KWIT: Regional News for 9/3 (2008-09-03)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A task force created to assess damage
from this year's flooding and make recommendations for recovery is
calling for expanded housing programs and financial assistance for
businesses wanting to rebuild.
But the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission was silent about
whether lawmakers should be called into special session to deal
with the recovery.
The commission released a report on Tuesday that outlined its
recommendations to help residents and businesses recover from the
flooding.
The group said the top priority should be finding housing for
displaced residents before cold weather arrives.
It also called for forgivable loans for businesses, along with
waiving sales taxes on materials bought for rebuilding and offering
a tax credit for the cost of rebuilding.
The report didn't offer a final figure on flood damage, but that
number is expected to reach $10 billion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A Web site sponsored by elected
officials includes Social Security numbers and other data for
thousands of Iowans - including Gov. Chet Culver.
IowaLandRecords.org is drawing sharp criticism from watchdog
groups, which say it is putting Iowans at risk for identity theft.
Culver's spokesman, Troy Price, says he is concerned and the
governor's office is looking into the Web site.
IowaLandRecords.org, includes home mortgage records and other
documents from each of Iowa's 99 counties. The Web site was
launched in January 2005 by the Iowa County Recorders Association.
Records on the site that are older than six years old typically
include Social Security numbers. Newer documents do not include the
numbers.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) - The City Council in Sioux City is
pushing back discussion on a proposed ban on pit bulls within city
limits.
City Council members say they want to make sure every member of
the council can attend. A discussion is now set for September 15th.
The council has already approved the first and second readings
of an ordinance to restrict pit bull ownership in the city, a
proposal that has generated heated debate

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey
says he's optimistic about crop development.
Northey - commenting on this week's USDA crop report - says that
the weather has been good for crop development.
He says the weather will have to hold so that crops can continue
and finish their development.
According to the USDA report, some of the crops are beginning to
mature. So far temperatures have remained moderate, which has
prevented crop stress.
According to the report, there were 5.7 days suitable for
fieldwork last week, compared to 3.5 days last year at this time.

In Nebraska...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman says about
1,000 of the state's National Guard troops will help Louisiana and
other Gulf Coast states recover from Hurricane Gustav.
Heineman says most of the guard members will leave today.
Nearly 100 members of the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
headquarters left Tuesday morning as an advance team.
The soldiers and airmen will join four helicopter crews that
left Sunday and have been waiting in Mississippi.
Brig. Gen. Tim Kadavy, who commands Nebraska's National Guard,
says more than 3,000 Guardsmen will remain in the state, available
to help residents if the need were to arise.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - The Fremont mayor's race may gain another
competitor.
A Fremont man trying to join the race in part to address
immigration issues says he believes he's collected enough valid
signatures to do it.
Carl Schaffner says he counted three times and came up with
1,520 signatures from people who want his name on the ballot.
Schaffner needed 1,419 signatures from registered voters living
in the city.
He is hoping to challenge incumbent Skip Edwards and write-in
candidate Wesley Homes in the November election.
Dodge County officials will now have to verify the signatures.
Deputy County Clerk Sharon Neuhalfen says that process could be
completed this week.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Faith school Superintendent Mel Dutton says
severe financial problems in his district has hurt student
performance.
Dutton testified yesterday in the opening day of a trial in a
legal challenge of the state's education funding system.
Dutton says Faith's school building was condemned four years
ago, forcing the district to use seven double-wide trailers as
classrooms. He says budget problems forced the district to drop
some courses.
Dutton says half of Faith's juniors in 2007 were less than
proficient in math and 44 percent were less than proficient in
reading.
And he testified that some classes are using 15-year-old
textbooks.
The trial before Circuit Judge Lori Wilbur continues today and
could last six weeks.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The crop report from the Agricultural
Statistics Service says warm weather continued to let South
Dakota's row crops develop rapidly last week.
Some farmers say the hot, windy weather - combined with
previously dry conditions - have raised concerns about some corn
and soybean land drying up before the crops have fully matured.
The crop report says almost all the spring wheat and barley have
been harvested.
Soil moisture ratings fell last week, with 53 percent of topsoil
in the adequate to surplus range. That's down 12 percentage points
from the previous week. And 38 percent of topsoil was rated short
of moisture.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Fire schools have been scheduled for
volunteer firefighters this month.
Firefighters can train in areas such as school bus extrication
and grain bin and elevator response.
The state Department of Public Safety says classes begin Sunday
and end Sept. 21. Scheduled locations include Gayville,
Chamberlain, McIntosh, Platte, and Winner.
Deputy state fire marshal Jennifer Lindberg says the regional
schools are a good opportunity for volunteer departments to work
with other agencies.
South Dakota has 362 volunteer fire departments and about 9,000
volunteer firefighters.