Highway Patrol to be Out in Force This Weekend

The South Dakota Highway Patrol will be out in force on the state’s highways this weekend.  The Patrol’s Major Randy Hartley says the Fourth of July holiday period often results in an increase in traffic and alcohol-related crashes.  He says the patrol will be taking preventative measures to remind travelers to make responsible driving decisions.   Highly travelled roads in the state will be patrolled by troopers who will remind drivers of speed limits and seatbelt use.  Troopers will also hold 15 sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols over the extended holiday weekend.  Over the past five years, the Fourth of July holidays have resulted in nearly 600 crashes, injuring more than 240 people and killing 16.   

Historical Society’s Traveling Exhibits Program Wins National Award

The museum at the Cultural Heritage Center has been honored for its Traveling Exhibits Program.  The 2009 Leadership in History Award of Merit was given to the South Dakota State Historical Society’s traveling exhibits program from the American Association for State and Local History.  Jay D. Vogt, director of the State Historical Society says one of the goals for the Governor’s 2010 Initiative was to develop traveling museum exhibits to enhance history and use them as a tool for economic development and cultural tourism.  As part of the initiative, the museum produced ten traveling exhibits using an innovative pop-up kiosk format.  Helen B Louise, museum director, says the kiosks are full-color exhibit panels that are printed onto a fabric covered frame.  The museum’s 10 kiosk exhibits went to 20 South Dakota communities in 2008 and they were seen by over 120,000 people. 

$5.4 Million Dollars in Federal Funding to Help with Affordable Housing Construction in SD

The South Dakota Housing Development Authority will be provided with over $5.4 million dollars in federal funding to allow the agency to resume funding the construction of affordable rental housing projects across the state.  The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Shaun Donovan says the funding comes through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Tax Credit Assistance Program.  The money will give the state’s Housing Development Authority the means to further state and local efforts to bring “shovel ready” housing projects to South Dakota.   The program has allocated over $2.2 billion dollars in housing assistance since February of 2009. 

Flags to be Displayed on the Bridge Friday and Saturday

American and South Dakota State Flags will be posted across the Missouri River Bridge in honor of Independence Day on Friday and Saturday.  The flag display is part of the Pierre/Fort Pierre Exchange Club’s Flags Across the Missouri Ridge Bridge project.  The project is a Pride in America and fundraising program and this weekend’s display is sponsored by Fischer Rounds and Associates Insurance and Real Estate of Pierre.  Those wanting to be a sponsor of the program can contact any member of the Exchange Club.

Pickup Your Wheeler Dealer Certificates TODAY

If you bought a certificate from the Dakota Radio Group’s Wheeler Dealer Show on Saturday, we ask that you pick any certificates you want to use for the Fourth of July weekend TODAY.  Our office at 214 West Pleasant Drive will be CLOSED tomorrow-Friday, July 3, so our office staff requests that you purchase your certificates before 5:00 p.m. today.

(Copyright 2009 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Gov. Mike Rounds says South Dakota motorists need to be especially vigilant during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Three people died in crashes during the 2009 Memorial Day period, and Rounds says all of them were alcohol-related. Last year, 137 crashes occurred on South Dakota roads during the Independence Day holiday period. Two people died and 61 others were injured. Six people died on South Dakota's roads during the Independence Day holiday period in 2005, and five died during the travel period the year before.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A jury has acquitted a former Sioux Falls day-care provider who was accused of shaking a baby and banging the infant's head in November 2007. The jury got the case at 1 p.m. Wednesday and returned its verdict on 29-year-old Amy Dierks shortly before 6 p.m. Dierks had faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted on an aggravated assault charge in the case of 6-month-old Henry Johnson of Hartford. Prosecutors said the incident left him blind and developmentally disabled. Dierks' attorneys said doctors jumped to conclusions about shaken baby syndrome, contending the infant already had problems with bleeding on the brain. The defense called only one witness.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The mother of a baby at the heart of an aggravated assault trial in Sioux Falls says she's disappointed that a jury acquitted a former day-care provider of hurting the child. But Marissa Johnson says she's ready to put the matter behind her and focus on her son. Twenty-nine-year-old Amy Dierks was accused of shaking 6-month-old Henry Johnson of Hartford and banging the infant's head in November 2007. Jurors on Wednesday found her not guilty. Dierks wouldn't comment. Her attorney, Darren Magee, said the jury arrived "at a just verdict." Relatives of Henry Johnson disagree and say they plan to work to improve state law to better protect children from abuse. Mike Meehan, Henry's grandfather, says he would like to see a law requiring cameras at day cares.

WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) - Watertown police are investigating a reported armed robbery at a local casino. Assistant Chief Scott McMahon says a man armed with a baseball bat with a knife taped to the end entered the casino through the back door and demanded money from the lone employee working at the time. The man reportedly fled with an undisclosed amount of money. The incident was reported shortly after midnight at the Grand Casino.

WHITECLAY, Neb. (AP) - Activists who staged an alcohol blockade on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation north of Whiteclay, Neb., say they're encouraged by the results. Duane Martin with the Cante Tenza Strong Heart Civil Rights Movement says the cooperation among activists and tribal police was inspiring during the third year of the blockade. During the first year, organizers failed to reach an agreement with law enforcement, and several were ticketed. The group spent several hours Wednesday checking vehicles coming across the Nebraska-South Dakota line from Whiteclay, which is home to several outlets that sell beer to residents of the dry reservation. Martin says activists were encouraged by many of the drivers who were stopped, and some even said the blockade should be a weekly event.

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - Four of the city of Mitchell's arguments in an open-meetings lawsuit filed by the Daily Republic newspaper have been rejected by a judge. But the judge, Sean (SHAWN) O'Brien, also ruled that the newspaper is not seeking the right kind of remedy. The newspaper's lawyer says the suit will continue. The dispute centers on an interpretation of the law that allows public boards to hold sessions behind closed doors so members can meet with attorneys. The newspaper believes the only litigation that can be discussed in an executive session is that which has been proposed or is pending. The city of Mitchell's interpretation was broader, including any litigation deemed possible by an attorney.

MADISON, S.D. (AP) - Gehl Co. officials say the manufacturing company will cut its overall work force by 72 people from a total of 540 U.S.-based employees. In a story Wednesday, the Madison Daily Leader said reports of layoffs at Gehl's Madison plant - which were not confirmed officially - indicated that about two dozen employees were told Tuesday they were getting pink slips. No information was available on how long the layoffs would last. A release from the company's West Bend, Wis., offices said the work force reductions are the result of fewer orders for Gehl's compact construction equipment. The Madison plant makes skid-steer and front-end loaders. Gehl's Madison work force totaled 315 at the start of 2009.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Wells Fargo Financial is eliminating some positions in Sioux Falls. The company isn't disclosing the number, but an employee told KDLT News that more than 100 workers are losing their jobs. Company spokesman Steve Carlson says all of the positions being eliminated are in sales. He says workers will receive help in finding other jobs, and can apply for other positions within the company. Carlson says Wells Fargo is making the changes "to align capacity with changing business needs." He didn't elaborate. Wells Fargo Financial in the Sioux Falls metro area is the headquarters of the company's credit card business, according to its Web site. Wells Fargo Financial has about $73 billion in assets and about 21,000 employees. It provides real estate loans, credit card services and car, sales and business financing. It is a division of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo and Co.

FORT YATES, N.D. (AP) - The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says the reservation needs more police officers. Ron His Horse is Thunder was among those speaking Wednesday at a hearing chaired by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., on the need for law enforcement. The Standing Rock reservation straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. His Horse is Thunder said people on the reservation felt safe when the number of police officers was increased from eight to 37, but that federal program has ended. The tribal chairman said reservation suicides "have a direct correlation to the lack of law enforcement officers." He hopes a new law enforcement training facility will help. Dorgan, who chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, says drug traffickers target American Indian communities because of the lack of police. He says those communities must have "basic public safety."

KYLE, S.D. (AP) - A U.S. Treasury Department official was in Kyle, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, on Wednesday to announce $11.3 million from the agency's Community Development Financial Institutions fund and the economic stimulus act for economically distressed Native communities nationwide. Sen. Tim Johnson and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin joined the official, Donna Gambrell, at the event. In a release, Johnson says $8 million of the money is from economic stimulus funding and the rest is from the CDFI budget. CDFIs provide financial services to underserved communities with the goal of bringing them into the economic mainstream. CDFIs include loan funds, banks, credit unions and venture capital institutions. Five entities in South Dakota are getting grants worth $2.9 million. They are in Rapid City, Kyle, Pine Ridge, Eagle Butte and Fort Thompson.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota state government's $3.9 billion budget took effect Wednesday. The main increase in spending for the next 12 months involves about $300 million in federal stimulus funds to pay for road construction, water projects, education and a wide range of other programs. Another $88 million in federal stimulus money also was used to balance the portion of the budget supported by state general tax funds. State employees get no pay raise. Doctors, nursing homes, hospitals and others who provide medical services under the Medicaid program get no inflationary increase. And school districtsget a 3 percent increase in state aid.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota's new fiscal year for state government, effective this past Wednesday, means the tax on revenue from Deadwood casinos goes up 1 percent -- from 8 percent to 9 percent. State officials say all of the extra $1.5 million goes to balance the state budget.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A new law that went into the books Wednesday in South Dakota says state agencies must request competitive proposals when awarding or renewing most contracts for professional services exceeding $50,000. Architects, engineers, advertising firms and other businesses can find requests for proposals on a state Internet site. A state agency would not be required to accept the lowest bid, but it would have to use a set of standards to evaluate offers. Medical services, emergency proposals and professional legal services are exempt.

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Retailers Association executive director says many retailers are telling him they are not losing ground in the current economy. And Shawn Lyons says some even say their business is pretty good -- and that some cities' sales tax numbers are starting to reflect that.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has approved a mountain lion hunting season aimed at letting hunters kill more of the cats next year. The season last winter allowed a quota of 35 total mountain lions or 15 females. The commission approved raising next year's quotas to 40 total mountain lions, with the season to end early if 25 females are shot. The season will run from Jan. 1 to March 31 next year. Supporters say the increased quotas will provide hunters with more opportunity while controlling the cougar population in the Black Hills. Opponents say the increased quotas could harm the population.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A $12 million repair and remodel project in Custer State Park has left the four resort complexes in what South Dakota Parks Director Doug Hofer considers their best condition in years. Bonds approved by the 2007 Legislature paid for changes at Sylvan Lake, Blue Bell, Game Lodge and Legion Lake complexes. The 20-year bonds will be repaid with revenue from a franchise fee paid by the private company that operates the state-owned resorts through the Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Hofer said the project included the challenge of doing most of the work over the winter and retaining the charm and character of resorts built 75 to 90 years ago.

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota State University's "Go" campaign, produced by a Sioux Falls ad agency, has won the 2009 Silver Telly Award in the promotional/branding category. The campaign is entitled "You Can Go Anywhere From Here."

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - None of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Wednesday night matched all six numbers drawn, which were: 9-32-38-52-53 Powerball: 15 Power Play: 2 Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball would have won or shared the $20 million jackpot. The prize goes to an estimated $25 million for Saturday. Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were three of those. They were sold in: Delaware, Montana and Pennsylvania. There were no Power Play Match 5 winners. On the Net: Multi-State Lottery Association: http://www.powerball.com/

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The Energy Department says Basin Electric Power Cooperative will get up to $100 million in federal stimulus money to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at a coal-fired power plant northwest of Bismarck. Federal Energy Secretary Steven Chu calls it a big step in the fight to reduce emissions from coal-based power plants.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The state Tax Department says North Dakota's taxable sales and purchases for the first quarter of the year showed a modest increase of 3.8 percent. Fong says that while most of the nation was dealing with a declining economy, North Dakota's economy continued to hold its own.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's annual obesity rankings show Mississippi is still the most portly state among baby boomers, with some 32.5 percent of its baby boomer residents classified as obese. North Dakota ranked 22nd among states, with just under 27 percent of baby boomer residents classified as obese.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Summer days with 80-degree temperatures have made it a foregone conclusion, but now it's official -- The city of Bismarck will not set a seasonal snowfall record. The National Weather Service measures snowfall totals on a July 1 to June 30 calendar. The agency says the winter of 2008-09 ended up 1.3 inches short of the all-time snowfall record of 101.6 inches, set during the 1996-97 winter.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Two Republican state senators are joining an already crowded field of declared or potential candidates for governor. David Hann of Eden Prairie and Mike Jungbauer of East Bethel are both two-term state senators.

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - Duluth-based Monson Trucking is shutting down Aug. 31 and putting 200 people out of work. One of its owners says 100 employees in Duluth will work until the end of the month. Another hundred workers will immediately lose their jobs in Red Wing and at two terminals in Wisconsin and Virginia.

HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) - A rural Dakota County man is charged with the unintentional second-degree murder of his 17-month-old stepson. A criminal complaint says 22-year-old Tylar James Hokanson admitted shaking the toddler days before he died from multiple injuries, including brain damage.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Sen. Al Franken says he's torn about who should play him if he becomes a "Saturday Night Live" spoof target. The former SNL cast member says it could be Fred Armisen, but he adds that occasional guest Alec Baldwin might be a better fit.

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Key Senate Democrats are calling for a government-run insurance option to compete with private plans, as well as a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to employees. It's part of an effort to advance President Barack Obama's health care agenda.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has invited a group of business leaders to meet with him at the White House today. Some of their firms are large. Some are small. But they have in common that they've been able to create jobs despite the economic doldrums. Their meeting is private, but the president will be making a Rose Garden appearance afterward to talk about the innovations that have helped the companies succeed.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Instead of cash, California could begin handing out IOUs as early as today because of its budget mess. Even the state's counties could get IOUs, leaving them to find other ways to pay for social programs. A fiscal state of emergency was declared yesterday.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has given the state treasurer $3,300 for part of a tax-payer-fundred trip to South America when he saw his mistress. Meanwhile, top Republicans in the state and at least a half-dozen newspapers are calling for Sanford's resignation.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A longtime aide to two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has spent the day at a federal courthouse in Raleigh, N.C. Andrew Young was apparently questioned about how his former boss spent campaign funds. A federal grand jury is looking into payments made to a woman with whom Edwards admits having an affair.

NEW YORK (AP) - The evening rush hour was bumpier than usual for some 800 people who ride the Staten Island ferry from Manhattan. A ferry lost power while docking and slammed into a pier. Fifteen people were hurt, but the injuries are said to be minor.

LONDON (AP) - There's another report of Michael Jackson's alleged drug abuse. Two former confidantes say they tried to keep him from misusing painkillers and other prescriptions, but people around him kept the drugs flowing. One confidante says when Michael asked for something, he got it.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles police are calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration for help in investigating Michael Jackson's death. One official says the DEA has resources and experience in investigating drug abuse and operations that local police may not.

LOS OLIVOS, Calif. (AP) - Lots of his fans and dozens of news crews have wasted a trip to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. His family says a public memorial is being planned but it won't be at Neverland. A source says Jackson will likely be buried in Los Angeles.

NEW YORK (AP) - About 50 grocery baggers in two New York City supermarkets who were forced to work only for tips will get a big chunk of change. They'll split $1.1 million as part of a settlement with the stores' owners. New York's attorney general says other workers were cheated out of overtime pay.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A woman convicted in connection with the Internet suicide of a 13-year-old girl will be sentenced today in Los Angeles. Lori Drew could get up to three years in prison. Prosecutors say she sought to humiliate the girl through a social networking site.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New York man faces charges for stripping naked during a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles. The flight was diverted to Albuquerque, where he was led away by police, wearing nothing but handcuffs.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The widow of former Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon says her husband had "the most incredible life." At a tribute for McMahon in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Pam McMahon said he enjoyed "every single second." The event included military pomp since McMahon was a former Marine.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - His credits date back to such movie classics as "On the Waterfront" in 1954. Actor Karl Malden has died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 97. Malden won an Oscar for his work in "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1951.

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CHICAGO (AP) - A computer problem is causing flight delays and long lines for United Airlines passengers at O'Hare International Airport. United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski says Thursday's outage involves all of United's computers at O'Hare. Urbanski says many flights have been delayed and some may be canceled. Because the outage involves United's ticketing system, Urbanski says the airline is urging customers to monitor their flight status and check-in online before they get to O'Hare. She says United employees at the airport are using a manual process to check customers in. Passengers are reporting long lines in the terminal. And planes are lining up on the airport's tarmac as new flights arrive while departing flights are unable to leave.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government says the number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment insurance dropped last week, a sign job cuts are easing. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless benefit claims fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 614,000. A survey by Thomson Reurters says that nearly matches analysts' estimates. The total jobless benefit rolls fell for the second time in three weeks. The number of continuing claims is down 53,000 to 6.7 million, defying analysts' expectations of a small rise.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be a bumpy one. Economists had expected 363,000 job cuts last months, and that the jobless rate would rise to 9.6 percent from 9.4 percent in May. If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.

TOKYO (AP) - Japanese electronics maker Hitachi is going to dramatically boost production of lithium-ion batteries for use in hybrid auto engines. Hitachi currently makes 40,000 lithium-ion batteries a month, but plans to boost that to three million. The company says it's going to be supplying batteries for hybrid GM cars next year. It's also reacting to the surging demand for gas-electric cars. Toyota Motor Corp., which is the world's largest automaker, currently uses nickel-metal hydride batteries for its hybrids. But Toyota says it's going to use lithium-ion batteries for its plug-in models. They produce more energy, allowing hybrid engines to run more in the electric mode.

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Jackson is going to be big business for years to come. Former Sony Music chairman and CEO Tommy Mottola says there are "dozens and dozens" of Jackson songs that have been recorded and never before released, a mountain of music that is certain to be packaged and repackaged well into the future. The music includes songs with R&B singer-producer Akon and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. But there are also unused tracks from studio sessions of some of Jackson's best albums. Mottola says new releases could continue "for years and years," even more than with Elvis. He says there's "genius and brilliance in there." It's not entirely clear who controls Jackson's unreleased music and concert footage. Sony Music has not commented and a person associated with the label says, at the moment, no projects or compilations are in the works.

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Nearly two in three Americans say news organizations have given too much coverage to the death of Michael Jackson, but half say the media have struck the right balance between covering the pop star's personal life and musical career. In a Pew Research Center poll published Wednesday, 64 percent of those surveyed said Jackson's death last week in Los Angeles has received too much coverage, 29 percent said the story received the right amount and 3 percent said the story got too little attention. Thirty percent said they followed the story very closely, though that number jumped to 80 percent among blacks, according to the independent public opinion research group. Pew interviewed about 1,000 adults for the poll, which has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) - Bedbugs have taken a bite out of Colorado State's Great Sofa Roundup. For the past nine years the university and the city of Fort Collins have set up two days where people can swap old couches. The college town started the swap to prevent people from leaving furniture in alleys and sidewalks. Last year about 600 couches changed hands. But this summer's Sofa Roundup has been canceled because officials fear it could spread bedbugs. The critters feed on human blood, leaving behind bothersome skin welts. They can be passed unknowingly through upholstered furniture.

BLOOMSDALE, Mo. (AP) - A sad animal story with a happy ending. Sheena, a malnourished female tiger that was found at an apparent puppy mill in Seneca, Mo., in February has become a star at a sanctuary where she is now living. The cat had trouble with her eyes and posture and was afraid of going outdoors when she was first brought to the National Tiger Sanctuary near Bloomsdale, Mo. But Judy McGee, co-founder of the sanctuary, says she's doing much better now and has adjusted to living near other tigers for the first time in her nine years of life.

CHICAGO (AP) - Sneak-preview visitors to the Sears Tower's new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest. The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut four feet from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck. Their transparent walls, floor and ceiling leave visitors with the impression they're floating over the city. Margaret Kemp, visiting from California, says "It's like walking on ice," and that her heart was still pounding even after stepping away from the balcony. "The Ledge," as the balconies have been nicknamed, open to the public today. One of the buildings owners says it's the "view with the most wow in the world."

DRUMMOND, Okla. (AP) - When the Garfield County, Okla., sheriff's office started getting calls about millions of ants crossing an intersection, deputy Trot Bush thought it was a joke. But he says when he arrived on Monday, there were so many insects that it appeared as if the ground were moving and the tiny critters had created a slick, hazardous area on the pavement stretching a quarter-mile. Eventually authorities learned the bugs weren't ants, but mites. They'd apparently crossed the road that day after having dinner in a field of canola plants that had just been harvested. Bush says the slick spot was created by the mites feasting on the plants, which are used to produce canola oil.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The latest on the Bruno-goes-to-school caper. The high school that was the location for a racy photo shoot by Sacha Baron Cohen's character "Bruno" has broken away from the nation's second-largest school district. Birmingham High School in Los Angeles had already been planning to become a separate charter school before Wednesday's decision. The move came one day after officials with the Los Angeles Unified School District disciplined two administrators for violating the district's policy on using the school's name in the film. The photos feature the actor's latest incarnation as gay fashionista "Bruno." He wears shoulder pads and tight red shorts and poses with student football players on the campus field.

NEW YORK (AP) - People who use Facebook but don't want every single person they know online to know every single detail about their life will be getting some new tools soon. The social networking site is making a major shift in its privacy controls to give users more ability to control who sees what they share. For example, instead of six privacy pages featuring more than two dozen settings, all the controls will be on a single privacy page. The new controls will let users assign privacy settings to each piece of information they make available on Facebook, including photos, contact information and status updates.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - O, boy. The executive director of the Democratic Party in Maine is accusing a Republican who's considering a run for governor of stealing the stylized "O" from President Barack Obama's Web site. Arden Manning says Les Otten's "O" is a close copy of one on the Obama Web site. The attack isn't sitting well with Otten. He says the Democratic Party appears to have forgotten that others have noted the Obama "O" looks like the Pepsi logo. But he also says his exploratory committee didn't copy anyone's Web site. He says it was built "from scratch" by a local company.

NEW YORK (AP) - It's hot, it's dark and it's crowded, but people just can't wait to visit. The Statue of Liberty's crown is opening on July Fourth for the first time in eight years. It closed shortly after terrorists leveled the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The National Park Service denies the closing had anything to do with terrorism and says the statue's interior was in need of repair anyway. But some wonder why it took so long for the crown to reopen. New York Congressman Anthony Weiner (WEE'-nur) calls the eight-year closure "a partial victory for terrorists" and an "embarrassment for the federal government." Tickets for the July Fourth weekend sold out within hours.

GENEVA (AP) - Television host Jay Leno has won control of a Web address using the name of his new show. The U.N.'s World Intellectual Property Organization says current owner Guadalupe Zambrano of Katy, Texas, will have to transfer the domain name - thejaylenoshow.com - to the comedian. The agency says Zambrano failed to demonstrate he had a legitimate reason for registering the address five years ago while Leno was still hosting "The Tonight Show." Zambrano used the site to redirect Web surfers to his real estate business. "The Jay Leno Show" premieres Sept. 14 on NBC.

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Today is Thursday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2009. There are 182 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

On this date:
In 1809, Shawnee leader Tecumseh began organizing an Indian Confederacy to resist the growing spread of white American settlers.
In 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)
In 1926, the United States Army Air Corps was created.
In 1937, aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight along the equator.
In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.
In 1979, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was released to the public.
In 1989, former Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko died in Moscow at age 79.
In 1994, a USAir DC-9 crashed in poor weather at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, killing 37 of the 57 people aboard.
In 1996, electricity and phone service was knocked out for millions of customers from Canada to the Southwest after power lines throughout the West failed on a record-hot day.

Ten years ago: Former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong was shot to death in Skokie, Ill.; authorities believe he was the victim of a three-day shooting rampage by white supremacist Benjamin Nathaniel Smith that targeted minorities in Illinois and Indiana. (One other person was killed and several wounded before Smith committed suicide.) "Godfather" author Mario Puzo died on Long Island, N.Y., at age 78.
Five years ago: Elijah Brown, 21, described by police as a disgruntled employee, went on a shooting rampage inside a meatpacking plant in Kansas City, Kan., killing five of his co-workers before taking his own life.
One year ago: Colombian military spies tricked leftist rebels into freeing 15 hostages: Ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors, and 11 Colombian policemen and soldiers. Police in Randolph, Vt., unearthed the body of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett from a makeshift grave, ending a weeklong search. (The girl's uncle, convicted sex offender Michael Jacques, has been charged in the killing.)

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Marvin Rainwater is 84. Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos is 80. Jazz musician Ahmad Jamal is 79. Actor Robert Ito is 78. Actress Polly Holliday is 72. Former White House chief of staff John H. Sununu is 70. Writer-director-comedian Larry David is 62. Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, is 62. Actor Saul Rubinek is 61. Rock musician Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) is 60. Rock musician Gene Taylor is 57. Actress-model Jerry Hall is 53. Actor Jimmy McNichol is 48. Rock musician Dave Parsons (Bush) is 44. Actress Yancy Butler is 39. Baseball player Sean Casey is 35. Contemporary Christian musician Melodee DeVevo (Casting Crowns) is 33. Race car driver Sam Hornish Jr. is 30. Singer Michelle Branch is 26. Actress Vanessa Lee Chester is 25. Figure skater Johnny Weir is 25. Actress-singer Ashley Tisdale is 24. Actress Lindsay Lohan is 23.

Thought for Today: "The instinctive feeling of a great people is often wiser than its wisest men." -- Louis Kossuth, Hungarian statesman (1802-1894).

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

American League

Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 0

Boston 6, Baltimore 5, 11 innings

Minnesota 5, Kansas City 1

Oakland 5, Detroit 1

Chicago White Sox 6, Cleveland 2

N.Y. Yankees 4, Seattle 2

Texas 9, L.A. Angels 7

National League

Florida 5, Washington 3

N.Y. Mets 1, Milwaukee 0

L.A. Dodgers 1, Colorado 0

Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh 1

Cincinnati 1, Arizona 0

Atlanta 11, Philadelphia 1

St. Louis 2, San Francisco 1, 10 innings

Houston 7, San Diego 1

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION BASEBALL

Sioux Falls 11, Pensacola 5

St. Paul 15, Lincoln 4

Sioux City 6, Wichita 1

Shreveport-Bossier 4, Fort Worth 2

El Paso 6, Grand Prairie 0

WOMENS NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Phoenix 93, Seattle 81

SOUTH DAKOTA SCOREBOARD

American Association Baseball

Sioux Falls Canaries 11, Pensacola Pelicans 5

American Legion Baseball

Chamberlain 13, Winner-Colome 4

Sioux Falls East 8-17, Vermillion 2-1

Watertown 6-5, Sioux Falls West 1-15

Merced, Cal. 7, Rapid City Post 22  1

Milbank 16, Webster 6

Spearfish 8-7, Chadron, Neb. 7-1

Rod Fisher, Brian Oakland, Darren Boyle, Andy Shoe, & Pat Morrison give you their opinion on local, state, and national sports.

 MINNESOTA TWINS BASEBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

  Day                        Game                                                                   First Pitch    Pre Game

Friday                 Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins                               7:10 p.m.      6:40 p.m. 

Saturday            Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins                               3:10 p.m.      2:35 p.m.

Sunday               Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins                               1:10 p.m.    12:06 p.m.

Tuesday             New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins                      7:10 p.m.      6:40 p.m.

Wednesday        New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins                     7:10 p.m.       6:40 p.m.

    PIERRE POST 8 AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

   Day                    Game                                                                     First Pitch    Pre Game

Thursday        Pierre at Mitchell                                                             5:30 p.m.      5:10 p.m.

Monday          Spearfish at Pierre                                                          5:30 p.m.      5:10 p.m.

Wednesday    Pierre at Rapid City Post 320 DH (2 games)                  6:30 p.m.      6:10 p.m.

IN SPORTS TODAY:  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Minnesota Twins have a break today after beating Kansas City 5-1 last night. Joe Mauer went 3-for-3 in a showing that raised his average to .392.    His average would lead the major leagues but his 240 plate appearances are eight shy of the 3.1 per game he needs to qualify. Winning Pitcher Glen Perkins (4-4) allowed one run for the second straight start, scattering 10 hits in seven innings. The Twins will spend the holiday weekend at home in a three-game series against Detroit.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The X-rays have come back negative for Minnesota Twins catcher Mike Redmond, who left last night's game after being hit on the forearm by a foul tip in the fifth inning. He stayed on the ground for a few minutes before leaving and was replaced by Jose Morales.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City catcher Miguel Olivo was suspended for Wednesday's game against Minnesota for an animated argument with an umpire in Pittsburgh Saturday.   The suspension left the Royals without an experienced backup catcher for their game against the Minnesota Twins. John Buck is rehabbing a back injury.

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Sioux Falls Canaries (20-24) matched a season high with 18 hits, and scored 11 runs off those hits for a 11-5 victory over the Pensacola Pelicans (19-25) on Wednesday night in Pensacola.   Jared Lemieux led the Canaries going 4-for-4 with two walks and a home run.  The Canaries Cory Harris reached base twice extending his on base streak to 38 consecutive games.  Ryan Ford (2-5) picked up his second win in as many starts, allowing four runs, two earned on eight hits in 6.2 innings.  The Canaries and Pelicans will wrap-up the three-game series tonight.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Post 8 American Legion baseball team returns to the diamond tonight as they travel to Mitchell for a doubleheader.  Pierre is 16-15 on the season coming off wins over Valley Springs and Sturgis on Tuesday and they own a doubleheader sweep over Mitchell in their first meeting of the season.  First pitch of game 1 of the doubleheader is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Cadwell Park.  Tonight’s games will be the final games before the 4^th of July weekend.  Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader with Rapid City Post 22 Expos has been cancelled.  Pierre returns to Hyde Stadium Monday when they host Spearfish.

CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. – Mike Johnson singles and doubled, scored 3 runs and drove in 4 as Chamberlain defeated Winner-Colome 13-4 in American Legion baseball last night at Gregg Field.  Evan Fluery and Wes Kroupa each added a pair of singles and each scored twice for Chamberlain as they matched Winner-Colome in the hit column with 10 apiece.  Fluery also added an RBI.  Cody Schrieber wend the distance on the mound to pick up the win.  Winner-Colome also committed 5 errors in the game.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre 15-16 “A” Teener / Split Squad and 15-16  “B” Teener baseball teams swept doubleheaders last night.  The “A” Teeners / Split Squad defeated the Spearfish Legion JV’s be scoring double digits in both games.  Pierre won the opener 19-4 and then took the nightcap 14-5.  The “B’s” were on the road to Huron and beat their host twice as well.  Pierre took the opener 14-6 and then completed the sweep with a 16-10 win.  The “A’s” return to the field tonight when they host the Sturgis JV’s at Hyde Stadium in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader.  The B’s next games will be Monday night when they travel to Rapid City to face the Post 320 Rising Stars in a doubleheader.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre 13-14 Teener baseball team spit a doubleheader yesterday at Hyde Stadium hosting Spearfish.  Pierre won the opener 3-2 as Cooper Walton allowed just 6 hits and outfielder Conrad Adam made two diving catches with the bases loaded to end two separate innings. Austin Wagner was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, ½ of Pierre hit total on the game.   Spearfish rallied in the nightcap coming back from a 5-0 second inning deficit to win 7-5.  Spearfish scored 4 runs in the 7^th inning to complete the comeback.  Starting pitcher Drew Leif took the loss allowing 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings.  Wagner and Carson Eisenbiez each had a pair of hits to lead Pierre’s 10 hit attack.  Pierre travels to Sturgis for their next action, Tuesday.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Rattlers amateur baseball team did not play last night.  Their scheduled Rosebud League match-up at Winner was called off when Winner informed Pierre they would not have enough players for the game.  No make up date for the game has been set.  The Rattlers next game will be Tuesday when they host Miller-Wolsey-Wessington in a sing 9 inning contest at Hyde Stadium on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

PIERRE, S.D. – Officials of the Pierre Post 8 American Legion and Teener baseball program are asking the community for some help.   Volunteers are needed to help re-stain the Hyde Stadium fences on Monday, July 13. Work begins at 6:30 p.m. In case of rain, work will resume Thursday, July 16. For more information contact Post 8 baseball board president Mick Heckenlaible. Pierre will play host to the VFW 15-16 “AA” Teener state tournament this year.  This year’s state tournament will be a 4 day double elimination tournament will be played August 6^th through the 9^th.  Any community members who can give a hand to the Post 8 baseball cause will be greatly appreciated..

PIERRE, S.D. The Twin Cities Men’s and Women’s Slow Pitch Softball tournament will be played July 18^th and 19^th at the Oahe Softball Complex in Pierre.  The ASA sanctioned tournament will feature 12 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams.  There is a $250 entry fee per team for the men’s tournament and $200 for the women’s tourney.  Entry deadline for teams is July 16^th.  For more information contact Bernie Stars at 280-3143 or Steve Scares Hawk at 224-9061.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The former head coach of the NBA Development League team in Bismarck, N.D., is now an assistant with the D-League team in Sioux Falls, S.D.   Duane Ticknor stepped down as the head coach of the Wizards in late June, saying he had health problems and didn't need the day-to-day stress of being a head coach. Ticknor has diabetes and eye problems. The Skyforce announced his hiring as an assistant Wednesday. Ticknor is a minor league coaching veteran who also has  coached at the college level. He says coaching in Sioux Falls will enable him to be close to family in Vermillion.

ABERDEEN, S.D. - Northern State University’s Brent Pollari has been promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach with the women’s basketball program of head coach Curt Fredrickson. Pollari had spent the previous two years as an assistant coach and enters his fifth season overall with the Wolves after serving as a graduate assistant with the program from 2004-2006. He also serves as the women’s golf coach for the Wolves.

ELMHURST, Ill. - South Dakota State University women's basketball standout Jennifer Warkenthien has been named Summit League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, league officials announced Wednesday.  In receiving the league's most prestigious student-athlete award, Warkenthien compiled a 3.901 GPA as an early childhood education major with a minor in elementary education during her four-year career at SDSU.  On the court, Warkenthien led the Jackrabbits to back-to-back regular season championships with a 17-1 league record and 32-3 overall mark during the 2008-09 season. She was named Player of the Year and MVP of The Summit League Championship, leading SDSU its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance and victory.

DICKINSON, S.D. - South Dakota Mines and Jamestown College tied for the Dakota Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Award.  The award is presented annually to the school with the highest percentage of student-athletes honored as DAC acholar-athletes. In order to earn DAC scholar-athlete honors, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better out of 4.0 and have earned 12 or more credit hours for a semester in which they participates in a conference sponsored sport.  During the 2008-09 school year, the South Dakota School of Mines received 64 DAC scholar-athlete honors.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Marian Gaborik has left Minnesota for good, and the Wild have filled the big hole in their lineup by signing free-agent right wing Martin Havlat to a six-year contract. Gaborik left for a five-year deal worth more than $37 million with the New York Rangers.     Havlat became expendable in Chicago when the Blackhawks signed Marian Hossa away from Detroit with a 12-year, $62.8 million contract.  Havlat had 29 goals and 48 assists in 81 regular-season games last season and added five goals and 10 assists in 16 playoff games.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Nashville Predators have re-signed former Minnesota Wild forward Joel Ward to a two-year, $3 million contract. The 28-year-old had 17 goals and 18 assists in 79 games with Nashville in his first full NHL season.

(Copyright 2009 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Associated Press contributed to this report.)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - The women's semifinals highlight today's Wimbledon schedule after Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Tommy Haas advanced to the men's semis yesterday.  Today's schedule has top-ranked Dinara Safina faced third seed Venus Williams after No. 2 Serena Williams battled No. 4 Elena Dementieva.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit Pistons have opened the NBA's free-agent negotiating period by working out five-year contracts with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Gordon accepted a $50-million package and Villanueva took a contract worth $35 million. League rules prohibit the team from announcing the free-agent signings until next week.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A team spokesman says Kobe Bryant is staying with the Los Angeles Lakers after declining to opt out of the final two years of his contract. Bryant has spent his entire 13-year NBA career with the Lakers, winning four NBA championships. The Lakers and Bryant will now try to work out a contract extension.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - The United States started its bid for its first world junior title in 18 years with a 106-55 win over Iran on the opening day of the FIBA under-19 world basketball championships on Thursday. Shooting guard Tyshawn Taylor scored 13 points for the United States, which last won the world tournament at Edmonton, Alberta, in 1991.

CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Blackhawks have inked forward Marian Hossa to a 12-year package worth $62.8 million. The four-time All-Star and 11-year NHL veteran has played on the Stanley Cup runner-up the last two years. He registered 40 goals and 71 points for Detroit last season and has 339 goals and 719 points during his career.

UNDATED (AP) - The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping Erik Cole, agreeing to a two-year, $5.8-million deal with the physical forward. The Washington Capitals have addressed their need for a scoring winger by signing right wing Mike Knuble to a two-year deal worth $5.6 million. And Toronto has sent defenseman Pavel Kubina and forward Tim Stapleton to Atlanta for defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Colin Stuart.

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb is holding off shoulder surgery, making the decision after meeting with team doctors and three other physicians. The 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since opening day. Webb will begin a regimen to strengthen the shoulder but isn't expected to throw for several weeks.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Jeremy Mayfield is free to drive again after a judge lifted the suspension imposed by NASCAR. The judge ruled the harm to Mayfield significantly outweighs any harm to NASCAR. He was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR May 9 after testing positive for methamphetamines eight days earlier.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Car owner Larry Gunselman says his sponsor does not want Jeremy Mayfield to drive the No. 64 this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.   Gunselman says he signed Fred's, a Southeastern-based discount store, to sponsor his car for Saturday night's race. He says Fred's is not interested in having Mayfield replace Mike Wallace as the driver. Mayfield's indefinite suspension for a failed drug test was lifted by a federal judge on Wednesday, allowing him to race this weekend.

MIAMI (AP) - A judge in Miami is being asked to publicly release surveillance video of the drunk-driving crash in which Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian. The family of victim Mario Reyes doesn't want the state attorney's office to release the video to news outlets. Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy set a hearing today on the issue.  The National Football League suspended Stallworth indefinitely.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - Managua, Nicaragua, mayor and former boxing champion Alexis Arguello has been found dead in his home. He was 57. Arguello turned pro in 1968 and won his first title by knocking out Ruben Olivares for the featherweight crown. He later captured the super featherweight and lightweight belts, becoming the sixth boxer to win titles in three weight classes. He retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8, with 65 knockouts, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

(Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)