KWIT: Regional News for 9/4 (2008-09-04)

In Iowa...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A Web site that was drawing criticism
for publishing land documents that included Social Security numbers
and other information has removed the information from its Web
site.
IowaLandRecords.org had drawn complaints from Gov. Chet Culver,
watchdog groups and others who say that private information was on
the site, including Social Security numbers for Culver and
Secretary of State Michael Mauro, was inappropriate.
The Iowa County Recorders Association, which runs the site,
announced on Wednesday that it had restricted mortgage and some
commercial land records to prevent the disclosure of Social
Security numbers.
County recorders from each of Iowas 99 counties are largely
responsible for posting documents to the site.

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Switchgrass has been a buzzword in renewable
fuels for awhile, but Iowa State University Researchers say
miscanthus may be the answer.
Iowa State agronomist Emily Heaton describes miscanthus as a
"cold-weather sugar cane." She says it may have double the
potential fuel yield of switchgrass.
The best feature is that it doesn't seem to mind cold weather or
frost.
Heaton says miscanthus has been used to breed greater cold
tolerances into sugar cane and could have potential if it is grown
in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver is set to unveil a new
stamp featuring the Iowa flag.
Culver will join with state officials on Thursday to unveil the
latest stamp in the "Flags of our Nation" series. Culver says
it's an honor gives all Iowans an opportunity to celebrate the
state's past.
The event will feature a Color Guard from the Iowa Army National
Guard and remarks by Culver, among other things.
The Flags of our Nation stamps were introduced last spring. Iowa
is one of the ten states or territories being honored during the
second release of this series. The series will continue through
2010, and will feature a total of 60 stamps when completed.

In Nebraska...

HOLDREGE, Neb. (AP) - The state's largest lake is only 33
percent full despite gaining 8 feet in the past year.
The lake has been drained by years of drought and less snowpack
runoff from Wyoming.
So farmers will have to plan on no more than 6.7 inches of water
from Lake McConaughy next year.
Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District directors
have voted to maintain the 2008 limit next year, which will be the
fifth consecutive year of cutbacks.
A wet spring let district officials delay this year's irrigation
a week.
District General Manager Don Kraus says some irrigators wanted
to raise the allocation to 8.4 inches next year, but the directors
decided to remain cautious.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - It's not official yet, but the new pedestrian
bridge connecting Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, may
soon be named in honor of Bob Kerrey.
The committee charged with finding names for the new Missouri
River pedestrian bridge recommended Kerrey's name.
The $22 million suspension bridge span will link trails in Iowa
and Nebraska.
Kerrey, a former Nebraska governor and U.S. senator, had secured
$18 million in federal funding. The bridge was envisioned as an
architectural signature for Kerrey's "Back to the River"
campaign.
The Council Bluffs council members will vote Monday on the
recommendation, followed by the Omaha council's vote on Tuesday.
The bridge's official opening is expected in the next few weeks.
The span has been derided in some quarters as a pork-barrel
extravagance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A federal judge still faces a challenge
from a supervisor who was arrested after a massive immigration raid
at a kosher meatpacking plant.
Martin De La Rosa-Loera appeared in federal court late last
month in Cedar Rapids. He pleaded guilty under an agreement with
prosecutors to aiding and abetting the harboring of undocumented
immigrants.
The 43-year-old was arrested in July following a federal raid
two months earlier at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville.
His attorney, Thomas McQueen, said Wednesday that despite the
plea agreement the motion for recusal stands and Chief Judge Linda
R. Reade for the Northern District of Iowa should step down before
sentencing.
He says that's because Reade helped in planning part of the raid
and because she spoke to the press about it.
Prosecutors argue that De La Rosa-Loera's case is separate and
the judge shouldn't step down.

In South Dakota...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The superintendent of the Faith School
District has told a judge that his district is doing all it can to
educate its students, but it could be doing better.
As Faith Superintendent Mel Dutton ended nearly two days of
testimony in a trial challenging South Dakota's education system,
Circuit Judge Lori Wilbur of Pierre asked him if Faith is providing
students with an adequate education.
Dutton replied that it's difficult to answer with a simple yes
or no. He says the education provided by the Faith school is
adequate by some standards, but he doesn't know whether it should
be considered adequate by South Dakota standards.
The lawsuit alleges the state is underfunding education and
violating a constitutional guarantee of an adequate, quality
education.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The recently concluded 2008 South Dakota
State Fair was a success. That's according to the man in charge of
it.
State Fair Manager Jerome Hertel says the final numbers on gate
admissions, concert revenues and vendor sales won't be tallied for
another week or so, but he believes they'll surpass last year.
Although the weekend was hot and windy, he says that didn't keep
people away from the fair.
In fact, Hertel says many people told him that this year's State
Fair reminded them of great fairs that were held in the past.
The fair has struggled in recent years to revive its attraction,
and Hertel says that work is paying off.