KWIT: Regional News for 9/17 (2008-09-17)

In Iowa...

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (AP) - A judge has granted motions to allow
separate trials for two men charged with murder in the death of
South Dakota man.
Scott Adair of Crossett, Arkansas, and Michael Friedrichs of
Forest City, have pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree
murder in the death of 25-year-old Matthew Begtrup of Sioux Falls,
South Dakota.
Another man, John Swan, of Crossett, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to
willful injury earlier this week under a plea agreement with
prosecutors. He had also been charged with first-degree murder. His
sentencing is scheduled for October 20th.
Authorites say the charges stem from a fight that occurred early
on April 4th outside of Zippers Gentlemen's Club in Milford.

ARTHUR, Iowa (AP) - Authorities say a man has been injured in a
ditch collapse in Ida County in western Iowa.
Sheriff Wade Harriman says the incident happened around 11 a.m.
yesterday as workers were installing piping near an ethanol plant.
Harriman says the man, whose name was not released, was
transferred to an area hospital with injuries. The man's condition
wasn't immediately available.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) - TPI Composites has opened its new plant in
Newton where it will make blades for wind turbines.
Officials with the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company announced
that at full capacity, the plant will employ 500 workers.
The 316,000-square-foot plant, which opened yesterday, will make
high-performance wind turbine blades for distribution to the wind
energy market across the U.S.
TPI CEO Steve Lockard says Newton is ideally located to deliver
wind turbine blades throughout the country.
Newton Development Corporation Executive Director Kim Didier
says the TPI plant offers a promising future and an opportunity for
economic prosperity in Newton and Jasper County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Owners and managers of the
Agriprocessors meatpacking plant are due in court on alleged child
labor law violations.
The Iowa attorney general's office alleges more than 9,000
violations of the state's child labor law at the plant in
Postville. It was raided in May in one of the largest immigration
busts in U.S. history.
Facing charges are plant owner Aaron Rubashkin (rue-BAHS'-kin);
former plant manager Sholom Rubashkin; the plant's human resources
manager, Elizabeth Billmeyer; and Laura Althouse and Karina Freund
(fround), management employees in the human resources division.
All are scheduled to appear in Allamakee County District Court
in Waukon on Wednesday.
Sholom Rubashkin waived the court appearance and entered a
written plea of not guilty.

In Nebraska...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. candidate Mike Johanns
is questioning his Democratic opponent's campaign tactics.
Johanns cited a negative "push poll" and a videographer who
follows him around the state, "hoping I'll slip up."
Johanns says it's not the right way to run a campaign.
Democrat Scott Kleeb's campaign officials say the calls aren't
theirs.
Johanns' comments came at the end of a debate yesterday in front
of Lincoln business leaders. Green Party candidate Steve Larrick
also participated. Topics included the economy, energy, mental
health and health insurance.
Nebraska Party candidate Kelly Renee Rosberg hasn't taken part
in any of the debates.
The election is Nov. 4.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska officials expect the number of
people voting early to increase again this year as the presidential
race attracts attention and more people become familiar with the
option.
Early voting, which begins Sept. 29 in Nebraska, has been
gaining in popularity ever since a law change several years ago
opened up the process to any registered voter who requests it.
Douglas County election commissioner Dave Phipps says he expects
35,000 to 45,000 Douglas County voters to vote early this year.
Phipps says presidential elections draw more voters than state
or local contests. But this year's race may attract even more
voters because of the chance to elect either the nation's first
black president or its first female vice president.

In South Dakota...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Senator Tim Johnson's re-election
campaign says it will spend more than $1.1 million on television
advertising by Election Day.
The campaign began airing commercials in late July. Republican
challenger Joel Dykstra just began his TV ads this week.
Incumbent Johnson has a big advantage in campaign funds.
Dykstra says he won't be able to match Johnson in TV advertising
and so he's tailored his campaign to meet voters and travel around
the state.
Johnson campaign manager Steve Jarding says voters get tired of
TV ads if they start too early or if they turn negative.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A state lawmaker says the question of
whether South Dakota adequately funds school districts is a
convoluted issue.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Ed Olson of Mitchell says
there's probably enough money in the system if some schools
consolidated, shared services and took other steps to become more
efficient.
But Olson says the education system is underfunded in the broad
sense because there's not enough money to attract young people into
the teaching profession.
Olson was the last witness called by lawyers who are challenging
the constitutionality of the state's education funding system. But
he says he believes school funding is an issue that should be
decided by the Legislature, not by the courts.

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) - Five members of the Iron Pigs, a motorcycle
club made up of law officers and firefighters, pleaded not guilty
to misdemeanor weapons charges in Meade County Circuit Court in
Sturgis.
The charges stem from an Aug. 9 shooting that wounded a Hells
Angels member during a brawl at the Loud American Roadhouse. The
shooting occurred during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The five are 38-year-old Scott Lazalde of Bellingham, Wash.;
58-year-old Dennis McCoy of Seattle; 44-year-old James Rector of
Ferndale, Wash.; Erik Pingel of Aurora, Colo.; and Ron Smith of
Seattle. They were off duty during the rally.
Joseph Patrick McGuire of Imperial Beach, Calif., was
hospitalized for about three weeks after the shooting and faces
alternate counts of aggravated and simple assault.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says
releases from large Missouri River reservoirs are being cut to ease
downstream flooding.
The agency says the cutbacks began over the weekend and will
drop the river level by about 2 feet from Gavins Point Dam at
Yankton, South Dakota to Kansas City, Missouri.
High river levels downstream are the result of heavy rain from
successive hurricanes.
The corps says flows between Sioux City, Iowa and Kansas City
will be adjusted as needed to meet water supply needs while still
providing flood relief further downstream.