Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Electricity Still Out for Some in Northwest SD, But Moisture Makes up for Outages

Some Northwest South Dakotans still have to manage without electricity-almost two weeks after a snowstorm caused power outages.  Governor Mike Rounds says Harding County was especially hard hit by the early May storm that brought rain, ice and heavy snow.  He says there are about 250 customers who are still powerless and efforts are being made to have all electricity restored by the end of this week.

Rounds says state officials have been hearing that most of those impacted by the storm are getting by while they await power, and many are pleased with the moisture that has come with the snow.

Previous news reports have said that 3,000 power poles were lost during the storm in Harding County and 400 in Butte County.  Rounds spoke on KGFX and KOLY yesterday as part of the program “A Conversation with Governor Rounds”.

Sully County Accident Sends Two to Hospital

An accident yesterday on a rural Sully County road sent two people to St. Mary’s Healthcare Center.  Sully County Sheriff’s Deputy Curt Olson says the afternoon accident was reported by a passerby and occurred on 291^st Avenue, about twelve miles west and 2 ½ miles south of Onida.  He says two teens riding in a 2007 Pontiac Vibe were northbound on 291^st, when the tires of the car got caught in a gravel windrow.  A county worker had recently bladed the roadway.  Olson says the driver, an 18-year-old Agar woman, lost control of the car; it went into the west side road ditch and slid down a 40-foot embankment.  The car came to rest on its top.   The driver and a 17-year-old Onida girl who was riding with her were both taken to St. Mary’s Hospital by ambulance.  The car is considered a total loss and Olson says charges have not been filed in the one vehicle accident. 

Onida Couple to Appear in Court for Domestic Argument Which Involved a Gun

Two Accidents in Potter County

A rural Hoven man was not hurt when his vehicle went off the road and landed in a slough after he reportedly fell asleep at the wheel over the weekend.  Potter County Sheriff Alan McClain says the one vehicle accident was reported about 7:00 p.m. Saturday near the Highway 83/212 junction.  McClain says the 20-year-old was returning to South Dakota from out-of-state when he fell asleep near the end of his long commute.  The 2004 Impala he was driving went off the road, through a fence and came to a stop in a pond about 500 feet from the roadway.  McClain says the vehicle was about axle deep in the water and the driver stood on the roof of the car to summon help from a passing motorist.  No charges will be filed and McClain says the car sustained about $900 in damages.  Meanwhile, McClain says a car was totaled yesterday when it was hit by a garbage truck in Gettysburg.  He says the accident happened just before noon near the intersection of Highway 212 and Broadway Street.  The truck and car were both side-by-side traveling eastbound on 212, when its believed that the garbage truck, attempted to make a right hand turn and struck the car, which was in the right hand lane.  The door of the four-door sedan had to be removed with the Jaws of Life and the driver of the car, 25-year-old Trevor Forgey of Harrold was taken to the hospital by ambulance to be treated for minor injuries to his shoulder and arm.  The garbage truck driver, 33-year-old Paul Fettig of Mobridge, was not injured. 

Mishap Occurs Monday Between Semi Truck and Car

A Pierre woman was cited for Failure to Yield after her car collided with a semi truck at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Airport Road.  Pierre Police Lieutenant David Panzer, Jr. says the mishap occurred just after one yesterday afternoon when a vehicle driven by Pamela Lowery of Pierre, which was westbound on Airport Road, did not yield to a northbound semi truck.  Gregg Nelson of St. James, Minnesota operated the semi.  Lowery received minor injuries, but her vehicle was totaled.  Nelson was not injured and his semi sustained about $600 damage in the crash. 

Two Vehicles Damaged Over Weekend in Fort Pierre

Stanley County authorities are looking into two incidents of vandalism that occurred sometime over the weekend.  Sheriff Brad Rathbun says authorities were called to check into the report of a windshield that was knocked out of one of the Stanley County School District’s buses, which had been parked at Stanley County High School.  Rathbun says damages sustained to the bus add up to about $300.  Meanwhile, he says a state vehicle, which is one of several awaiting sale in this week’s surplus auction at the Stanley County Fairgrounds, was also reported to have sustained damage when someone took out the window of the 1999 Chevy Silverado and attempted to take the radio from the pickup.  The vehicle was left with about $300 in damages.  Rathbun says anyone that has information on the crimes can call his office at 223-7792. 

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

The Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce along with several other local service groups are sponsoring a City Commission and Mayoral Candidate Forum this 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 this 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.  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.

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

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

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PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - State investigators say the shooting of an Aberdeen police officer during a drug raid last week was accidental. Grant Schnabel suffered a leg wound. South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long says Schnabel was shot with a single round from an assault rifle carried by fellow officer Tom Tarnowski. According to a probe by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the weapon was in automatic-fire mode, and two rounds were discharged. One round struck the floor of the home where officers were serving a search warrant. Schnabel is in stable condition at Avera St. Luke's Hospital, and Tarnowski is on paid administrative leave. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Condemned killer Briley Piper of Anchorage, Alaska, has filed a new appeal with the South Dakota Supreme Court in hopes of getting his death sentence overturned. He and Elijah Page of Athens, Texas, pleaded guilty to the March 2000 torture murder of Chester Allan Poage of Spearfish and a judge sentenced them to death. Darrell Hoadley of Lead went to trial and was sentenced to life in prison. Page ended his appeals and was executed in July. Piper asked a judge to resentence him to life in prison, but that request was denied so now his case is back on appeal. The two other men awaiting capital punishment in South Dakota are Donald Moeller and Charles Rhines. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A Lennox man will be sentenced on July 1 in Lincoln County for strangling his grandmother. James Black pleaded guilty in April to first-degree manslaughter. He could get life in prison. Black killed Florence Geersema, who was 81, last June in her Lennox home. The 46-year-old man apparently had been living with his grandmother for several weeks. 

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) - A Caterpillar that was stolen 7 years ago has been found in Shannon County. An investigator also recovered a spool of wire stolen 3 years ago from a power-line project, 2 trailers, 3 pickups and a front-end loader -- all heisted in separate incidents. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A convicted rapist who's accused of kidnapping and rape while on parole is on trial this week. Thirty-six-year-old Vincent Fast Horse is charged with molesting an 18-year-old Sioux Falls woman. The woman told police she was raped last September after asking Fast Horse for a ride. Fast Horse is listed on the South Dakota sex-offender registry for raping a 19-year-old woman 11 years ago. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton will campaign for his wife tomorrow on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Hillary Clinton's Democratic opponent Barack Obama is to be in South Dakota on Friday, possibly in both Sioux Falls and Aberdeen. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Senator John Thune plans to introduce a $1,000 flexible fuel vehicle tax credit bill this week. The bill would let buyers of cars or trucks that run on an 85-percent ethanol, 15-percent gasoline blend to claim the credit. Consumers purchasing an optimum flexible fuel vehicle with improved fuel economy would be able to claim a $1,500 tax credit. Thune says the bill would give consumers incentive to buy more flex-fuel vehicles, which would entice filling station owners to install more E-85 and blender pumps. The bill comes as corn-based ethanol has been falling out of political favor amid the food-versus-fuel debate. But Thune says a global rise in food prices has more to do with high oil prices than corn's use as an ethanol feedstock. He thinks the political pendulum will shift back as energy companies move to cellulosic ethanol. 

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The three major networks, CNN, Fox News and The Associated Press filed a lawsuit yesterday that asks a federal judge to strike down a South Dakota law preventing exit polling within 100 feet of a voting place. The suit claims the law violates the First Amendment because it restricts the news organizations' speech and commentary about the political process and limits their opportunities to gather information about that process. The suit asks that the case be handled quickly because South Dakota's primary election is just three weeks away. One of the state officials who was sued, Secretary of State Chris Nelson, says the exit-polling law's purpose is to maintain the integrity of the polling place. A lawyer for the media groups, Jon Arneson of Sioux Falls, says the orderly conduct of exit polling does not interfere with voting. He says the accuracy of exit polls suffers if the poll-takers are kept so far away from the voters. 

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota Transportation Commission official has asked Yankton officials to help in the effort to keep large trucks off the Meridian Bridge over the Missouri River. A 10-ton gross limit was placed on the bridge Friday because of corrosion on steel plates that help strengthen the structure. The state official says the Highway Patrol cannot monitor the bridge 24 hours a day. A Yankton official says assigning a police officer to watch the bridge for heavy trucks would also be hardship on the city, but officials agreed to try to make arrangements with the state. Trucks now must use either the Running Water or Vermillion bridges, some 30 to 80 miles out of the way. The weight limit keeps even empty semis from using the bridge at Yankton. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A proposal to fractionally increase the city sales tax in Sioux Falls has been rejected by the City Council. The failed measure would have raised the second penny from 0.92 percent to a full penny, earmarking the additional revenues for roads in new developments. The council rejected the increase 5-3 Monday. It was the second time in the last three years that a bid to raise the tax failed. Builders and the real estate sector had argued that the extra $4 million a year would help Sioux Falls catch up on a backlog in new roads. Opponents said times are tough, and the city should not raise taxes when the economy is in a slump. 

UNDATED (AP) - It's been a cold spring in South Dakota, but there have been some warm moments. The statewide high temperature last week was 82 at Yankton. The weekly low was 22 at Spearfish and Porcupine, and Clear Lake had the most moisture: 2.41 inches. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Cold, rainy weather further slowed spring planting in South Dakota last week. That's according to the weekly crop report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Several reporting points had more than 2 inches of rain last week. And temperatures dropped well below freezing in the western, central and north central parts of the state during the week. The report says only 27 percent of the corn crop was planted as of Sunday - well behind the five-year average of 57 percent. Barley, spring wheat and oats seeding also continues behind normal. Only 3 percent of South Dakota's topsoil is rated short of moisture. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Although the number of West Nile disease cases in horses has dropped significantly in South Dakota in recent years, an Extension Service official says horse owners should continue to vaccinate their animals. The virus is spread by mosquitoes. 

DELL RAPIDS, S.D. (AP) - Voters in Dell Rapids are going to the polls today on a $16 million bond issue. Officials say the district needs to expand schools to make room for growing enrollments. Under the ballot proposal, property taxes would go up $2.89 for every $1,000 in assessed value. That means the owner of a $150,000 home would pay $434 in additional taxes each year. 

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A woman from Valley Springs has claimed the latest Dakota Cash lottery jackpot. Kay Ames won the $350,652 jackpot by matching all five numbers in the Saturday drawing. The numbers were six, 14, 18, 27 and 31. The winning ticket was sold in Sioux Falls. It was the second-largest jackpot in the 15-year history of the Dakota Cash lottery. The most recent winner before Ames was on November 14th. 

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

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing her newborn son a decade ago and putting his body in a suitcase and leaving it in a ditch. Thirty-five-year-old Dana Deegan pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder. Deegan has been ordered to turn herself over to federal authorities on May 30th. 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says schools in North Dakota don't have to perform criminal background checks on employees -- but they can do so. Stenehjem says the law allows public and nonpublic schools to request the criminal history of current and prospective employees as well as volunteers who have unsupervised contact with students. He says legislators removed language requiring the checks. 

FESSENDEN, N.D. (AP) - Aron Nichols and Tamara Sorenson are slated to be sentenced today in the deaths of a Wells County couple. Nichols and Sorenson, of Fargo, were convicted last month by a Devils Lake jury. 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The Agriculture Department says wet weather in North Dakota hurt planting progress last week and cool weather slowed crop growth. The agency says in its weekly crop report that emergence was behind average for all small grains. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - Diesel fuel in Minnesota will now have to contain a greater share of plant-based fuel. Governor Pawlenty signed the legislation yesterday. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota poet, essayist and musician Bill Holm is the winner of a McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist award. That's given to people who could work elsewhere but choose to stay in Minnesota and contribute to the state's cultural life. Holm has lived in other parts of the world, but he always returns to the southwestern prairie town of Minneota where he grew up. 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota farmers made gains in fieldwork and planting last week. But the Agriculture Department says crops remain behind the five-year average. Corn planting is just 32 percent complete compared with 82 percent for the five-year average. 

ST. PAUL (AP) - The DNR has rescinded its speed limit on the St. Croix River because the water level has risen. The department had put in place a slow, no-wake zone on April 30 in an attempt to minimize shoreline erosion. 

(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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The polls have opened for today's West Virginia primary. Democrat Hillary Clinton is expected to score a double-digit victory over Barack Obama. But the Illinois front-runner holds a near-insurmountable lead in the delegate race, and has been spending time focused on the fall campaign and likely Republican nominee John McCain. 

BEIJING (AP) - The death toll from yesterday's magnitude 7.9 earthquake has risen to nearly 12,000. But that figure is expected to increase as the search continues for thousands of people still trapped in collapsed buildings. China says it would welcome international aid. 

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - More dire signs of conditions in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar. U.N. officials say only a tiny portion of international aid is reaching storm victims amid reports that the military regime is hoarding supplies for itself and handing out food that's not fit to eat. At least 62,000 people are counted dead or missing ten days after the cyclone struck. 

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush heads off to the Middle East today for his second visit this year. He hopes to give a boost to Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and plans to ask Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to ease soaring prices for consumers. 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - There's no let-up in the wildfires plaguing Florida's Atlantic coast. There were flare-ups overnight in the Brevard County town of Palm Bay, where around 70 homes have been damaged, and 3,500 acres have been scorched. All 18 schools in Palm Bay will be closed today. 

SENECA, Mo. (AP) - At least 26 people are dead in Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama following weekend severe storms and tornadoes. In Oklahoma, authorities say someone died of carbon monoxide poisoning after fumes from a generator filled a home. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The House and Senate consider legislation today directing President Bush to temporarily stop buying crude oil for the government's emergency store. Lawmakers say with oil topping $120 a barrel, now is not the time for topping off the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Congressional Democrats are pushing for what could become the most dramatic expansion of college aid for military veterans since World War II. It would essentially guarantee a full-ride scholarship to any in-state public university, and a monthly housing stipend, for people who serve the military for at least three years. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The Defense Department has dropped charges against one of six men charged in the September 11th terror attacks. He was allegedly to have been the "20th hijacker" on Nine-Eleven. 

UNDATED (AP) - Pat Tillman's mother describes her investigation into her son's 2004 killing in Afghanistan in her new book. Mary Tillman suspects the men who shot her son, a former NFL player-turned-Army Ranger, stepped out of a Humvee to aim carefully at him. They deny the allegation. 

DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit City Council is due to vote this morning on a trio of resolutions that could decide the fate of the city's defiant, scandal-plagued mayor. The council could remove Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office, ask the governor of Michigan to do it, or slap Kilpatrick on the wrist. 

ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - Barring a last-minute agreement on alimony and child support payments, New Jersey's former governor will take the stand today in his own divorce trial. Jim McGreevey declared himself a "gay American" in 2004 as he resigned his office. McGreevey's estranged wife alleges she was duped into marrying him. 

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A young woman taken from a Texas polygamist sect who is being held as a minor in state custody has given birth to a baby boy. Officials immediately took the child into protective custody. 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An attorney in Louisville, Kentucky, wants Pope Benedict to be questioned about clergy sex abuse in the Catholic church. The lawyer has filed a motion seeking a court order for the pope's testimony. 

DALLAS (AP) - A Texas man was given a citation for refusing to stop talking on his cell phone aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. Police ticketed Joe David Jones after the plane landed at Love Field in Dallas. A business associate says Jones was on the phone talking with a hospital about his seriously ill father's medical care. 

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Public television is "gonna turn it on" again. In an updated blast from the past, PBS will air a new version of the 1970s children's series "The Electric Company." Production is set to begin today. 

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

WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumers, who are battling soaring gasoline prices and a slumping economy, cut back further on their spending in April. The Commerce Department reports that retail sales dipped two-tenths of a percent last month, right in line with economists' expectations. It was the second drop in the past three months and was led by a two-point-eight percent decline in auto sales, the biggest setback in this category in 10 months. It reflected the problems that automakers are having as a weak economy and soaring gasoline prices cut into demand for new cars.

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) - It would be a whopper of a deal in technology. Hewlett-Packard confirms that it has been in talks with Electronic Data Systems toward a possible business combination. The Wall Street Journal reports that HP could buy EDS for as much as 13 billion dollars. EDS is a provider of information technology services. HP is the world's largest personal computer maker. HP says there's no assurance that the two will reach an agreement. 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Here's hoping you purchased your Forever camps. Mailing a letter costs a penny more this week, with the price of a first-class stamp rising to 42 cents yesterday. Folks who planned ahead and bought Forever stamps for 41 cents each can still use them without extra postage. Sorry, Forever stamps also went up to 42 cents. But buyers may want to stock up anyway, looking ahead to next May when prices are expected to be adjusted again. The cost to mail a post card will also went up a penny, to 27 cents. Postage rates last went up in May 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to 41 cents. 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple Inc. says its online stores in the U.S. and U.K. have sold out of the iPhone. It is a sign that supplies are being depleted ahead of the launch of the next generation device which will feature faster Internet surfing speeds. Apple says that brick-and-mortar stores run by it and iPhone carriers including AT&T Inc. might still have units available. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on reasons for the shortage and on Apple's plans for an update to the device. It is widely expected to be unveiled in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Apple is hustling to meet its goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of this year. As of the end of March, it had sold some 5.4 million iPhones. 

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Exxon Mobil is asking Alaska to pay $800 million dollars in damages, claiming the state breached a deal when it revoked gas and oil leases on a North Slope oil field. The Irving, Texas-based company also filed a separate request for reconsideration of a gas field development proposal that was rejected by state Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin last month. Both filings were submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources by Exxon Mobil on behalf of itself and its lease partners over the revocation of Point Thomson oil and gas leases. Development of the field is considered vital to a successful natural gas pipeline project under consideration by the state. 

NEW YORK (AP) - A New York City man is suing JetBlue for more than 2 million dollars because he says a pilot made him give up his seat to a flight attendant and sit on the toilet for more than three hours on a flight from California. The man says in court papers that the pilot told him to "go 'hang out' in the bathroom" about 90 minutes into the San Diego-to-New York flight because the flight attendant complained that the "jump seat" she was assigned was uncomfortable. The lawsuit says when the man expressed reluctance about sitting in the bathroom, the pilot told him that he was in command and that the passenger "should be grateful for being on board." A JetBlue spokesman declined comment on the lawsuit. 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Latin American fried-chicken outlet Pollo Campero is teaming with Wal-Mart to expand its reach to the nation's growing Hispanic population. A restaurant bearing the Guatemalan chain's mascot chicken in a cowboy hat now sells its famed product inside a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Rowlett, Texas. Officials with the chain's fledging U.S. arm hope to expand into more than 20 Wal-Mart locations across the country by the end of 2009. Pollo Campero offers Wal-Mart an opportunity to reach out 
to its diverse range of shoppers as it customizes some aisles in its mammoth stores to sell culturally attuned products. The Guatemalan chain has more than 40 locations in the U.S. 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland says the vast majority of Northwest's jobs in Minnesota would be preserved under a merger with Delta Air lines. But Steenland is also warning that Northwest expects to reduce jobs and flights in the short-term in response to the rise in fuel costs. He made the comments yesterday at a St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce lunch. Steenland emphasized that record oil prices will push fares even higher in the coming weeks and months. He says as fares go up, passenger demand will come down, and as demand comes down, the airline will have to shrink. Steenland says high fuel costs pose the greatest threat to Northwest workers and consumers -- not the proposed merger. 

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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago man is claiming to have recaptured the Guinness world record for time spent on a stationary bicycle. George Hood's time isn't official yet, but organizers say he spent about 177 hours over eight days on a spinning bike at a YMCA. 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - M-and-M's might be dangerous to your diet. But a college student is facing charges -- for allegedly assaulting a police officer with M-and-M's. Authorities in Des Moines, Iowa, report arresting Sean McGuire at a convenience store after an M-and-M hit an officer on the shoulder. Police were questioning a friend of McGuire's in a hit and run, when Drake University security guards noticed the colored candies falling around the officer. The police report says McGuire told officers he was sticking up for his friend. McGuire was released Sunday night on $1,000 bail. 

IRVING, N.Y. (AP) - At least Merwin Pierce Junior dressed for the occasion. Authorities in western New York charge the tuxedo-wearing Pierce was drunk when he took a riding mower for a late-night spin. Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace says his deputies were responding to a report of an intoxicated person. They say they found Pierce riding away on the mower. Now, charges against him include felony drunken driving. That's because authorities say he has a previous drunk driving conviction. 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Don't call this brewmaster, "Mister." Tonya Cornett is the first woman to win the brewmaster award at the World Beer Cup sponsored by the Brewers Association. She says she lost her voice so she couldn't scream, but the tears were flowing. Cornett is a brewer at Oregon's Bend Brewing Company. She says she still runs into the stereotype of a brewmaster being a bearded guy. She adds at a recent trade show no one would take her seriously. But Cornett hopes her brewmaster award will inspire more young women to think of beer-making as a career. 

FREEBORN, Minn. (AP) - There's no doubt who Jim Beach is rooting for -- the 12-foot gopher is a sure sign. Jim and Janice Beach are huge University of Minnesota fans. Now, they have a giant Goldy Gopher sitting in front of their home in Freeborn, Minnesota. The Beaches used to have a big oak tree. But when it died, Jim Beach had it carved into the shape of Minnesota's mascot. At first, Janice wasn't too keen on the idea. But the giant gopher is growing on her. It's landmark in their small town, with people stopping by to take pictures of it. 

MONROE, Mich. (AP) - You'll have no trouble spotting King Kong. It's Dereiq McCalister's customized truck. He's welded the front of a Ford F650 to the back of a Ford Excursion. The charcoal gray monster is more than 8 feet tall, about 20 feet wide and 25 feet long. He even has King Kong license plates. Kong, of course, has a huge appetite. To feed the beast, the Monore, Michigan, man has twin 50-gallon diesel fuel tanks. Inside, McCalister has installed DVD players, Playstation video games and a 42-inch plasma TV. If he wants some refreshments, the truck has a bar and fridge, too. McCalister tells the Monroe Evening News that he's had to get used to being the center of attention when he drives King Kong. 

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) - George Hood is probably more than a little saddle sore. He's reclaiming the Guinness world record for time spent on a stationary bicycle. Hood's time isn't official yet, but organizers say he spent about 177 hours over eight days riding a spinning bike at a suburban Chicago YMCA. That's the equivalent of more than 2,000 miles. He never slept for more than 12 minutes at a time and burned more than 46,000 calories in the process. Hood is a retired Drug Enforcement Agency investigator and a previous record holder. After the marathon ride ended he was taken to a hospital as a precaution. 

NEW YORK (AP) - Jimmy Fallon's eighth-grade school yearbook listed him as "most likely to take over for David Letterman." That's pretty close. Fallon and NBC are confirming he'll take over for Conan O'Brien when O'Brien takes over for Jay Leno, sometime next year. The plan's been in the works for a while. Fallon says he's been doing a monologue in his living room the last three years and "it was embarrassing." But, he says his wife seemed to like it. There are lots of details for Fallon to work out, including the show's format and whether he has a sidekick or band. He says he's not sure he's "going to reinvent the wheel with the talk-show format. There's no need." 

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Governor Brad Henry's desk is the next stop for legislation given final approval by the Oklahoma House Monday that supporters say will protect students' rights to express their religious viewpoints in public school classrooms. House members voted 70-28 to send the Senate-passed bill to Henry, but the governor's spokesman says he does not know whether Henry will sign it. The bill's author says it will give school religion clubs and individual students new support to express themselves in school. But opponents warn that the measure could lead to classroom confrontations and disruption. 

HINSDALE, Ill. (AP) - Members of Chicago-area church whose pastor was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting have responded by providing meals for his family. Sunday's sermon at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Hinsdale focused on forgiveness. The Reverend Phillip Haltom was not present and his arrest wasn't mentioned, but the themes of sin, repentance and atonement rang through the service. The 52-year-old Haltom was one of five men snared in an online prostitution sting last week. An undercover female officer posted an online ad offering sex last month. Haltom allegedly responded, and was arrested when he arrived at the agreed location. 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The idea of beating up on people for no good reason is considered wrong. Now a new law in New York State would make it even "wrong-er" -- if the violence is being done to be replayed on Internet sites. Lawmakers in the Empire State are considering a measure that would make it a felony to take part in what's known as "bum fighting," having homeless people either beaten up or paid to beat each other up. The encounters are taped and posted online. The bills are to be introduced today in the New York State legislature. The bills are also aimed at recent attacks of girls in Florida and Indiana which ended up being replayed on Web sites like YouTube. 

CYBERSPACE (AP) - A little bit of history being made online today. For the first time ever, President Bush will be taking part in an on-camera interview done exclusively for an online audience. The interview will be hosted by Yahoo! News and Politico, a Washington-based political journalism organization. The interview will be available starting this afternoon on Yahoo's site. And a transcript and analysis of the president's remarks will be available on the Politico site. On the 'Net: Yahoo! news site: http://news.yahoo.com  Politico site: http://politico.com

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Americans facing rising gasoline and diesel prices are cycling about, saddling up, singing out and, sometimes, going to extremes. Dozens of Alabama students are bicycling up to 10 miles each way to their rural high school. An Indiana man was arrested for belting out a protest song from the roof of a convenience store. A sign-maker in Kentucky is riding his horse on business errands. And a Tennessee sheriff is investigating a more disturbing protest: a slain deer hanging from a gasoline station sign. A Purdue University professor who teaches a class on the sociology of protest says most protesters aren't just working toward the goal of lower gas prices. Rachel Einwohner believes they're also making a statement "about their collective identity, as environmentalists or however they see themselves." 

LONDON (AP) - Paul McCartney could be single again in time for the summer. A judge in London has granted a preliminary divorce to McCartney and Heather Mills. If no one objects, it will be final in six weeks. Mills will retain custody of their four-year-old daughter, Beatrice. She'll also get 47.5 million dollars, while McCartney hangs on to most of his fortune. The courts estimate he's worth 880 million. Neither McCartney nor Mills was in court. They were married in 2002 at an Irish castle. They separated four years later. 

IRVINE Calif. (AP) - Miley Cyrus is changing. People magazine reports Cyrus told a crowd, "We're all changing" during her performance Saturday at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango concert in Irvine, California. She also thanked the crowd for "helping me as I grow through this." Cyrus didn't directly address the controversy that swirled around her about a Vanity Fair photo which shows her wrapped in a sheet with her back exposed. Cyrus didn't address the situation during her performance. She also skipped the red carpet portion. 

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

Today is Tuesday, May 13th, the 134th day of 2008. There are 232 days left in the year. 

Today's Highlight in History: 
On May 13th, 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of a Curtiss JN-4 biplane, were introduced with a face value of 24 cents. (On a few of the stamps, the biplane was printed upside-down; the "inverted Jenny," as it came to be called, instantly became a collector's item.) 

On this date: 
In 1607, English colonists arrived by ship at the site of what became the Jamestown settlement in Virginia (the colonists went ashore the next day). 
In 1846, the United States declared that a state of war already existed with Mexico. 
In 1917, three children near Fatima, Portugal, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary. 
In 1940, in his first speech as prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." 
In 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Act. 
In 1954, the musical play "The Pajama Game" opened on Broadway. 
In 1958, Vice President Nixon and his wife, Pat, were spat upon and their limousine battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela. 
In 1968, a one-day general strike took place in France in support of student protesters. 
In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca. 
In 1985, a confrontation between Philadelphia authorities and the radical group MOVE ended as police dropped an explosive onto the group's headquarters; 11 people died in the resulting fire. 

Ten years ago: President Clinton ordered harsh sanctions against an unapologetic India, which had gone ahead with a second round of nuclear tests despite global criticism. 
Five years ago: A judge ruled that Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols should stand trial in state court on 160 counts of first-degree murder. (Nichols was later found guilty on 161 counts; the 161st count was for the fetus of a pregnant victim. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison.) The government unveiled a more colorful version of the new $20 bill. Algerian army commandos freed 17 European tourists who'd been kidnapped in the Sahara Desert by an al-Qaida-linked terror group. 
One year ago: President Bush made a pilgrimage to the site of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia to mark the 400th anniversary of its founding. Pope Benedict the 16th, ending a five-day visit to Brazil, blamed both Marxism and unbridled capitalism for Latin America's problems. Canada won hockey's world championship with a 4-2 victory over Finland. 

Today's Birthdays: Actress Beatrice Arthur is 86. Critic Clive Barnes is 81. Actor Buck Taylor is 70. Actor Harvey Keitel is 69. Author Charles Baxter is 61. Actor Franklyn Ajaye is 59. Actress Zoe Wanamaker is 59. Singer Stevie Wonder is 58. Basketball player Dennis Rodman is 47. Actor-comedian Stephen Colbert is 44. Actor Tom Verica is 44. Country singer Lari White is 43. Singer Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 42. Actress Susan Floyd is 40. Contemporary Christian musician Andy Williams (Casting Crowns) is 36. Actress Samantha Morton is 31. Rock musician Mickey Madden (Maroon 5) is 29. 

Thought for Today: "A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by a common hatred of its neighbours." -- William Ralph Inge, English religious leader and author (1860-1954). 

(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

Cleveland Indians     3  Toronto Blue Jays  0, 1st game

Toronto Blue Jays     3  Cleveland Indians  0, 10 innings, 2nd game

Minnesota Twins       7  Boston Red Sox     3

Tampa Bay Devil Rays  7  N.Y. Yankees       1

Texas Rangers        13  Seattle Mariners  12, 10 innings

Los Angeles Angels   10  Chicago White Sox  7 

      NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pittsburgh Pirates    5  Atlanta Braves       0, 1st game

Atlanta Braves        8  Pittsburgh Pirates   1, 2nd game

Washington Nationals 10  N.Y. Mets            4

Cincinnati Reds       8  Florida Marlins      7

Chicago Cubs         12  San Diego Padres     3

Milwaukee Brewers     8  St. Louis Cardinals  3

Houston Astros        7  San Francisco Giants 3

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PROBABLE PITCHERS (All Times EDT)

       AMERICAN LEAGUE

Oakland Athletics (Justin Duchscherer 3-1) at Cleveland Indians (Paul Byrd 1-3), 7:05 p.m.

Boston Red Sox (Josh Beckett 4-2) at Baltimore Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie 1-3), 7:05 p.m.

New York Yankees (Chien-Ming Wang 6-1) at Tampa Bay Rays (Edwin Jackson 2-3), 7:10 p.m.

Seattle Mariners (Felix Hernandez 2-3) at Texas Rangers (Kason Gabbard 1-0), 8:05 p.m.

Toronto Blue Jays (Jesse Litsch 4-1) at Minnesota Twins (Kevin Slowey 0-2), 8:10 p.m.

Detroit Tigers (Nate Robertson 1-4) at Kansas City Royals (Zack Greinke 4-1), 8:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (John Danks 3-3) at Los Angeles Angels (Jered Weaver 2-5), 10:05 p.m. 

      NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta Braves (Jo-Jo Reyes 1-0) at Philadelphia Phillies (Kyle Kendrick 2-2), 7:05 p.m.

Washington Nationals (John Lannan 3-3) at New York Mets (John Maine 4-2), 7:10 p.m.

Florida Marlins (Mark Hendrickson 5-1) at Cincinnati Reds (Edinson Volquez 5-1), 7:10 p.m.

San Diego Padres (Shawn Estes 0-0) at Chicago Cubs (Jason Marquis 1-2), 8:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers (Brad Penny 5-3) at Milwaukee Brewers (Carlos Villanueva 1-4), 8:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates (Phil Dumatrait 1-1) at St. Louis Cardinals (Kyle Lohse 3-2), 8:15 p.m.

Colorado Rockies (Jeff Francis 0-3) at Arizona Diamondbacks (Randy Johnson 2-1), 9:40 p.m.

Houston Astros (Brandon Backe 2-4) at San Francisco Giants (Matt Cain 1-3), 10:15 p.m.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Fort Worth 5, Lincoln 3

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE

Grand Prairie at Shreveport

Lincoln at Fort Worth

Pensacola at Sioux Falls

St. Paul at Sioux City

Wichita at El Paso

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

Cleveland Cavaliers 88  Boston Celtics 77   series tied 2-2

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFF SCHEDULE (All Times EDT)

Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m. Pistons lead series 3-1

San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets, 9:30 p.m. Series tied 2-2

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Detroit Red Wings 5  Dallas Stars 2     Red Wings lead series 3-0

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

Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m.   Penguins lead series 2-0

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

No games scheduled

SOUTH DAKOTA SCOREBOARD

High School Baseball

Sioux Falls O’Gorman 11-12, Huron 5-11

Region Playoffs

Mitchell 5, Rapid City West 2

Harrisburg 15, Tea 5

Lennox 10, Freeman 2

Parkston 15, Wagner 1

Men's College Tennis

NAIA National Tournament

Graceland (IA) 9, USF 0

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:          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    

Friday:            Minnesota Twins at Colorado Rockies               8:05 p.m.                         7:35 p.m.

Saturday:       Minnesota Twins at Colorado Rockies                7:05 p.m.                         6:35 p.m.

Sunday:          Minnesota Twins at Colorado Rockies               2:05 p.m.                         1:35 p.m.

Monday:         Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins                   7:10 p.m.                          6:40 p.m.

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:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Livan Hernandez won again, Craig Monroe contributed another big hit, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Monday night to win the four-game series.  Manny Ramirez finally went deep, hitting career homer No. 498 in the first inning for the Red Sox. The two-run shot was his second home run in 20 games. Hernandez (6-1) rebounded after a rough start to finish six innings for another quality outing. The Twins are 8-1 when he's on the mound. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz (2-3) didn't make it out of the fifth, done in by control problems and timely hits by the Twins - who have nine of their last 12 games and scored 74 runs in the process.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Rattlers amateur baseball team will open their season this weekend when they travel to Four Corners for a pair of games with Four Corners and Gregory on Sunday.  The Rattlers will face Gregory at 2 p.m. and Four Corners at 4 p.m.  While the Rattlers schedule is not totally finalized, the regular season schedule will be around 30 games including an appearance in the Brookings tournament on May 30, 31 and June 1.   The Rattlers first home appearance will be an exhibition game against the Pierre Post 8 Legion squad on Post 8 night on Thursday, May 22^nd.  The first scheduled home date for the Rattlers will be a scheduled 6:30 p.m. doubleheader against Redfield on Saturday June 7^th.  Pierre will once again be a member of the Rosebud League.  While many of the players who  have made up the squad in recent years are back this year,  additions from last year’s Pierre Post 8 Legion squad include Mike Fisher, Brian Graves and Willie Knox and former Post 8 players Kyle Kurth, Pat Anderson and Chris Pope.  Gone from last year’s team are Charlie Magedanz, Eric Titze, and Dalton Decker.  There will also be a change in the dugout as Tom Magedanz will remain as the team’s General Manger and Tyson Lindekugel will serve as the on field Manager in a player-coach role.  Below is the tentative Pierre Rattler schedule for the 2008 season.  Home games are in bold.  All times listed are Central Daylight Time.

May 18 at Four Corners (Gregory 2 p.m. Four Corners 4 p.m.); May 22 vs. Pierre Post 8 Legion (exhibition) 7:30 p.m.; May 30-31 & June 1 at Brookings Tournament TBA; June 4 at Martin 8 p.m.; June 7 vs. Redfield DH 6:30 p.m.; June 8 vs. Aberdeen DH 2 p.m.; June 11 at South Central (Burke) 8 p.m.; June 14 at Watertown DH (Watertown Noon / Huron 2 p.m.); June 18 vs. Clearfield 8 p.m. ; June 21 at Rapid City A’s 1 p.m. / Angels 3 p.m.; June 23 at Miller 8 p.m.; June 24 vs. Chamberlain 8 p.m. ; June 28 vs. Watertown DH 1 p.m.; July 2 at Clearfield 8 p.m.; July 6 vs. Rapid City TBA; July 7 vs. Four Corners 7 p.m. ; July 9 vs. Martin 8 p.m. ;

July 13 vs. Miller 7 p,m.; July 15 at Chamberlain 8 p.m. ; July 19 at Redfield DH 2 p.m.; July 20 vs. South Central (Burke) 7 p.m. ; July 26 at Aberdeen DH 2 p.m.; July 27 at Mitchell DH 1 p.m.; August 1,2,3 Region Tournament TBA; August 8-17 State Tournament TBA

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Justin Jenkins of Fargo, N.D. and Travis Stockholm of Springfield shared medallist honors in the U.S. Open Local qualifying held Monday at Westward Ho Country Club in Sioux Falls. Playing in extremely windy conditions, Jenkins and Stockholm finished at 2-over-par 74 to advance to Sectional qualifying on June 2. Mike Stolarskyj of Omaha, Neb., shot a 4-over 76 to earn the third automatic spot into Sectional qualifying. Geoff Mead of Rapid City shot a 77 to win the first alternate spot, while Jeremy Decko of Carlos, Minn., earned the second alternate spot after defeating John Goettsch of Sioux Falls on the first hole of a playoff. Decko and Goettsch each shot 78.

MITCHELL, S.D. – Taylor Smalley did it.  The Lady Govs top golfer won the individual medallist honors of the ESD girls golf tournament yesterday at Lakeview Golf Course in Mitchell.  Smalley carded a season low round of 76 to capture the conference individual crown.  It was the only sub-80 round fired on the day.  Smalley posted a 5 shot victory over Huron’s Megan Entwistle and Morgan Fitts of Brookings.  It is first outright championship won by Smalley this year.  She finished in a tie for first but lost in a playoff earlier this year at the Sioux Falls Invitational.  Brookings won the team title with a 353 team score.  The Lady Govs finished 8^th in the 8 team field with a 448, one shot behind 7^th place Mitchell.  The next top score for Pierre was Paige Erickson’s 109.  Diedre Beck had a 131, Dawn Beck a 132 and Hallie Getz a 134.  Next up for the Smalley and her Lady Gov golfing teammates is the State AA tournament that will be played on the same Lakeview Golf Course in Mitchell that yesterday’s tournament was played on.

PIERRE, S.D. – Parkston fired a 408 to win the team title of the Region 3A girls golf tournament played yesterday at Hillsview Golf Course.  Chamberlain and Wagner finished with a 415 team score, but the it was the Lady Cubs who prevailed on an extra playoff hole to grab the second spot from the region for next week’s Class A girls golf tournament at Spearfish.  Stanley County did not field a full team for the event but Carman Foster, the lone Lady Buffalo golfer did qualify for the State tournament.  Foster shot a 111 on the day to claim a 15^th place finish.  Wagner’s Talia Peters shot a 91 to take individual medallist honors. Peters tied with Alexis Prehiem of Chamberlain for the top score but Peters prevailed in a playoff to take the individual title.

HURON, S.D. – The Pierre Governor track and field team did it again.  The 3 time defending ESD Conference Champions.  The Governors scored 123 points to finish 16 points ahead of runner up Brookings.  The one-two punch of Matt Tetzlaff and Jarrett Klinger carried the Governors to third straight conference title as Klinger won the 100 and 200 meter dashes and Tetzlaff took care of business winning the 110 and 300 meter hurdles.  In addition, Travis Fitzke won both the 800 and 1600 meter runs.  Tetzlaff also had a second place finish to Klinger in the 200 meters and twoe two combined with Jacob Parsons and Sean Melmer to win the 400 meter relay.  Evan Fuller and Trey Owens finished 3-4 in the pole vault with both clearing 13-6.  The Governors return to Huron on Thursday to compete in the Huron Invitational, the final meet of the regular season.

HURON, S.D. – The Pierre Lady Governors finished 4^th in the team standings of the ESD Conference girls track and field meet yesterday in Huron.  It was the highest finish for the Lady Govs in several years as they scored 59 points.  Yankton won the team title with a 177.33 team score.  Junior Alexa Berg had the best day on the track for the Lady Govs finished second in the 100 meters in a time of :15.01 which set a new Pierre school record.  Berg also had a 4^th place finish in the Long Jump.  Jordyn Anderson had a third place finish in the 100 meter dash and Polly Gill placed in both the Discus and Shot Put.  The Lady Govs return to Huron on Thursday to compete in the Huron Invitational, the final meet of the regular season.

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 Hollister 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.

BROOKINGS, S.D. -  South Dakota State narrowed its search for a head volleyball coach down to three Division I assistant coaches who will be on campus this week for interviews.  The candidates scheduled for on campus interviews this week include Dartmouth (N.H.) assistant Nana Allison-Brewer, Kansas State assistant Justin Ingram and New Mexico State assistant Ashley Hardee.  The three candidates are interviewing to replace Jackrabbit head coach Andrew Palileo, who resigned his position on April 15 to take the head coaching position at Washington State University.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Tickets are now available for the NCC Celebration Dinner. The gala event planned for June 21 at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, S.D. is being designed to give individuals the opportunity to reunite and remember the 86 years of competition in one of the nation's top NCAA Division II conferences. A historical video will premiere at the event. Tickets are $50 per person and are available until June 11 online at www.northcentralconference.org, by calling the NCC office at 605-338-0907 between the hours of 8-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mailing your request to North Central Conference, 3200 W. Maple St., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57107.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota golfers can now find and enjoy golf courses all over South Dakota.  The South Dakota golf guide, is a collaborative effort between the Office of Tourism and the South Dakota Golf Association that provides information on courses all across South Dakota.  The South Dakota Golf Guides will be available at information centers throughout the state or by contacting the Office of Tourism.  For more information, call 1-800-732-5682 or visit www.TravelSD.com for a downloadable PDF version.  Promoting golf and the great outdoors of South Dakota is an integral part of Goal 1 of the 2010 Initiative to double visitor spending in South Dakota.

BURBANK, Calif. – South Dakota State’s Trisha Smeenk placed third in Intermediate Western Horsemanship at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals, which concluded Sunday.
Heather Allenby of the University of Findlay (Ohio) was crowned champion, while Robert Graham from Black Hawk College (Ill.) was reserve champion.  A sophomore from Newell, Smeenk was one of three Jackrabbits to qualify for IHSA nationals. Abby Knobbe, a junior from Dodge, Neb., qualified in Open Reigning Horsemanship and Marian Michalson, a freshman from Columbia, Mo., made it in Open Equitation Over Fences.  Smeenk made it to nationals after placing fourth at the IHSA Western Semifinals in Canyon, Texas, back in March.

(Copyright 2008 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Associated Press contributed to this report.)

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James scored 21 points and had 13 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics 88-77 to tie the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals series at two games apiece. James delivered four assists, a three-pointer and a thunderous dunk in the final 8:45 to help the Cavs outscore the Celts 20-12 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo each 15 points apiece for the Celtics, who are 0-and-5 on the road in the postseason.

NEW YORK (AP) - Mike D'Antoni will be formally introduced as the New York Knicks' head coach today. He wrapped up his contract negotiations with the Knicks last night, accepting a deal reportedly worth $24 million over the four years. D'Antoni coached the Phoenix Suns to a 232-and-96 mark the last four years and was given permission by the team to seek another job.

NEW YORK (AP) - Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs have been selected to the NBA's All-Defensive first team. Boston's Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers were the top vote-getters, receiving 24 first-place votes and 52 points in the balloting of league coaches. Denver's Marcus Camby rounds out the first team.

DALLAS (AP) - Pavel Datsyuk had a hat trick and the Detroit Red Wings grabbed a 3-0 lead in the NHL's Western Conference finals by downing the Stars 5-2 in Dallas. Henrik Zetterberg added a short-handed goal and two assists as the Red Wings set a team playoff record with their ninth consecutive win. Detroit needs one more win to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the fifth time since 1995.

SAN JOSE (AP) - The San Jose Sharks have dismissed head coach Ron Wilson following four-plus seasons and a pair of division titles. Wilson is the team's all-time leader in wins and winning percentage. But the Sharks moved past the second round of the postseason just once with Wilson behind the bench.

CLEVELAND (AP) - Cleveland Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera has become the 14th player in major league history to turn an unassisted triple play. Cabrera made a diving catch on Lyle Overbay's line drive, touched second base and tagged out Marco Scutaro to quickly end the fifth inning of Cleveland's 3-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

UNDATED (AP) - Alex Rodriguez's strained right quadriceps will keep the New York Yankees' third baseman from playing this week, including a three-game series against the Mets. Rodriguez is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Thursday, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi says the quadriceps still isn't where it needs to be. Rodriguez hasn't played since April 28th.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana University has told the NCAA that its self-imposed penalties should be enough to avoid further punishment for improper phone calls made by Kelvin Sampson before he resigned as basketball coach.  The Hoosiers still face a hearing in front of the NCAA's infractions committee.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) - The Chicago Bears have signed kicker Robbie Gould to a five-year $15.5-million contract extension through 2013. Gould has made 84 of 99 field goal attempts and 99 of 100 points-after-touchdown with the Bears. He hit 31 of 36 field goal attempts last season and made the Pro Bowl after the 2006 season, when he scored 143 points.

BEIJING (AP) - The offices of the Olympic organizers in Beijing, China, were rocked by an earthquake Monday. The center of the quldings swayed in Beijing for more than two minutes. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in the Olympic city. But elsewhere, the death toll is approaching 10,000.

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

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