at 11:15 a.m.
After that, Dardis and Judge will travel to Cedar Rapids to
present the findings in front of City Hall.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Republican National Convention delegates
have adopted a rule to keep the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire
primary at the front of their presidential nominating calendar.
The binding rule bans any states other than Iowa, New Hampshire
and South Carolina from holding their 2012 primary or caucus votes
before the first Tuesday in March.
The rule approved during Monday's truncated opening session of
the convention also says those three states can't hold their own
votes before the first Tuesday in February.
Certain nominee John McCain favored the changes to preserve the
states' grassroots politicking. Republicans also want to prevent a
repeat of this year's crowded calendar, when other states moved up
to gain clout.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver says Iowans stand ready
to help Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav and will
take evacuees if needed.
Culver says the people of America stood by Iowa during June's
record flooding and that Iowa would stand by the people of the Gulf
Coast as needed.
Culver says he's offering Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal his full
support.
A spokeswoman for the Central Iowa Chapter of the American Red
Cross, Maryann Sinkler, says so far no hurricane evacuees are known
to have arrived in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Shawn Johnson wishes the attention would
stop. No, not that Shawn Johnson.
Dr. Shawn Johnson, a 35-year-old osteopathic doctor in Des
Moines, says he is getting tired of people confusing him for the
16-year-old Olympic gold-winning gymnast from West Des Moines.
Johnson, the doctor, says he has received dozens of late-night
calls from people looking for the gymnast. He also says his page on
the social-networking Web site Facebook has been deluged with
friend requests, although his page shows a picture of a
bespectacled man with a Chicago Cubs baseball cap - not the girl
who won three silver medals and one gold medal during the Beijing
Olympics earlier this month.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) - Crawford County officials say they won't
repeal a ban keeping RAGBRAI from traveling through their county,
despite a deal between a statewide group and bicycle fans.
The Crawford County Board of Supervisors say they still support
state legislation that exempts cities and counties from lawsuits
filed by bicycle riders.
The board passed the ban last year after they paid $350,000 to
settle a lawsuit filed by a woman whose husband died in 2004 while
riding in RAGBRAI.
The man was thrown from his bicycle after hitting a crack in a
stretch of county road.
County officials argued that the roads are designed for motor
vehicles, not bicycles.
The Iowa State Association of Counties announced last week that
it was dropping its push for state laws and county ordinances to
regulate bicycles on county roads after concessions by RAGBRAI
addressed the liability issues.

In Nebraska...

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - The 17th annual Tri-City AIDS Walk will
take place in Kearney on September 14th.
The walk will be held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney's
Health and Sports Center, with registration to begin at 1 p.m.
Participants will collect pledges and donations to help raise
money for the AIDS Project in central Nebraska.
The event also will feature Fritz and Etta Mae Mutti,
inspirational speakers from Kansas City, Missouri, who have dealt
with the loss of two sons who died from AIDS-related complications.
For more information or to register, contact the Kearney
Nebraska AIDS Project at 308-338-0527.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska has won more recognition, this
time for its presence online.
The Center for Digital Government recognized Nebraska as having
one of the top 10 government Web sites in the country.
The center also recognized the state Department of Motor
Vehicles' Web site among its top five for digital achievement for
its license reinstatement application.
Governor Dave Heineman says it's another example of the state
using technology to better serve its residents.
He says the lines at the state agencies of tomorrow aren't in
the front office; they are online.
The state plans to continue to seek ways to grow e-government to
better serve Nebraskans.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A two-day seminar at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln will explore climate change and the challenges it
poses for Nebraska.
The seminar is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on both September
18th and 19th at Architecture Hall.
UNL assistant architecture professor Tim Hemsath says climate
change strategies discussed at the seminar will focus how climate
affects Nebraska's physical environment.
Of particular interest to farmers and others interested in the
ethanol industry, Ken Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center for
Energy Sciences Research, will discuss how biofuels can help
mitigate climate change.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A state program offering tourism grants has
handed out $500,000 to Nebraska communities.
Governor Dave Heineman says 33 grants were distributed as part
of a matching-grant program to boost travel and tourism. The grants
ranged from $2,000 to $50,000.
Heineman says the tourism industry is creating and sustaining
jobs in Nebraska.
Local groups match the grants dollar-for-dollar to cover costs
for such things as advertising, Web site development, production
and distribution of maps and brochures, and participation in travel
and trade shows.
The grant program, now in its fourth year, is administered by
the Nebraska Department of Economic Development's Travel and
Tourism Division.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The trial in a legal challenge to South
Dakota's system of funding education is scheduled to begin today in
Pierre -- and a state lawmaker who is being allowed to testify says
he has no problem if he's called to the witness stand.
State Representative Jim Putnam of Armour, vice chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee, says that as an elected official,
he is looking forward to answering any questions that are asked.
Putnam says he knows the outcome could cost the state hundreds of
millions of dollars.
If that happens, he says the state will do what the legal system
orders.
Last week, Circuit Judge Lori Wilbur ruled that lawyers
representing school districts that have sued the state can call
Putnam and state Senator Ed Olson of Mitchell to testify about
school funding.
The lawsuit alleges the state's school funding system
substantially underfunds schools and violates a constitutional
provision guaranteeing all children access to a free, adequate and
quality education.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Some South Dakota school
superintendents say finding special education teachers is tough --
and getting tougher.
Sioux Falls Superintendent Pam Homan (HOH'-muhn) says it's a
particular problem at the elementary school level.
Several other superintendents also say special education slots
have been hard to fill this year.
Governor Rounds is proposing differential pay to fill
hard-to-fill slots. It means paying some teachers more than others
based on how badly the district needs them.
Homan says such a pay system would not mean as much in Sioux
Falls than additional resources to keep moving base salaries higher
for all teachers.
Sioux Falls public schools hired for 158 positions this year. A
normal year is about 115.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - According to figures from the federal
Bureau of Labor Statistics, farming is South Dakota's most
dangerous occupation.
The agency says about half of the 21 work-related fatalities in
the state last year involved people in the agriculture, forestry
and fishing and hunting category.
Matt Diersen, an extension economist at South Dakota State
University, says farmers handle lots of specialized equipment.
Plus, he says many of them work long hours during the harvest
season and get tired, making them more susceptible to accidents.
About 5,500 Americans died of work-related injuries last year.