Friday, May 9, 2008

Federal Assault and Kidnapping Charges Leveled Against Takini Man

A Takini man has been indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Kidnapping and Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon.  23-year-old William LaClaire appeared in federal court earlier this week and pled not guilty to a five-count indictment.  The charges leveled against LaClaire relate to allegations that he assaulted two men in Takini and kidnapped one of the men.  He also was said to have pointed a rifle at a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Officer and rammed a van into another Cheyenne River Sioux Police Department vehicle.  LaClaire is being held until his arraignment, which was set for May 14.  

Sioux Falls Man Wanted on Escape Warrant Captured After Police Chase in Pierre

Pierre Police arrested a Sioux Falls man after he led officers on a foot pursuit.  Police Chief Elton Blemaster says that about 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning, officers were called to the report of a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot at 1011 North Garfield.  When they arrived at that location, officers found that 28-year-old Alvin Chambers occupied the vehicle.  Chambers was found to have a felony warrant for escaping the work release facility at the state prison in Sioux Falls.  He had been serving an eight-year sentence there for escape.  Officers attempted to take Chambers into custody for the warrant when he fled from police.  Law enforcers from the Pierre Police Department and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office began a search for Chambers and looked for him within an established perimeter in the northeast Pierre neighborhood.  Chambers was spotted and captured about thirty minutes later following a foot pursuit near Fire Station #4.  He was taken to the Hughes County Jail on charges including Possession of Marijuana, Ingesting a Toxic Substance, Resisting Arrest and Obstructing Law Enforcement.

Police Take Calls of Fire Damage at Y and a Report of a Stolen Vehicle

“A T-rex Named Sue” Opens in Faith Tomorrow

A reception and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held today as a three month long exhibit from the Chicago Field Museum opens tomorrow in the City of Faith.  Faith leaders have been working for more than a year to prepare for a traveling exhibit called “A T-rex Named Sue”, which includes a life-sized cast of the Tyrannosaurus Rex that was found near Faith in 1990.  The real Sue is currently housed at the museum in Chicago.  Daryl Van Essen and Amy Bornkamp work with the museum and have been in Faith for most of the week.  The Sue replica was brought to Faith in eight pieces and Wednesday, it took about four hours to put the copy together.  Van Essen says the replica display that will be in Faith through September 1 looks exactly like Sue’s bones that are at the museum.

Van Essen says those that come to the Faith exhibit may note some holes in the jaw-bone, which are just like on the real Sue and which eventually led scientists to determine that Sue had been an old dinosaur who succumbed to some sort of disease.

Van Essen says bringing the traveling exhibit to Faith, which is where the real Sue lived millions of years ago is quite exciting.

Scientists believe that when Sue was alive, the Faith area had a more tropical climate, with more humid and hot weather than in current times.  Two Sue traveling replicas have visited many places around the globe, including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and several states throughout America.   Close to four million people have seen Sue’s traveling cast and eight million people have viewed the real Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago.  A sneak peak at Sue will be offered today with a reception and ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m.  The exhibit will be open to the public beginning tomorrow and continue through September 1.  Those wanting more information about the traveling exhibit can visit the website http://www.fieldmuseum.org/sue/traveling_3.asp.  For updates on how to get tickets, visit Faith’s website at www.faithsdchamber.com

Stanley County Schools Putting Together Youth Programs Thanks to Grant

A group made up of representatives from several different organizations will meet again later this month as it works to best utilize grant money that has been given to the Stanley County School District for the benefit of local youngsters.  Superintendent Brad Caldwell announced earlier this week that the district had been notified that it had been awarded three quarters of a million dollars through a Twenty-First Century Community Learning Center grant.  Caldwell says the district will be using the money to start a program that will give local Fort Pierre children activities to enjoy during part of the coming summer months and after school and on Friday’s in the 2008-09 school year.  Schools in Fort Pierre will be going to a four-day school week next school year with the school week to run Monday through Thursday.  School board members say the grant will help compliment the four day week for students.  Caldwell says a meeting on the grant and the youth programming it will support was held Wednesday.  Several people, including representatives of groups such as Growing Up Together, Hughes/Stanley County 4-H Youth Development, Senior Volunteers and the South Dakota Discovery Center are working to put together a successful youth program in Fort Pierre, which will be funded through the grant.

Caldwell says a survey of staff, parents and students is being conducted and the results will be used to help program organizers to know the types of recreational and academic programs that the district should consider.  He also says a director will be hired soon to run the youth program.

Caldwell says plans call for local youngsters to be able to enjoy some activities at the Community and Youth Center beginning in July.  The next meeting for those organizing the program will be May 20 at the Youth Center beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Farm Rescue at Halfway Point for Spring Planting and Helps Two South Dakota Farm Families

Two northern South Dakota farm families have been helped with spring planting, thanks to Farm Rescue.  The North Dakota based organization was founded to help farm families that have gone through major injuries, illnesses or natural disasters.  More than half of this year’s spring plantings have been completed, as Farm Rescue volunteers have visited 15 of 28 farms that have been chosen for assistance this spring.  So far, farm families throughout North Dakota, along with two South Dakota farms at Trail City and Eureka, have been provided planting help.  Many of the volunteers that help with Farm Rescue field operations come from the upper Midwest region.  Several companies help fund Farm Rescue operations as the non-profit organization backs producers who have suffered through troubles such as cancer treatments, stroke recovery and rebuilding after tornado destruction.  Farm Rescue President and Founder Bill Gross says field operations have been challenging this year.  He says planting was temporarily suspended by snow and sleet in late April, but he believes Farm Rescue is still on schedule to complete planting operations by June 1.  Those wanting more information on Farm Rescue and visit their website at www.farmrescue.org.

Pierre School District to Receive Technology Funding

Senator John Thune says the Pierre School District will receive just under $30,000 from the “Schools and Libraries Program” of the Universal Service Fund.  The USF, also known as “E-Rate” is directed in part by the Federal Communications Commission.  The program offers discounts to help schools and libraries in getting affordable telecommunications and Internet access.

Open House to Include Input Into Study on Future Needs for Grasslands

The Nebraska National Forest will be taking public comments on its Recreation Facility Study.  The study covers its Forest and Grassland Units, including the Fort Pierre National Grasslands.  The analysis has been done to determine what is special about the federal property and lays out recreational needs for the lands for five years.  On May 21, an open house will be held at the Fort Pierre Ranger District Office in Fort Pierre, in which the public can provide input into the Forest Service plan.  The open house will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the office at 1020 North Deadwood Street in Fort Pierre.  A copy of the recreation analysis is available on the website http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/nebraska.

Candidate Forum for Pierre City Commission and Mayor Candidates to be Next Week

The Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce along with several other local service groups are sponsoring a City Commission and Mayoral Candidate Forum next week.  The forum is planned for May 15 at the Chamber’s Community Room.  Interested residents can submit questions for the candidates by e-mailing them before next week’s event at contactchamber@pierre.org.  Questions can also be dropped off at the Chamber.  The questions will be considered by a group of panelists and a moderator, Steve Willard of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association, will pose the questions to each candidate.  On the June 3 ballot for Mayor are Laurie Gill and Terry Hipple and running for a three-year-term as City Commissioner for Pierre are Steve Harding, Jamie Huizenga and Hal Rumpca.  Next Thursday’s forum will begin with questions for commission candidates and at 7:30 p.m., the focus will turn to mayoral candidates.  Join 1060-AM KGFX for complete coverage of the May 15 forum, with our broadcast to begin at 6:30 p.m.  Besides the Chamber, other organizations sponsoring the event include Democracy in Action, Zonta and AAUW.

Governor Rounds to Appear on Dakota News Network Stations Monday

Governor Mike Rounds makes his monthly visit to the KGFX studios for the Dakota News Network program “A Conversation with Governor Rounds” on Monday, May 12.  On the second Monday of each month, the governor spends an hour answering your questions and talking about recent issues that impact South Dakota.  If you have questions for the governor, please e-mail them to governor@amfmradio.biz or call and speak with the governor during the program on Monday afternoon.  It’s “A Conversation with Governor Rounds” on Monday starting at 2:05 p.m. on 1060-KGFX and 1300-KOLY!

(Copyright 2008 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

Your contributions are welcome in the Dakota Radio Group’s News and Sports Departments!   If you have news or sports tip or even a digital picture that Rod Fisher or Jeri Thomas could use-let us know.  Thousands of people listen for the latest information on the air and read it on our website feature “My Daily News”.  E-mail the information or picture to news@dakotaradiogroup.com, call 224-8686 or 1-800-658-5439 (after hours extension 32).  Include your name and phone number so we can contact you-because the person who sends the top contribution each month will receive a certificate for a large pizza, breadsticks and beverage from Pizza Hut in Pierre.

Local Newscasts can be heard on your favorite Dakota Radio Group station Monday through Friday at the following times:

KGFX 1060 AM -  6:09 a.m.; 7:09 a.m.; 8:09 a.m.; 12:16 p.m. and 5:05 p.m.

River 92.7 FM -  5:57 a.m.; 6:57 a.m.; 7:57 a.m. and 4:57 p.m.

KPLO 94.5 FM -  12:03 p.m. and 3:03 p.m.

KMLO 100.7 FM -  12:03 p.m. and 3:03 p.m.

KOLY 1300 AM -  6:10 a.m.; 7:10 a.m.; 8:10 a.m.; 12:10 p.m. and 5:06 p.m.

Star 99 99.5 FM -  6:00 a.m.; 7:00 a.m.;  8:00 a.m.; 9:00 a.m.; Noon and 5:00 p.m.

100.1 FM The Eagle - 6:18 a.m.; 6:54 a.m.; 7:18 a.m.; 7:54 a.m.; 8:18 a.m.; 8:54 a.m.; 5:18 p.m.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton shrugged off calls to drop out of the race during a campaign stop in Sioux Falls. She said the Democratic Party will be stronger as the process continues. She says it's exciting that on June 3rd, the votes in South Dakota and Montana -- the last presidential primaries -- will count. Clinton pressed major campaign themes, stressing a need to change the energy policy and ramp up work on renewable sources. She also said oil companies should be made to put up ethanol pumps at gas stations. 

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Many creeks and streams in the Black Hills are running bank-to-bank because of last week's heavy snow and more recent rains. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning through 2:30 p.m. Sunday for southwestern Butte County, southeastern Crook County, southwestern Meade County and Lawrence County. On Thursday afternoon, flooding was reported on Elk Creek, Bear Butte Creek and Spearfish Creek. Bear Butte Creek, which is normally dry, was roaring through Sturgis and had flooded some streets. Weather Service officials say additional moisture Friday and Saturday will continue to add to the flooding problem. 

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) - Crews continue working to restore electricity in northwest South Dakota, where rain, ice and heavy snow pulled down power lines last week. Jerry Reisenauer is manager of Grand Electric Cooperative. He says 3,000 power poles were lost in Harding County and 400 in Butte County. He says about 390 residential customers are still without power, along with about 400 commercial accounts -- many of which are oil wells in Harding County. Reisenauer says it could be two weeks before the work is finished. 

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - Corn planting is falling well behind normal in South Dakota because of the cool, wet spring. Just 10 percent of the corn acreage had been planted at the beginning of the week. The five-year average is 32 percent. A year ago, 14 percent of the crop was in the ground. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The winter wheat crop in South Dakota is forecast at 77 million bushels, down 19 percent from last year. The Agricultural Statistics Service on Friday predicted an average per-acre yield of 44 bushels. That would be a reduction of four bushels from last season. Harvested wheat acreage was placed at 1.75 million acres. Planted winter wheat acreage, at 1.9 million acres, was down 10 percent from last year. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Former four-term governor and ex-congressman Bill Janklow will speak tomorrow during graduation at Northern State University in Aberdeen. Across town, Catholic Bishop Paul Swain will hold a commencement mass at Presentation College and state Senator Nancy Turbak Berry of Watertown will speak at the graduation ceremony. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is again expressing its opposition to the latest version of a farm bill going to a vote in the House and Senate. Congressional negotiators announced a final agreement on the $300 billion bill. The president's budget director says the bill spends too much, relies on budget gimmicks, and doesn't have enough reform. South Dakota Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin says House members were meeting to coordinate a strategy to override any presidential veto. Herseth Sandlin says she is optimistic that the chamber would approve the bill if President Bush vetoes it.

MADISON, S.D. (AP) - Teachers in Madison are going to get a 7.8 percent average pay and benefits raise in the next school year. The starting salary of $30,500 for beginning teachers will be an increase of $3,500. Madison School Board President Mark Hawkes says the healthy pay increase is part of a a recent trend by South Dakota school systems to significantly increase the salaries of teachers. Hawkes says the Madison pay raises are necessary so it can stay competitive for qualified teachers with other school districts. Teachers in South Dakota have been the lowest paid in the nation for many years. 

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A ruling from the South Dakota Supreme Court will require an auto insurer to cover an injury caused when a gun accidentally discharged in a pickup being used to drive deer hunters to the field. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the ankle in 2001 when a rifle went off in the back seat of a truck in Beadle County. Milbank Insurance Company had argued that the incident was not covered because it was not an auto accident and the vehicle was parked at the time. The Supreme Court -- in a 3-to-2 decision -- ruled otherwise. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A Sioux Falls man has been jailed for allegedly striking his son with a sport utility vehicle. Police say the man claimed he'd sold the S-U-V to his 18-year-old but had not received any payments. The boy was lying on the ground in front of the vehicle when police arrived. Police say the boy was struck after standing in front of the vehicle as his father was trying to drive away with it. The man's son had no visible injuries but was taken to a hospital to be checked. His father was jailed for aggravated assault. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - The probe into a shooting that wounded an Aberdeen police officer Wednesday during a drug raid continues. Forty-year-old Grant Schnabel was shot in the leg and was reported in fair condition late Thursday at Avera St. Luke's Hospital. Schnabel is a 13-year police veteran and is normally assigned to patrol Northern State University. Officials haven't disclosed who fired the shot or whether it was accidental or criminal. After the shooting, a police officer was observed visibly upset as he handed his gun to fellow officers. Two people were arrested in the raid. 

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A Huron woman who has been denied parole 7 times since murdering her young daughter will again ask for her freedom next Wednesday. Debra Jenner has been locked up since 1987, when she stabbed her 3-year-old about 70 times because the child was fussy. Jenner insisted that she was innocent until 2002 when former Governor Bill Janklow cut her life sentence to 100 years if she'd finally admit to slaying her daughter. The reduced sentence made her eligible for parole. If never paroled, a state law dealing with prison sentences will require Jenner to be released in 2039 -- when she'll be 83. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Two teenagers have been arrested in Sioux Falls after police say the pair burglarized a home and went on a $20,000 shopping spree on such things as I-Pods, clothing and shoes. The cash was stolen from a metal box kept in the home. 

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota Education Secretary Rick Melmer is a candidate to become the next School of Education dean at the University of South Dakota. Melmer's status has been confirmed by Mary Stadick-Smith of the state Education Department. Melmer, who is a Geddes native, has been state education secretary since June 2003. He'd previously served as superintendent of Watertown schools for eight years. 

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The Rapid City School Board continues to struggle with finances for next year. In the face of budget reductions that may range from $4 million to $6 million, officials are considering a variety of options. One way to cut spending would be to close a grade school, but that would save only $456,000. 
Many other proposed cuts are also on the table. The school board plans to make budget decisions next week. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Unlikely partners, including oil refineries, environmentalists and food producers, are opposing the country's ethanol policy. The groups say the increased output of the alternative fuel is inflating food costs and contributing to higher prices at the pump. Farmers and other ethanol supporters dispute these claims. But lobbyists seem to be convincing some in Congress. Twenty-four Republican senators, including presidential candidate Senator John McCain, last week sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency urging it to repeal or roll back ethanol output targets. Most analysts say Congress is unlikely to alter the ethanol mandate, given the political importance of farm states in an election year. 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

WAHPETON, N.D. (AP) - Imation Corporation says its floppy diskette plant in Wahpeton will close by the end of the year. Imation officials say it will close the plant a few months sooner than expected because a group of former employees has taken over some of its contracts. 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Wildlife officials say a cougar likely didn't cause wounds to a horse near Bismarck. They say the wounds were likely caused by broken juniper tree branches. Kyle Bergquist says he still believes a cougar attacked his pregnant mare. 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Burleigh County inmate is being held without bond for allegedly attacking two corrections officers earlier this week. Jason Benefiel was charged yesterday with two felony counts of assault on a corrections officer. He pleaded not guilty. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota House members are balking at a bill that would allow police to ticket motorists who aren't wearing seat belts, without first observing another traffic violation. The House voted 72-62 to send the bill back for more negotiations with the Senate. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - Despite a veto threat from Governor Pawlenty, the Minnesota Legislature has passed a bill to raise the minimum wage in two stages. Minnesota's minimum wage last rose in 2005. Pawlenty's spokesman says the governor thinks the bill goes too far. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - House members clashed over whether to make hockey Minnesota's official sport before endorsing the idea. Opponents say hockey isn't popular in all parts of the state. The hockey measure is part of an education bill on its way to Governor Pawlenty. 

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - The cause of last weekend's apartment fire that killed three people in Duluth has been ruled accidental. A woman, her 4-year-old son and her boyfriend all died of smoke inhalation. An official cause of the fire hasn't been announced yet. 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press. Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
From the Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's military government is thanking the international community for it's cyclone relief assistance. But it's refusing to let foreign workers in to deliver it. One plane carrying relief aid was turned away because it had a search-and-rescue team and reporters on board. 

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's new president says today's show of military might in Red Square does not signal any aggressive intent. He says the weaponry is for "reliable defense of the homeland." The Victory Day parade commemorating the end of World War II was the first such display since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military is debunking Iraqi claims that the leader of al-Qaida-in-Iraq has been captured. A military spokeswoman says the man the Iraqis captured has a "similar name" to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, but is not the terrorist leader. 

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Shiite Hezbollah gunmen have taken control of several Beirut neighborhoods in bloody street fights with Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-backed government. The country's top Sunni lawmaker is under siege in his home. Lebanon's prime minister is holed up in his residence, surrounded by government troops. 

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Springtime storms have been battering parts of the Eastern U.S. A tornado flipped big-rigs on an interstate outside Greensboro, North Carolina, overnight. One person was killed. Heavy rain drenched Virginia amid tornado warnings. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Hillary Clinton is taking her pitch for the Democratic White House bid to superdelegates in spite of pundits who say she can no longer beat Barack Obama for the nomination. Clinton argues she has "a much broader base" for a coalition to beat Republican John McCain. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - A Democratic plan to put thousands of struggling homeowners into cheaper, government-backed mortgages is being derided as a bail-out by Republicans. The plan cleared the House yesterday. President Bush is threatening a veto if it makes it past the Senate. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee says Congress should ban waterboarding and seven other abusive methods of interrogation. But Missouri Senator Kit Bond says the CIA should be allowed some leeway in how it questions detainees. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Some lawmakers say the U.S. must do more to battle radical Islamic messages on the Internet. Senator Joe Lieberman says al-Qaida is better at communicating its message to Americans than the U.S. government. He claims that fuels the potential for "homegrown" terrorists. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The Senate Ethics Committee has decided not to investigate Louisiana Senator David Vitter. The Republican was linked to an elite Washington prostitution ring owned by Deborah Jean Palfrey. Palfrey committed suicide May 1st, two weeks after being convicted of racketeering and money laundering. The bipartisan ethics panel says it decided against a probe because the conduct occurred before Vitter became a senator.

PEARISBURG, Va. (AP) - A convicted murderer is being charged with shooting two men on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia Tuesday, a few miles from the spot where he killed two hikers in 1981. Randall Smith was released from prison in 1996 after serving 14 years on a second-degree murder conviction. 

INDEPENDENCE, Calif. (AP) - National Park Service officials say the ranch in Death Valley, California, where Charles Manson was arrested will be closed for a second time this year to search for possible human remains. A news release says the Barker Ranch will be closed for up to four days later this month. A team of forensic researchers in February found possible unmarked graves at the site that they believe could be the bodies of additional Manson victims. 

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - It's a big win for a Louisiana construction company owner who lost two homes in Hurricane Katrina. Carl Hunter has claimed a 97-million-dollar Powerball jackpot. The 73-year-old businessman picked up the winning ticket while buying a gallon of milk for his wife at a suburban New Orleans gas station. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Teens who are depressed are more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who are not depressed. That finding comes in a White House report. Drug office director John Walters says "marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years." 

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government is being asked to pull the birth-control patch off the market. The Public Citizen consumer advocacy group says the Ortho-Evra patch is much riskier than the pill. A 2005 investigation by The Associated Press found patch users suffer higher rates of life-threatening blood clots than women who take birth-control pills. Nearly 10 million prescriptions were filled in 2004. That number plunged to 2.7 million last year. 

CHICAGO (AP) - A new campaign is being launched to prevent doctors from taking their own lives. An estimated 300 to 400 physicians kill themselves each year. Some doctors avoid treatment, fearing the stigma of admitting a mental problem. 

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush plays father-of-the-bride this weekend as escorts daughter Jenna Bush down the aisle at the family ranch in Crawford, Texas. The festivities leading up to the wedding tomorrow evening, get under way tonight with a rehearsal dinner at a neighboring ranch. 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Facebook is taking some steps aimed at protecting young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies. Among the moves being made include banning convicted sex offenders from the site and making it more difficult for older users to contact members under 18. In addition, Facebook will take part in a task force that will seek ways to verify users' ages and identities. In all, there are 40 new safeguards to enhance the safety of those under 18. Officials from Washington, D.C., and 49 states have signed on. Facebook says it has already launched many of the changes. The site has more than 70 million members. Its rival, MySpace has 200 million users worldwide. 

UNDATED (AP) - Today is the second day of a three-day rush for floral delivery companies to get their flowers delivered for Mother's Day. It's Sunday, by the way. The National Retail Federation says it expects people to spend slightly less on Mom this year, compared to last. Between the credit crunch and rising food and energy costs, consumers have plenty of reasons to watch their pennies. At 1-800-Flowers, founder and CEO Jim McCann says his company hasn't raised prices, despite rising fuel costs. McCann says he has seen no indication that consumers are trading down to lower priced flowers, despite inflation pressures. 

NEW YORK (AP) - Rapidly rising fuel costs are proving a major challenge to the airlines, and consumers are having to pay more, as result. The three biggest U.S. carriers say that they have again raised ticket prices, this time by $20 roundtrip, in response. The increases by American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines affect the carriers' fuel surcharges. They now total $130 roundtrip on many flights. That means passengers on some cheap flights could be paying more in fees and taxes than for the airfare itself. Delta Air Lines Inc. initiated the increase, which applies to most domestic routes. It is the Atlanta-based carrier's second hike in just over a week. The previous increase was quickly matched by competitors. Representatives for American Airlines and United say the carriers matched the increase on most routes yesterday. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) - Google's top executives expressed hope Thursday that the Internet search leader will be able to form a potentially lucrative advertising partnership with Yahoo. Such a deal would lower the odds of Microsoft Corp. renewing its attempts to buy Yahoo. Neither side would indicate how far along the two sides are in their negotiations after a two-week test was completed last month. During the trial run, Google supplied a small portion of the text-based ads that appeared alongside the search results on Yahoo's Web site. Because Google's technology proved it could select more profitable ads, the alliance could help Yahoo snap out of a prolonged slump that made it vulnerable to Microsoft's unsolicited buyout bid. 

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors says it has agreed to kick in up to 200 million dollars to help bring an end to a bitter 10-week strike at parts supplier American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings. The automaker said in a government filing that the money would go for temporary payments to buffer reduced wages for the workers, as well as employee buyout and early retirement packages. About 3,600 United Auto Workers at five American Axle factories have been on strike since late February in a dispute over the company's quest for lower wages and benefits. The strike has crippled GM's production of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles and hurt its bottom line. About 30 GM factories have been either fully or partially closed due to the strike. Talks were continuing at last report. 

HOUSTON (AP) - Consumers or drivers across the U.S. are hoping they are right. Many oil and gas industry executives say they expect the price to fall significantly by year's end. A new survey finds fifty-five percent of more than 300 petroleum industry executives surveyed say they think the price of a barrel of crude will drop below $100 by the end of the year. Twenty-one percent of those responding predicted a barrel of oil will end the year between $101 and $110, while 15 percent forecast the year-end price to be between $111 and $120 a barrel. Nine percent said they expect the price to close the year where it's been this week - above $120 a barrel. What's more, 44 percent of the executives said their companies plan to increase capital spending on exploration and production by 10 percent during the next year. The survey was done by KPMG, the audit, tax and advisory firm. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Any glitches in the nationwide switch to digital TV will be felt first in Wilmington, North Carolina. The FCC says the five local stations in the market will be the first to switch from analog signals to an all-digital format. That's set for noon on September 8th. The nation is to go all-digital on February 17th. 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

BOSTON (AP) - We all know a mother's work is never done. But just how much is mother's work worth? Well, according to a Mother's Day study from Salary.com, a mom's labors would bring nearly $117,000 dollars a year. The survey calculates a mom's market value by studying pay levels for 10 different job titles. The mom-like jobs include housekeeper, day care center teacher, van driver, psychologist and CEO. The study also figures in plenty of overtime pay for mom. But even 100-K-plus sounds a little low to fulltime mom Samantha Russell of Fremont, New Hampshire. The former pastry chef says cleaning up after two young boys is a lot of work and not much fun. 

NORWALK, Conn. (AP) - "Poop happens." That's what Norwalk, Connecticut, City Attorney M. Jeffry Spahr says in denying a woman's legal claim over some dog doo. Kelly DeBrocky wants the city to reimburse her $100, after her 1-year-old daughter stepped in dog poo. She says her daughter's shoes were ruined and so was the family's outing to Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium. But the city is poo-pooing the poop pay request. 

DALLAS (AP) - Like a lot of seniors, Jenny has some joint issues and her eyesight isn't what it used to be. But she still looks pretty good for an old -- gorilla. The ape celebrated her 55th birthday yesterday at the Dallas Zoo. The experts say Jenny is the world's oldest gorilla in captivity. Jenny had a four-layer frozen fruit cake. Her human visitors got chocolate and vanilla birthday cake, as they watched Jenny through the glass at the zoo's Wilds of Africa exhibit. Gorillas in the wild usually don't live past 35. So, what accounts for Jenny's longevity? She's not saying but her vegetarian diet couldn't hurt. Zoo keepers say Jenny loves her bananas, peels and all. 

WESTON, Fla. (AP) - It wasn't a gator blocking a Florida highway. It was Gatorade. A tractor trailer ran off U.S. 27 near the town of Weston on the edge of the Everglades. The big rig spilled its load of Gatorade bottles several miles from I-75. Some lanes were closed to traffic until a front end-loader arrived to scoop up the mess. 

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - How do you stop a fleeing suspect? It took just the right word from one police officer. Authorities in Salt Lake City report the officer yelled, "Taser, Taser, Taser" as a suspect was running away. Police say just the threat of the high-power jolt stopped the man in his tracks. After the officer yelled, the man threw himself on the ground and gave up. The suspect apparently knew what a Taser can do. They fire tiny darts that immobilize people with a 50,000-volt shock. 

ELWOOD, Ind. (AP) - Angie Collins has more than an apple for her teacher. She's given him a kidney. Collins is a 40-year-old mother of three in Elwood, Indiana. But she never forgot her high school English teacher. When she learned Darren Paquin was suffering from kidney failure, she knew what she had to do. She says she felt in her heart she would be a transplant match, even before the lab tests came back. Paquin received the kidney earlier this week at an Indianapolis hospital. Collins will head home on Sunday for Mother's Day. 

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Handwritten bishop's records taken from a polygamist sect are helping untangle the network of family relationships at a Texas compound where some husbands had more than a dozen wives. The records offer a peek into a church where men related to its leader, Warren Jeffs, enjoyed favored-husband status in the distribution of wives, and all young women were married by 24. Jeffs is imprisoned on an accomplice-to-rape charge in 
Utah. The records, which authorities seized last month, show that by the time a girl reached 16, she was more likely to be married than to live in her father's household. The same was not true for boys. Two-thirds of listed households were polygamous, with the brothers of Jeffs and a senior elder claiming the most wives, up to 21 in one case. 

CLAYTON, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico judge has refused to let a self-described Messiah accused of sex crimes against minors be released on his own recognizance. But Union County Magistrate Ilene Taylor cut Wayne Bent's bond from $500,000 to $55,000. Bent said he did not have any money to pay for an attorney, so he was assigned a public defender. Bent is a former Seventh-day Adventist minister who separated from that church in 1987 and formed The Lord Our Righteousness movement. He announced in 2000 that he is the Messiah. Bent's apocalyptic sect lives on a former ranch in a remote area near the New Mexico-Colorado state line. Bent's son told reporters that his father is innocent of the charges and is being "crucified" like Jesus. Jeff Bent adds that his father is fasting while he's in jail. 

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - His colleagues knew him as a witty fellow who took on acting jobs, painted kids' faces and played Santa Claus at parties. But authorities claim Wayne Nelson Corliss is suspected of sexually abusing at least three boys from Southeast Asia. The boys in question are believed to have been 6 to 10 years old. Corliss was arrested yesterday in his Union City, New Jersey apartment. He is charged with producing child pornography and could face 10 to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. His arrest came two days after Interpol took the rare step of asking for the public's help in finding Corliss. An official with the international police agency says authorities got 460 leads within the first 24 hours of the public appeal. 

UNDATED (AP) - Marie Osmond is criticizing Billy Ray Cyrus for leaving daughter Miley alone during her Vanity Fair photo shoot. She says "her dad stepped out," and that's when the racy picture of Miley was taken with her back exposed. Osmond tells AOL Television "my parents never, never left us alone." She says "I think, if your kids are going to be in that kind of business, then you need to make it your business to be there for them and help them figure out." She adds, how could you say no to someone like Annie Leibovitz when you're a little girl? 

UNDATED (AP) - Heidi Klum says husband Seal proposed to her in an igloo. She tells Marie Claire that he took her by helicopter to the Canadian Rockies where he had the igloo built. She says it was completely set up with a bed inside, rose petals and candles everywhere as well as food and champagne. She calls it "very, very romantic!" But she says, then the helicopter left and "it was a little scary, too, because you're so cut off from the world." The pair have two children together. 

APOPKA, Fla. (AP) - Prosecutors say they've dropped the charge against a director accused of holding women against their will in a central Florida house while filming a reality show. Marc Brilleman was arrested last month on a false imprisonment charge while filming "Pauper to Princess" in Apopka. A spokeswoman for the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office says there isn't enough evidence to support the charge. The charge was dropped Wednesday. The show was to build the women's self-esteem and help them grow physically, mentally and spiritually. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some old seaweed is helping confirm the date of a settlement in southern Chile -- one that may offer the earliest evidence of humans in the Americas. Researchers have been examining the remains of meals that included seaweed. They date the seaweed to more than 14,000 years ago. The report comes just a month after scientists announced they had found fossilized human feces dating to about 14,000 years ago in a cave in Oregon. The discoveries move back by about 1,000 years the earliest-known evidence of people in the Americas, with settlements in northern and southern coastal areas. The prevailing theory has been that people followed herds of migrating animals across an ancient land bridge between Siberia and Alaska, and then moved southward across the West coast. 

HOUSTON (AP) - Three Texas teens have been arrested after police say one told them that they had dug up a skull and fashioned it into a bong to smoke pot. Houston Police were interviewing one of the teens about a stolen debit card when he allegedly blurted out the story. Authorities say the teens dug up Willie Simms' grave in what is most likely a 19th century veterans grave yard, broke off the skull and smoked marijuana from it. Police were led to the grave site where they found a knocked over headstone and a water-filled hole more than four-feet deep. Two of the teens, who are each 17, are charged with misdemeanor abuse of a corpse. A third, who is 16, is in the juvenile justice system. 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Today is Friday, May 9th, the 130th day of 2008. There are 236 days left in the year. 

Today's Highlight in History: 
On May 9th, 1754, a cartoon in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette showed a snake cut into sections, each part representing an American colony; the caption read, "JOIN, or DIE." 

On this date: 
In 1883, Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset was born in Madrid. 
In 1936, Italy annexed Ethiopia. 
In 1945, U.S. officials announced that a midnight entertainment curfew was being lifted immediately. 
In 1958, "Vertigo," Alfred Hitchcock's eerie thriller starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, premiered in San Francisco, the movie's setting. 
In 1961, FCC chairman Newton N. Minow decried the majority of television programming as a "vast wasteland" in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters. 
In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee opened public hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Nixon. 
In 1978, the bullet-riddled body of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro, who'd been abducted by the Red Brigades, was found in an automobile in the center of Rome. 
In 1980, 35 people were killed when a freighter rammed the 
Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, causing a 1,400-foot section to collapse. 
In 1982, the musical "Nine," inspired by the Federico Fellini film "8 1-2," opened on Broadway. 
In 1987, 183 people were killed when a New York-bound Polish jetliner crashed while attempting an emergency return to Warsaw. 

Ten years ago: Indonesian President Suharto left his troubled country for a summit in Egypt with a warning his army would quell violence over his 32-year rule and the worsening economy. 
Five years ago: The United States and its allies asked the U.N. Security Council to give its stamp of approval to their occupation of Iraq. The Republican-led House approved 222-to-203 a 550 billion-dollar tax cut package. Louisiana Democrat Russell B. Long, who greatly influenced tax laws during nearly four decades in the Senate, died at age 84. In Cleveland, a camouflage-clad gunman fired hundreds of rounds as he roamed the halls of Case Western Reserve University's business school, killing one person (suspect Biswanath Halder was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison). 
One year ago: Vice President Dick Cheney pressed Iraq's leaders to do more to reduce violence and achieve political reconciliation in a visit to Baghdad that was punctuated by an explosion that shook windows at the U.S. Embassy where Cheney was visiting. Pope Benedict the 16th began his first trip to Latin America as he arrived in Brazil. 

Today's Birthdays: CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace is 90. Actress Geraldine McEwan is 76. Actor-writer Alan Bennett is 74. Rock musician Nokie Edwards (The Ventures) is 73. Actor Albert Finney is 72. Actress-turned-politician Glenda Jackson is 72. Musician Sonny Curtis (Buddy Holly and the Crickets) is 71. Producer-director James L. Brooks is 68. Singer Tommy Roe is 66. Singer-musician Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield and Poco) is 64. Actress Candice Bergen is 62. Pop singer Clint Holmes is 62. Actor Anthony Higgins is 61. Singer Billy Joel is 59. Blues singer-musician Bob Margolin is 59. Rock singer-musician Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) is 58. Actress Alley Mills is 57. Actress Wendy Crewson is 52. Actor John Corbett is 47. Singer Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) is 46. Rapper Ghostface Killah is 38. Country musician Mike Myerson (Heartland) is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tamia is 33. Rock musician Dan Regan (Reel Big Fish) is 31. Rock singer Pierre Bouvier (Simple Plan) is 29. Actress Rosario Dawson is 29. Actress Rachel Boston is 26. TV personality Audrina Patridge is 23. 

Thought for Today: "We cannot put off living until we are ready." -- Jose Ortega y Gasset, Spanish philosopher (1883-1955). 

(Copyright 2008 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

       AMERICAN LEAGUE

N.Y. Yankees         6  Cleveland Indians  3

Chicago White Sox    6  Minnesota Twins    2

Boston Red Sox       5  Detroit Tigers     1

Baltimore Orioles    4  Kansas City Royals 1

Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8  Toronto Blue Jays  3

Texas Rangers        5  Seattle Mariners   0 

     NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pittsburgh Pirates   5  San Francisco Giants  4

Atlanta Braves       5  San Diego Padres      4

Colorado Rockies     9  St. Louis Cardinals   3

Arizona Diamondbacks 8  Philadelphia Phillies 3

Florida Marlins      7  Milwaukee Brewers     2

Washington Nationals 8  Houston Astros        3

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PROBABLE PITCHERS (All Times EDT)

                         AMERICAN LEAGUE                         

New York Yankees (Kei Igawa 0-0) at Detroit Tigers (Kenny Rogers 2-3), 7:05 p.m.

Toronto Blue Jays (Roy Halladay 3-4) at Cleveland Indians (C.C. Sabathia 1-5), 7:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels (Jon Garland 4-3) at Tampa Bay Rays (James Shields 3-2), 7:10 p.m.

Oakland Athletics (Greg Smith 2-1) at Texas Rangers (Scott Feldman 0-1), 8:05 p.m.

Boston Red Sox (Jon Lester 2-2) at Minnesota Twins (Boof Bonser 2-4), 8:10 p.m.

Baltimore Orioles (Steve Trachsel 1-4) at Kansas City Royals (Gil Meche 2-4), 8:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Jose Contreras 2-3) at Seattle Mariners (Carlos Silva 3-1), 10:10 p.m.

                         NATIONAL LEAGUE                        

Arizona Diamondbacks (Dan Haren 4-1) at Chicago Cubs (Ted Lilly 2-4), 2:20 p.m.

Atlanta Braves (Tom Glavine 0-1) at Pittsburgh Pirates (Ian Snell 2-2), 7:05 p.m.

Cincinnati Reds (Matt Belisle 1-2) at New York Mets (Mike Pelfrey 2-2), 7:10 p.m.

Florida Marlins (Ricky Nolasco 1-3) at Washington Nationals (Tim Redding 4-2), 7:35 p.m.

St. Louis Cardinals (Todd Wellemeyer 3-1) at Milwaukee Brewers (Manny Parra 1-2), 8:05 p.m.

Colorado Rockies (Aaron Cook 5-1) at San Diego Padres (Jake Peavy 4-1), 10:05 p.m.

Philadelphia Phillies (Cole Hamels 3-3) at San Francisco Giants (Patrick Misch 0-0), 10:15 p.m.

Houston Astros (Brian Moehler 0-0) at Los Angeles Dodgers (Derek Lowe 2-2), 10:40 p.m.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Pensacola 10, Lincoln 7

Wichita 7, Sioux City 4

St. Paul 10, Grand Prairie 3

Sioux Falls 9, Fort Worth 2

Shreveport 21, El Paso 5

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE

Grand Prairie at St. Paul

Lincoln at Pensacola

Shreveport at El Paso

Sioux City at Wichita

Sioux Falls at Fort Worth 

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

      Quarterfinals  (Best of 7)

Boston Celtics 89  Cleveland Cavaliers 73                               Celtics lead series 2-0

San Antonio Spurs 110  New Orleans Hornets 99                    Hornets lead series 2-1

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFF SCHEDULE (All Times EDT)

L.A. Lakers at Utah Jazz, 9 p.m.                                               Lakers lead series 2-0

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Western Conference Finals  (Best of 7)

Western Conference Finals - Game 1

Detroit Red Wings 4  Dallas Stars 1

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE (All Times EDT)

Eastern Conference Finals - Game 1

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

Chicago 2, D.C. United 0

SOUTH DAKOTA SCOREBOARD

American Association

Sioux Falls Canaries 9, Ft. Worth 2

College Baseball

North Central Conference  Tournament (Omaha, NE)

Augustana 10, MN-Duluth 3

Nebraska Omaha 2, Augustana 1   10 Innings

High School Baseball

Yankton 7, Sioux Falls Lincoln 1

LOCAL AND REGIONAL SPORTS
From Dakota Radio Group Sports

 Follow the Minnesota Twins during the 2008 season on 1060 KGFX

   Day                         Game                                                    First Pitch              Pregame Start

Tonight:          Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins                  7:10 p.m.                       6:40 p.m.

Saturday:       Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins                  6:10 p.m.                       5:40 p.m.

Sunday:          Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins                  7:05 p.m.                       6:35 p.m. 

Monday:         Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins                  6:05 p.m.                        5:25 p.m.

Tuesday:        Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins               7:10 p.m.                        6:40 p.m. 

Wednesday:   Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins               7:10 p.m.                        6:40 p.m.

Thursday:      Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins             12:10 p.m.                        None    

And be sure to listen to 1060 KGFX Sunday Mornings at 9:30 a.m. for the “Ron Gardenhire Show” with the Twins Manager.  And Sunday’s also feature “The GM Show” with Twins General Manager Bill Smith heard just over 35 minutes before the beginning of the Twins Pre Game Show.

In Sports today:

CHICAGO (AP) - Jermaine Dye homered for the third straight game and Juan Uribe added a go-ahead two-run drive in the fifth to help the struggling Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Thursday. John Danks (3-3) made it through five innings, giving up six hits and two runs, and Chicago won for just the second time in nine games.  Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire returned after missing five games following the death of his brother, but his first game back was an abbreviated one. He was ejected for the 37th time in his career and first time this season in the sixth inning by plate umpire Doug Eddings after a double steal by the White Sox.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Paul Smyth’s grand slam home run in the top of the ninth helped the Sioux Falls Canaries to a season opening 9-2 win over the defending champion Fort Worth Cats in the American Association season opener for both teams last night in Fort Worth, Texas.  Former big leaguer Pat Mahomes picked up the win as he struck out six and allowed three hits and two unearned runs in five innings. The two play again tonight in Ft. Worth. 

MINNEAPOLIS - Northern State senior Adam Kampsen has been named a 2008 NSIC Baseball Co-Player of the Year, announced today by the conference office. He shares the title with Marc Manganaro of Wayne State College. The only other Northern State baseball player to be named Player of the Year was Deacon Burns, who also shared the title in 2004. Kampsen is a three-time All-NSIC First Team honoree.  Kampsen finished second in the league with a .435 batting average. He led the nation in slugging percentage through the regular season with a mark of 0.968 and topped all NSIC players with 57 RBI’s and hit 15 homeruns on the season.

OMAHA. - The Augustana baseball team went 1-1 on the first day of the North Central Conference tournament Thursday in Omaha.  The Vikings defeated Minnesota Duluth 10-3 in the first round before falling 2-1 in 10 innings to top-seeded Nebraska-Omaha.   Augustana outhit UNO11-7, but the Vikings left 14 runners on base.  Dustin Koca’s single with no outs and the bases loaded in the 10th scored the winning run for 18th-ranked UNO.  Jake Pole paced Augustana with three hits, while Nate Baumann and Tim Shows each had two.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The South Dakota State University baseball team will attempt to solidify its second-place standing in The Summit League as it plays a four-game weekend series at IPFW.  The series opener today has been moved ahead two hours to a 2 p.m. Eastern Time start at Mastodons Field in Fort Wayne, Ind. A doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, with the series finale scheduled for noon ET on Sunday.  SDSU enters the series percentage points ahead of Southern Utah for second place in The Summit League with a 7-6 league record. Overall, the Jackrabbits are 20-22 after dropping three of four games against league-leading Oral Roberts (Okla.) last weekend.

BROOKINGS, S.D. - South Dakota State University infielder Craig Parry has been honored for his work in the classroom and on the diamond by being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII First Team.  A senior from Colstrip, Mont., Parry has compiled a 3.82 grade-point average while majoring in health, physical education and recreation and pre-physical therapy. He spent his first two seasons at Miles City Community College before transferring to SDSU, where he has split his time this season between catcher and third base.  Heading into this weekend's four-game Summit League series at IPFW, Parry ranks second on the team with a .367 batting average and 42 runs batted in, while sharing the team lead with nine home runs. His 20 doubles in 2008 have already set a Jackrabbit single-season record. Parry will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration later this month.

BROOKINGS, S.D. - South Dakota State’s Brittany Postma was named to the first team of the all-Summit League softball team. The junior outfielder from Madison led SDSU with a .339 batting average.  Three other Jackrabbits were named to the second team: Kiley Schwedhelm, Ashley Durazo and Sam Heinzman. Schwedhelm, a senior from Papillion, Neb., led SDSU with 31 RBIs. Heinzman, a junior outfielder from Omaha, led the Jacks with 19 stolen bases. She also earned ESPN the Magazine academic all-District VII honors. Durazo, a freshman third baseman from Mission Hills, Calif., hit .336 with a team-high 12 doubles.  League champion North Dakota State swept the major awards as sophomore Melissa Chmielewski was named player of the year and senior Allison Bakke pitcher of the year.

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Pierre Lady Governor golfer Taylor Smalley fired a round of 80 yesterday to finish third individually at the Brookings Invitational girls golf tournament played yesterday.  Smalley finished 8 shots behind tournament champion Morgan Fitts of Brookings.  Smalley finished 4 shots ahead of 4^th place finisher Kali Gottsleben of Brookings.  Brookings captured the team title with a round of 344.  For the first time this year, coach Rob Davis took enough golfers to field a team.  Pierre shot a 432 for their first team score of the season in the 9 team tournament.  Diedre Beck and Hallie Getz fired rounds of 117, Paige Erickson had a 118 and Dawn Beck finished with a 132.  Next up for the Lady Gov golfers, the Great 8 / ESD Conference tournament on Monday at the Lakeview Golf Course in Mitchell.  The two tournaments were combined after the ESD tournament originally scheduled to be played last Monday was postponed due to weather.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Governor tennis team is in Brookings today competing in the ESD Conference tournament.  Watertown has been the perennial champions of this tournament in recent years but Governor head coach Jeff Schlekeway says while you can’t forget about Watertown, Aberdeen Central appears to be the team with the pre tournament favorite’s target on their back.  Pierre is coming off their most consistent performance of the season on Tuesday against Rapid City Central and depending on how the tournament seeding comes out, the Governors could be in the title mix as well.  He also says the Brookings and Yankton may also be in the tournament mix although the level of competition they have played during the season has not been as good as what the Governors have faced.  The tournament started at 9 a.m.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former Sioux Falls Lincoln girls basketball coach Lyle Pearson has been hired to become the current Sioux Falls Lincoln girls basketball coach.  Pearson spent 18 years guiding the Lincoln girls program.  His 1995 team won the State AA basketball tournament. Pearson replaces Shawn Bergen who resigned the position last month.  Pearson inherits a program that has not been to the state tournament in 15 years.  Sioux Falls Lincoln is on the scheduled as an opponent of Pierre next season.  The Lady Govs will travel to Sioux Falls on December 20^th. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Mark Ernster has been named the head wrestling coach at Sioux Falls Lincoln High School beginning with the 2008-09 school year.  Ernster is currently teaching and is the assistant wrestling coach at Washington HS. Beginning in the fall of 2008, Mark will teach physical science at Lincoln High School.  He replaces Cory Smidt who took a teaching job in Minnesota.  

PIERRE, S.D. – The Stanley County Buffalos track and field team has had a devil of a time getting on the track this year.  It seems that when a meet is scheduled, weather interferes.  That is why head coach Dave Tate is hoping that today will be the exception instead of what has become the norm it seems.  The Buffalos and Lady Buffalos are scheduled to compete in the Winner Quarterback Club meet scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. this morning in Winner.  It will be the final tune up for the team before Thursday’s Region meet scheduled to be held in Miller.  Pierre will also be sending a contingent of Junior Varsity athletes to the Winner meet today as well.  The weather again doesn’t look favorable however with scattered rain in the forecast.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Governor and Lady Governor track and field squads will put in the final touches today before heading to Huron to compete in the ESD Conference track and field meet tomorrow.  The Governors are the 2 time defending conference champions and will be in the hunt again this year for the title.  Head Coach Geoff Gross says that Watertown and Yankton will be the other team’s expected to vie for the title.  For the Lady Govs, they have been mired in the bottom half of the conference in recent years.  Coach Gross hopes to change that tomorrow.  He says if things go right, Pierre could battle for the runner up spot.  He says Yankton has to much depth for anyone to catch.  The top half finish in the 8 team conference meet however according to coach Gross would be good for this up and coming Lady Gov squad.

PIERRE, S.D. – Registrations for the 2008 Hershey Track Meet are currently being accepted by the Pierre Recreation Department.  The Meet will be held on Monday, May 19th, 2008 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Holister Field track at Phil Trautner Stadium.  Registration forms can be found in the back of the 2008 summer activities guide and can be turned in to the Recreation Superintendents office located at the Oahe YMCA/Pierre Aquatic Center, Mailed to 222 E Dakota Ave or you can bring them to the event on the 19th.  Registration forms will be available the day of event for anyone who still wishes to participate in the Meet. Registrations will be taken until 4:55pm on May 19th, 2008. For any questions about the Hershey Track Meet contact Andy Lueth at 773-7445.

PIERRE, S.D. – Online Early Registration for programs offered this summer for the Pierre Recreation Summer Rec program will close tomorrow night at 11:59 a.m.  According to Pierre Recreation Director Andy Lueth, this will allow staff to add the additional spaces that were saved for the walk-in registrations that will be held on May 17th, 2008.  Lueth says that online registration will open back up on May 19th, 2008 at 6:00am for anyone who did not get the opportunity to sign up either through the early online registration or at the walk-in registration.  Any questions on registration policies, procedures, and/or deadlines contact Lueth at 773-7445.