Lower Brule Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter

A Lower Brule woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter.  The indictment against 33-year-old Bobbie Lee Middletent was filed July 13 for allegations that she negligently operated a motor vehicle on June 6 which resulted in the death of Laura LaRoche.  Middletent appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on Friday and pled not guilty to the indictment.  She was released on bond until her trial date.  If found guilty of the crime, Middletent could receive eight years in custody, a $250,000 fine or both.  Restitution could also be ordered.  An investigation into Middletent’s case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Lower Brule Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

Vehicle from Friday Accident Found and Determined to be Stolen from Wyoming

A car that was part of a Friday evening mishap west of Fort Pierre was found Monday-and authorities determined it had been stolen from another state.  The Stanley County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating an accident that was reported Friday evening about 6:00 p.m.-15 miles west of Fort Pierre on Highways 14/34.  Stanley County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Brian LaCompte says a line of cars had pulled over to the side of the road Friday during a heavy rain and the mishap occurred when a vehicle ran into the back of one of the stopped cars.  Though the occupants of the 2007 Honda Accord were not seriously injured, their car sustained about $3,500 damage.  The car that collided with the Honda reportedly pulled over after the crash, but then left the scene.  It was found yesterday-not far from where the accident occurred-about ten miles west of Fort Pierre at an abandoned farmstead located ¼ mile off the highway.  A neighbor noticed the vehicle parked at the residence and reported it to authorities-who found that it had been stolen from Riverton, Wyoming last Thursday.  The 1994 Mercury Station Wagon sustained extensive damage to its front side and its airbags had deployed.  Now, authorities are looking for the driver of the car.  LaCompte says the person who was driving the station wagon will likely have minor injuries caused by the airbags and asks those that believe they can help authorities find the driver to call the Stanley County Sheriff’s Department at 223-7792.

More Checking to be Done for Possible Record Setting Hail Stones in Vivian

A storm that hit south central South Dakota on Friday evening left at least five reported injuries in Lyman County from hail.  Dave Hintz of the National Weather Service Office in Aberdeen says those who reported injuries were mostly motorists, who were hurt when hail broke the windshields of their vehicles.  Weather experts are expected to soon make a determination on whether the hail that fell in Vivian may have contained some record setting stones.  Hintz says he went to Vivian Saturday to look at the damage in and around Vivian and at a private hunting lodge that was destroyed south of Reliance.  Hintz says there was no indication of tornadic activity at hunting lodge near Reliance, although the structure was destroyed.  He also states the storm that moved through Vivian Friday was quite an extensive one-but does not feel that it was a tornado that impacted the community-and was instead straight line winds and large hail that caused most of the damage that was left behind.

One stone found in Vivian measured eight inches in diameter and had an 18.75 inch circumference.  Hintz did not have a weight for the stone.  He says weather experts will verify the stone’s measurement and get its weight.  Right now, the record stone for circumference and diameter is one that fell in Aurora, Nebraska in 2003 and the heaviest stone was discovered in 1970 in Coffeyville, Kansas-weighing 1.67 pounds.   Hintz says he expects that besides rechecking the stone that’s already been measured, that others from Vivian will be looked at, as well.

Hintz says the spring and summer months of 2010 have brought some interesting weather.

Current weather records are monitored by the National Climate Extremes Committee (at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/ncec/) and photos and details of Friday’s stormy weather reports can be found on the National Weather Service website at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=abr&storyid=55671&source=0

Funding Now Available to Renovate Shelterbelts and Restore Forested Riparian Areas

Producers in South and North Dakota and in Nebraska and Kansas can sign up now through August 11 for funding to renovate shelterbelts and restore certain forested areas.  There are two Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) proposals that target shelterbelt renovations in all four states.  One is the Central Great Plains Shelterbelt Renovation and the other is the Central Great Plains Forested Riparian Buffer.  Ray Sowers, State Forester/Division Director of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture in Pierre says many shelterbelts in the central Great Plains are old and are no longer offering the benefits they used to.  He says CCPI will offer landowners a valuable tool to restore the functions of the shelterbelts.   Sowers also says forests along rivers and streams are declining due to changes to river channels and stream flows.  He says many groups are trying to restore these forested riparian areas and the CCPI will help.  USDA is offering about $817,140 in financial assistance for these projects.  Any producers eligible for EQIP funding can participate in the program.  For more information on the CCPI projects, contact your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

Johnson Offers Online Survey on 2012 Farm Bill

One of the ways that South Dakotans wanting to offer their feedback on the 2012 Farm Bill can do so is through U.S. Senator Tim Johnson’s website.  Johnson has mailed forms to those who have a stake in the new Farm Bill and has set up a section on his website to allow South Dakotans to submit the form electronically.  Johnson says he believes its important to get an understanding of what is and isn’t working in the current Farm Bill before considering new legislation.  A press release from Johnson’s office says a study by South Dakota State University shows that agriculture has a $21.3 billion dollar impact on South Dakota, which accounts for 36.3% of the state’s total economic output.  In addition, more than 170,000 jobs in the state are ag related, which adds up to about 40% of total employment opportunities in the state.  People who want to fill out Johnson’s survey can visit the website http://johnson.senate.gov

KGFX Hometown Tour Coming to Onida!

Tune into the KGFX Hometown Tour-as Dorene Foster and Jeri Thomas broadcast from Onida TOMORROW between 9:05 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  We’ll originate the program from the Fireside Restaurant-a touch of excellence in Onida!  During the broadcast, we’ll talk to Sully County Extension Agent-Terry Hall.  We’ll get a harvest report from Midwest Cooperatives; we’ll talk about the 88^th annual Sully County Fair August 12 through the 15^th with Jean McComsey and the Beaba Bike Ride which is part of the fair-with Paula Barber.  Other guests to the program will include Sully County Sheriff Bill Stahl and librarian Jackie Aspelin.  The KGFX Hometown Tour in Onida is brought to you in part by: BankWest-Onida, Barber Farm Service, Don’s Food Center, Onida Electric, The Corner, Midwest Cooperatives, Brett’s Spray Service, Lamb’s Discount, the Onida Watchman and our host-The Fireside!

Join Us July 31 for the Great American Coin Toss!!

As part of this week’s Crazy Days-put on by the Pierre Downtown Association, 100.1-FM-The Eagle is giving you a chance to win $500 in cash and prizes.  The Great American Coin Toss takes place on Saturday, July 31.  Between now and then, pick up your official Eagle Coin at one of our participating merchants-including the Card and Candy, the Muse Experience, Pier 347, Muddy River Hobbies, the Longbranch, Prairie Pages Bookseller, Shel’s Gas Stop, Sonja’s Couture, Don’s Sinclair, Hidden Treasures, Main Street Market, Bubba Ray’s Grub n’ Pub and Cowboy Country Stores.  Then, bring your coin to the coin toss at 1:00 p.m. on Pierre Street-downtown.  At the toss-coins will be flipped until a lone coin holder matches the toss of our official coin tosser.   Coins are limited-so get yours at one of our sponsors-or if you have a coin from last year’s Eagle promotion, you can use that as well.  Visit our website for the complete listing of rules at www.dakotaradiogroup.com and join us for the Great American Coin Toss, July 31!

(Copyright 2010 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Contact Jeri Thomas at the Dakota Radio Group today with your comments or suggestions to make My Daily News serve you even better.  Also, if you have a weather related announcement, cancellation or a Public Service Announcement you would like us to pass along on the air or through our website, please e-mail us at news@dakotaradiogroup.com or call us at 224-8686 or 1-800-658-5439.  If you reach our office after hours, please dial extension 32 for the newsroom and leave your message.  We'll be sure to get your notice on the air for you.  Also, we make every effort to provide the most accurate information, however, if you find an error, we ask that you bring it to our attention by e-mailing our newsroom at news@dakotaradiogroup.com.  Thank you for using My Daily News as your weekday news source and if you like us, tell your friends!!!

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A new report on the health and well-being of American children ranks South Dakota 26th best overall in the nation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2010 Kids Count Data Book late Monday on how the 50 states fared in 10 categories of children's health from 2000 to 2008. The report says the state improved in only two of the measures of child well-being: child death rate and percentage of teens neither in school nor high school graduates. South Dakota got its worst mark in the percentage of children in single-parent homes. The report says the percentage jumped from 23 percent in 2000 to 30 percent in 2008. The state's overall rank last year was 21st. In 2008, it was 25th.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Federal officials have delayed a decision on a permit for a $7 billion oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The State Department said Monday it's adding 90 days to the comment period for other federal agencies on whether TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest. Keystone XL would move oil from Canada through Montana, along the border of North Dakota and South Dakota to Nebraska. The pipeline would then hook up with another pipeline in Kansas and move oil through Oklahoma and Texas. The comment period had been scheduled to end Sept. 15. It will now extend until 90 days after the State Department has issued an environmental impact statement on the pipeline. The department didn't say when the environmental statement would be finished.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Pests like grasshoppers continue to create problems for South Dakota farmers, especially in the western end of the state, but the crops are making progress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that scattered showers across the state helped crops develop, but some areas received severe storms and damaging hail. Topsoil moisture was rated 84 percent adequate to surplus for last week. That's 39 percent better than the five-year average. About 61 percent of the state's winter wheat crop has been harvested, which is slightly behind the average. Spring wheat harvest is also beginning. Corn is about 75 percent tasseled in South Dakota, and about 66 percent of the soybean crop is blooming.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Education Department says 95 percent of the state's public school districts made adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law, up 1 percent from the previous year. About 64,400 students in grades 3-8 and 11 were tested to measure progress. Student proficiency grew to 76 percent in both reading and math, up from 75 percent. School districts or individual schools that do not make adequate progress for two consecutive years are considered in "school improvement." The 2010 report shows 98 schools, or about 15 percent, on that list. Nine schools made it off the list. The Education Department says 99 percent of core content classes taught in the state were led by teachers deemed "highly qualified" under federal law. That has risen from 89 percent since the first year of measurement, in 2003.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Lawmakers and tribal law enforcement leaders are hoping to open up more training opportunities to get more officers patrolling the nation's American Indian reservations. Some 150 Bureau of Indian Affairs recruits are trained each year at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, N.M. Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan of North Dakota says only half complete the course, and some graduates take other jobs. He'd like United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, N.D., to also train BIA officers. The Senate committee says only about 3,000 police officers patrol 56 million acres of Indian Country, and an estimated 1,900 officers would be required to just meet basic adequate staffing levels.

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) - Authorities have identified the woman who was killed in a small plane crash on the runway at the Spearfish airport. Police Lt. Boyd Dean says 55-year-old Shirley Van Zee of Townsend, Mont., was a passenger in the plane piloted by her husband, Glen Van Zee. He refused medical attention. The single-engine plane crashed about 8 a.m. Saturday after hitting a tree. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Federal officials say it likely will be months before the cause of the crash is determined and released. The funeral for Shirley Van Zee was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Townsend.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A judge has barred from trial some statements given to police by a Rapid City man accused of shooting and critically injuring another man last December. Twenty-year-old Simon Torres is to stand trial late next week on charges of attempted first-degree murder and an alternate count of aggravated assault in the shooting of 20-year-old Shane Bordeaux at the Lakota Nation Invitational basketball tournament. Judge Thomas Trimble on Monday granted a defense motion to suppress parts of Torres' interview with police. Defense attorney Matt Skinner had argued that the statements came after his client had made it clear he no longer wished to talk. Police Detective Bill Parsons says that in the statements, Torres confessed to the crime.

WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) - A Watertown man died when his pickup truck went into the ditch, through a field and collided with trees. The Highway Patrol says 84-year-old Gerald Cook was the only one in the vehicle when it veered across the oncoming lane of traffic on U.S. Highway 81 and crashed about 5 p.m. Monday, about 2 1/2 miles south of Watertown. Cook was taken to a Watertown hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - A crash involving a semitrailer and a large industrial forklift in the Yankton area sent a man to the hospital and caused the shutdown of S.D. Highway 50 for about three hours. Yankton County Sheriff Dave Hunhoff says the semi apparently rear-ended the forklift shortly after 1 p.m. Monday. The 49-year-old Yankton man who was driving the forklift was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital with undisclosed injuries. Officials had to tow both vehicles from the scene and repair damage to the surface of the highway, necessitating the temporary closure of the road.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A former Rosebud Sioux tribal councilman has been sentenced to two years of probation for a sex crime. Fifty-one-year-old Michael Valandra was accused of trying to solicit sex from a minor via the Internet in April 2009. When he showed up to meet the minor, he was met by Pennington County sheriff's deputies conducting a sting operation. Valandra pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor under a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced Monday.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Sioux Falls police arrested a man who allegedly rammed a pickup truck into a home occupied by his girlfriend and her 3-month-old baby. Authorities say the man was arrested early Tuesday at his own home, after he got in a scuffle with officers and was pepper-sprayed. The man was arrested on several charges including aggravated assault and drunken driving. Damage to the house was estimated at more than $1,000.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The U.S. Attorney's office says a Humboldt man pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud while he was employed at the Farmers State Bank in Humboldt. Thirty-five-year-old James VanderWoude will be sentenced in October. Prosecutors said he embezzled more than $35,000 from customer accounts and lines of credit over a 22-month period. The maximum penalty is 30 years in prison.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A program encouraging South Dakotans to be screened for colorectal cancer is expanding statewide. The state Health Department said the GetScreenedSD program beganwith six pilot clinics and is now being expanded to nearly 200 clinics. The program encourages men and women age 50 and older to be screened for colorectal cancer with either a colonoscopy or a take-home test. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In South Dakota, the Health Department said it killed an average of 165 people annually from 2003 to 2007.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The defendant in a West Fargo drug case says he has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Jesse Walters, also known as Dub, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Authorities say Walters was dealing methamphetamine in West Fargo while in possession of a .38-caliber revolver and .22-caliber pistol.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota is ranked 12 best in the nation in a new report on the health and well-being of American children. The 2010 Kids Count Data Book was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation yesterday. The report says North Dakota slipped in four categories and saw its biggest setback in the percentage of teens neither in school nor high school graduates.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota Republicans have elected state Public Service Commissioner Tony Clark as their new state chairman. Clark won the job last night without opposition. He replaces former Chairman Gary Emineth, who resigned July the first to focus on business interests.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota agriculture officials say below-normal temperatures last week slowed crop development. And they say even though rain replenished some dry areas, more precipitation is needed. The development of small grains are generally behind average.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Six Minnesota counties have been added to the federal major disaster declaration following last month's tornadoes and storms. The counties are Blue Earth, Brown, Houston, Kittson, Nicollet and Sibley. Officials asked to add those counties after an additional $2 million in damage and costs were discovered.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Democrat Matt Entenza's gubernatorial campaign has reported spending nearly $3.9 million, with most of the dollars coming from the candidate. About $360,000 came from outside donors. Entenza is an attorney and former state legislator from St. Paul. He's one of three contenders for the Democratic nomination.

ELK RIVER, Minn. (AP) - Two people are charged in the brass knuckle beating of a 19-year-old woman last March at a Sherburne County lake. Authorities say a cell phone video of the attack led them to arrest 18-year-old Sarah Jean Jarosz of Zimmerman and 20-year-old Steven Michael Boyer of Elk River on assault with a dangerous weapon charges.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Good Samaritan beaten while trying to break up a domestic assault in St. Paul says he has no regrets. Eric Skripka says he was on his way to buy groceries Saturday when he saw a man assault his girlfriend and force her off a bus. Skripka tried to intervene and was knocked unconscious and kicked. The alleged attacker is charged with assault.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The leak of thousands of classified Afghan war documents is being labeled by the White House as "alarming." The administration and the Pentagon are assessing the potential damage. The leak threatens to create deeper doubts about the war at a time when polls find that a majority of Americans no longer think it's worth fighting.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is losing support among Hispanics. Of the 1,500 Hispanics polled by The Associated Press and Univision, 43 percent said Obama is adequately addressing their needs, 32 percent were on the fence and 21 percent said he's done a poor job. Still 57 percent of Hispanics approve of the president's overall job performance compared with 44 percent among the general population.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A key test vote in the Senate today is aimed at advancing a new campaign disclosure measure. President Barack Obama is denouncing Senate Republicans for opposing it. The measure needs the backing of at least one Republican but so far, no dice.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Congressional Black Caucus is warning her colleagues not to rush to judgment about the ethics charges against fellow Democrat Charles Rangel. Rep. Barbara Lee's message is aimed at Democrats who may want Rangel to admit to the allegations against him to avoid an election-season ethics trial.

UNDATED (AP) - Education Secretary Arne Duncan has called education "the civil rights issue of our generation," but civil rights leaders are criticizing a number of Obama administration reforms. While the reforms are aimed at turning around low performing schools and closing the achievement gap for minority students, eight civil rights organizations say the approaches are ineffective for failing schools.

MIAMI (AP) - Experts say it's going to be a long time before the legal fallout from the BP oil spill dissipates. They say the fast-multiplying lawsuits are likely to spark one of the most drawn-out and expensive legal battles in U.S. history that could easily consume the $20 billion BP set aside. One veteran of complex lawsuits says it could be 2028 before it's all said and done.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hospitals nationwide are taking part in a study in hopes of discovering whether the age of blood makes a difference in how transfusion recipients fare. The study comes amid growing concern that blood transfusion patients who receive older blood may not do as well as patients who receive fresher blood. Red blood cells can be stored up to 42 days.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARTK, Wyo. (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden is on a two-day promotion of recovery projects at national parks. Biden, speaking at Grand Canyon national park said $750 million in stimulus money is being used to complete 800 park projects which have also created jobs.

WEYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - Sen. John Kerry says he is docking his family's new $7 million yacht in Rhode Island for renovations, not to avoid taxes. If the 76-foot vessel was docked in his home state, he'd have to pay $437,000 in one-time sales tax and $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - California authorities say an 18-year-old woman driving a SUV that was struck by a Greyhound bus last week was under the influence of alcohol. The crash, near Fresno, left six people dead and nearly two dozen bus passengers injured.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - It's now illegal to hold floating booze parties in San Diego's Mission Bay. Participants in so-called "floatopia" parties had been using inner tubes, surfboards and rafts to get around a beach booze ban. The city council points to trash in the bay and 66 water rescues, some near fatal.

PHOENIX (AP) - One relative says a hospital misidentified the families, not the victims of a fatal Arizona crash. Frank Cantu says the hospital used information provided by the families to correctly determine it was 19-year-old Abby Guerra who survived the July 18 crash - not his 21-year-old daughter. But he says hospital staff mistakenly told him a critically injured woman was his daughter.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Three New Orleans police officers are scheduled to be arraigned today for allegedly helping cover up deadly shootings of unarmed residents in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. An indictment claims officer Robert Faulcon shot a mentally disabled man in the back as he ran away. Five ex-officers already pleaded guilty to covering up shootings that killed two people and wounded four others. One officer being arraigned today is still on the force.

CHICAGO (AP) - There could be a showdown in court today between the judge and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's defense attorney. Sam Adam Jr. has been threatened with jail for contempt if he mentions the witnesses who prosecutors didn't call during the corruption trial. Adam's responded by saying "I will go to jail over this."

BELL, Calif. (AP) - The city council of an embattled Los Angeles suburb has voted to slash its pay by up to 90 percent. And the mayor of Bell and one council member won't seek re-election. There's been outrage in the blue collar town about council pay up to $100,000. Three former officials had been making a total of $1.6 million a year.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A tornado in far northeast Montana has killed two people and injured another. The twister touched down at a ranch west of Reserve in Sheridan County Monday evening.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma judicial candidate John Montooth is fending off an unusual political attack. It's from his daughter. She's created a website and placed a newspaper ad that tells voters "Do not vote for my dad!" He blames a 1981 divorce from his daughter's mother.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Titanic revisited. Organizers say a 20-day trip scheduled next month will be the most scientifically advanced mission yet to the site where the luxurious ocean liner came to rest in 1912. Scientists plan to use advanced imaging technology to create a 3D "map" of the ship that will eventually be available to the public.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - When The Queen of Soul and the distinguished diplomat get together next week, the plan is to make beautiful music together. Aretha Franklin and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plan to pair up in a Philadelphia concert extravaganza to raise money for inner-city youth. Rice will sit in on some Franklin classics and play Mozart with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Nike has agreed to spend $1.5 million to help workers abruptly laid off last year by two of its subcontractors in Honduras. The announcement follows the University of Wisconsin-Madison's cancellation of its licensing agreement with the company to protest the workers' plight. Nike says it's also enrolling the workers in the country's national health insurance program for a year.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski wants the operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline system to conduct a safety review of the line. The Alaska Republican says it's critical the public have confidence in Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.'s maintenance of the 800-mile line. State Rep. David Guttenberg agrees, but he says it will only come with an outside review. The Democrat has criticized recent job transfers, claiming they're an example of cost-cutting efforts that could lead the company down a dangerous path. An Alyeska spokeswoman has expressed confidence in the line'ssafety.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials are fining a regional air carrier owned by Delta Air Lines $275,000 for violating regulations on bumping passengers from overbooked flights. The Transportation Department says it began an investigation of Comair's compliance with overbooking regulations in response to consumer complaints. Federal regulations require airlines that overbook a flight to seek volunteers willing to give up their seats for compensation. If there aren't enough volunteers, passengers bumped involuntarily are entitled to $800 in cash compensation. In June, the department proposed raising the compensation amount to $1,300. Comair is based in Cincinnati. It operates 400 Delta Connection flights a day.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) - Google is poised to sell e-mail and other Web-based applications to government agencies, now that it has won a prized security clearance. Google is working to take customers away from rival Microsoft, which boasts the Office suite of e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and other programs used by government agencies and businesses. Google is hoping that more federal, state and local government agencies will buy its online applications now that they have the U.S. government's seal of approval. The certification means Google's system for running the online programs is considered reliable enough to store most electronic data handled by U.S. government employees. It's the first time the U.S. government has certified a bundle of software programs delivered over the Internet using so-called "cloud computing."

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Here's something Target Corp. isn't advertising in its Sunday circular: The retailer is now a major donor to a group backing the Republican candidate for Minnesota governor. And that's not sitting well with every Target shopper. The Minneapolis-based chain gave $150,000 to a Republican-friendly political fund, which is running television ads supporting Tom Emmer, the presumptive GOP nominee. The corporate money is flowing since a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year changed campaign rules in about half the states. Democrats in Minnesota are grumbling and some are talking about striking back at the popular brand. A Target spokeswoman said the company supports candidates strictly based on its business interests.

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) - A six-month-long trial is nearing an end in New York for two former executives of the nation's leading supplier of body armor to the U.S. military. David H. Brooks, the founder and former chief executive of DHB Industries, Inc., and Sandra Hatfield, the former chief operating officer, are accused in federal court of falsely inflating the value of the inventory of the company's top product, the Interceptor vest. Brooks also is accused of looting the company treasury, spending millions on a horse racing business, as well as European vacations and lavish gifts and parties for his family. Prosecutors said in closing arguments the pair lied to auditors and others about the spending. Brooks' attorney said his client had permission to make the expenditures. Hatfield's attorney is scheduled to make his case today.

WASHINGTON (AP) -Two of the nation's most prominent labor unions have agreed to settle a bitter, nearly two-year long dispute that led them to raid each others' members. The settlement between the Service Employees International Union and UNITE HERE would transfer ownership of New York-based Amalgamated Bank - the nation's only union-owned bank - to SEIU if regulators approve the deal. Leaders of both unions say it was time to resolve a fight that had become a distraction in the labor movement. UNITE HERE represents about 250,000 workers in the hotel, restaurant and gaming industries. SEIU has about 2 million members in the health care and service industries.

PHOENIX (AP) - US Airways has asked a federal judge to resolve a seniority dispute involving its pilots. Executives with the Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier said Monday's legal action in U.S. District Court in Phoenix is called a complaint for declaratory relief. They say the dispute has significantly stalled efforts to negotiate a joint contract covering the 4,000 pilots joined together by the merger of America West and US Airways five years ago. The airline's pilots union says it will vigorously oppose the company's move. The US Airline Pilots Association says the court has no jurisdiction in labor contract negotiations. Seniority is important to pilots and flight attendants because it dictates their schedules, pay, vacations and promotions.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - TV host and zookeeper Jack Hanna says he took his own advice and used pepper spray on grizzlies headed toward him. The Columbus Zoo keeper and frequent David Letterman guest says he was with his wife and other hikers in Montana's Glacier National Park on Saturday when they saw the mother bear and two large cubs coming toward them. Hanna and the others moved slowly back up the trail to a clearing and stood still while the mother and one cub passed by. Hanna says the other cub, weighing about 125 pounds, charged toward the hikers. Hanna sprayed the bear in the face, and it fled. Hanna had recently filmed a message for the National Park Service encouraging hikers to carry pepper spray.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A central Iowa teen has earned the nickname "The Deer Magnet" after hitting five deer in the past year. Seventeen-year-old Kacee Larson of Conrad says her string of bad luck began last July when she was driving home from her job at an ice cream shop. She saw the deer an instant before hitting it. Larson's second collision happened a few months later, while she was driving to church on a Sunday morning. The streak continued. After Larson hit her fourth deer, her pastor's wife advised her to start praying before she got into a vehicle. Larson says was doing just that Friday when she hit her fifth deer. The crash totaled her minivan, and the air bag left bruises on her arms. Larson says she can't help asking: "Why me?"

CANTON, Ga. (AP) - The painting is a masterpiece -- of how to hide a stash. Gordon Clement found four pounds of pot inside the picture frame of a painting he bought about five years ago. The80-year-old Georgia man got the painting of flowers in a vase at a post office auction. He discovered the pot stash when he tried to sell the painting last weekend at another auction. Clement told his lawyer about the secret of his artwork and turned it over to authorities. Clement says he was going to ask 25 bucks for his picture. Police say the pot was worth about $4,800.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) - Stephanie Molina spiked an intruder -- with a railroad spike. Molina tells police a man broke into her Missouri apartment saying "Jerry" owed him money. She doesn't know a Jerry. The intruder grabbed and hit Molina. So, she picked up the first weapon she could find, an old railroad spike and clobbered the guy. A local paper (Southeast Missourian) reports police followed a blood trail to another apartment in the same building. Police say they busted Glen Waltman after a struggle. He's now charged with burglary and robbery.

NEW YORK (AP) - Restaurant owners are telling the "sister" to take a hike. A woman dressed as a nun has been hitting up diners for contributions in New York's "Little Italy." But Mindy LeGrand isn't really a nun. The New York Post reports LeGrand begged for five hours on a recent Saturday afternoon. Later, LeGrand Grand pulled off her habit and skirt, lit up a cigarette and walked off wearing a pink tank top and brown shorts. The owner (Nick Mesce) of Giovanna's Ristorante Italiono says they'll ask the non-nun to leave if she comes around again.

ALBION, Pa. (AP) - It's a prison flap in Pennsylvania. But it has nothing to do with the inmates. Officials at a state prison in northwestern Pennsylvania would like pesky geese to take off. The birds are making a mess of prison grounds and a parking lot outside. The prisoners have been cleaning up all that bird you-know-what. But the geese gross-out is so bad, prison officials are turning to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for help. U.S.D.A experts say they'll try some non-lethal techniques to scare away the birds, like booms from propane cannons and trained dogs.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - An eastern Pennsylvania woman has been cited for harassment after her son told police she cleaned the bathroom with his toothbrush, then returned it to its holder. Police in Lower Saucon Township say 52-year-old Deborah Woist decided on July 18 that a bathroom inside her home needed a good scrubbing because it hadn't been cleaned in two months. Her 26-year-old son, Justin Novack, says the scrubbing was done with his toothbrush. He says his mother put it away when she was done. Novack then called police, claiming his mother applied feces to his toothbrush.

PHOENIX (AP) - Drivers on I-19 south of Phoenix can now find some relief. Arizona highway officials are reopening rest stops that had been closed because of a budget crunch. The orange traffic cones and barricades at three rest areas on I-19 and I-10 are now gone. The Arizona Department of Transportation says by the end of month five closed rest areas will be open for business. Four more are expected to be back in operation this fall.

DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) - Easy come -- easy go. Now, one Illinois Lottery player has just a few days before it's gone for good. State lottery officials say a second-place winning Mega Millions ticket will expire Friday. If that ticket isn't presented before the deadline -- the winner can't collect the 250-grand in prize money. The ticket was for the July 31, 2009, drawing and was sold at a 7-Eleven in Des Plaines. If no one claims the lotto prize, themoney goes into a state education fund.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Today is Tuesday, July 27, the 208th day of 2010. There are 157 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 27, 1960, Vice President Richard M. Nixon was nominated for president on the first ballot at the Republican national convention in Chicago.

On this date:
In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State.
In 1794, French revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre was overthrown and placed under arrest; he was executed the following day.
In 1866, Cyrus W. Field finished laying out the first successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe (a previous cable in 1858 burned out after only a few weeks' use).
In 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army's first airplane, Orville Wright flew himself and a passenger, Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer, Va., for one hour and 12 minutes.
In 1919, race-related rioting erupted in Chicago; the violence, which claimed the lives of 23 blacks and 15 whites, lasted until Aug. 3.
In 1940, Bugs Bunny made his "official" debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon "A Wild Hare." (There had been previous incarnations of the "wascally wabbit," but this is considered the first definitive example of his now-familiar persona.)
In 1953, the Korean War armistice was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting.
In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to assess the causes of urban rioting, the same day black militant H. Rap Brown said in Washington that violence was "as American as cherry pie."
In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case.
In 1980, on day 267 of the Iranian hostage crisis, the deposed Shah of Iran died at a military hospital outside Cairo, Egypt, at age 60.

Ten years ago: Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic called presidential, parliamentary and local elections for the following September. (The election would result in Milosevic's fall from power.)
Five years ago: NASA said a sizable chunk of foam insulation came flying off the shuttle Discovery's fuel bank during liftoff, prompting the space agency to ground future shuttle flights until the problem could be fixed. Al-Qaida in Iraq said it had killed two kidnapped Algerian diplomats. Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian who'd plotted to bomb the Los Angeles airport on the eve of the millennium, was sentenced to 22 years in prison by a federal judge in Seattle. (However, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in Feb. 2010 that the 22-year sentence was too lenient; Ressam's attorney is appealing that decision.)
One year ago: The presidents of Taiwan and China exchanged direct messages for the first time since the two sides split 60 years earlier. A sailboat with an estimated 200 Haitians aboard ran aground on a reef and sank off the Turks and Caicos Islands; rescuers pulled 113 survivors from reefs but dozens others were missing and feared dead. Michael Vick was reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Today's Birthdays: TV producer Norman Lear is 88. Actor Jerry Van Dyke is 79. Sportscaster Irv Cross is 71. Actor John Pleshette is 68. Singer Bobbie Gentry is 66. Actress-director Betty Thomas is 62. Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming is 62. Actor Maury Chaykin is 61. Singer Maureen McGovern is 61. Actress Janet Eilber is 59. Actress Roxanne Hart is 58. Country musician Duncan Cameron is 54. Comedian-actress-writer Carol Leifer is 54. Comedian Bill Engvall is 53. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 48. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 43. Rock singer Juliana Hatfield is 43. Actor Julian McMahon is 42. Comedian Maya Rudolph is 38. Rock musician Abe Cunningham is 37. Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn is 36. MLB player Alex Rodriguez is 35. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers is 33. Singer Cheyenne Kimball is 20.

Thought for Today: "The sentimentalist ages far more quickly than the person who loves his work and enjoys new challenges." - Lillie Langtry, English actress (1853-1929).

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

N.Y. Yankees 3, Cleveland 2

Toronto 9, Baltimore 5

Tampa Bay 5, Detroit 0

Minnesota 19, Kansas City 1

Chicago White Sox 6, Seattle 1

Boston 6, L.A. Angels 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia 5, Colorado 4

Chicago Cubs 5, Houston 2

Milwaukee 3, Cincinnati 2

Florida 4, San Francisco 3

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION BASEBALL

No Games Scheduled due to All Star Break

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

No Games Scheduled

SOUTH DAKOTA SCOREBOARD

American Association

No Games Scheduled due to All Star Break

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

          DAKOTA RADIO GROUP SPORTS PLAY BY PLAY THIS WEEK   

Tuesday:        Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals 7:10 pm 6:40 pm Pre-Game

Wednesday:   Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals 1:10 pm 12:40 pm Pre-Game

Friday:            Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins 7:10 pm 6:40 pm Pre-Game

Saturday:       Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins 6:10 pm 5:35 pm Pre-Game

Sunday:         Seattle mariners at Minnesota Twins 1:10 pm 12:06 pm Pre-Game

Monday:         Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays 6:10 pm 5:40 pm Pre-Game

Wednesday:   Pierre vs. Watertown State Legion Baseball Tournament 10:00 am 9:45 am Pre-Game

Thursday:       Pierre vs. TBA State Legion Baseball Tournament 10 am or 5 pm

Friday:            Pierre vs. TBA State Legion Baseball Tournament TBA

Saturday:       Pierre vs. TBA State Legion Baseball Tournament TBA

Sunday:         Pierre vs. TBA State Legion Baseball Tournament TBA

Find out what is on the minds of the Dakota Radio Group Sports guys.  Take a look at the DRG Sports Blog and add your thoughts.  Just log onto www.dakotaradiogroup.com and blog away!!!!

IN SPORTS TODAY:  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Minnesota Twins have opened a three-game series at Kansas City by routing the Royals 19-1. Joe Mauer had five hits, including a three-run shot, and logged a career-best seven RBIs last night. The five hits tied his career best as the Twins set a season-high in runs and tied their season-best with 20 hits. The crowd booed in the eighth when Drew Butera pinch hit for Mauer. Danny Valencia went 4 for 4 with a grand slam for his first major league home run.  It was the best game starter Francisco Liriano has thrown all year.  Wilson Betemit's RBI double off Anthony Slama with two out in the ninth prevented the Royals from suffering their worst shutout loss ever.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Minnesota Twins have put second baseman Orlando Hudson on the 15-day disabled list with a strain in his right side. The move is retroactive to July 24. The team also recalled catcher Jose Morales from Triple-A Rochester.  Morales batted .280 with one home run and 24 RBIs in 54 games with the Red Wings. He had surgery on his right wrist following last season after playing in 54 games with the Twins.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Post 8 American Legion baseball team will put in their final practice at Hyde Stadium today in preparation for tomorrow’s first round matchup with Watertown at the State American Legion Championship baseball tournament being played at Cadwell Park in Mitchell.  Pierre and Watertown will play at 10 a.m. tomorrow.  All Pierre games from the double elimination tournament will be heard on RIVER 92.7-FM.

MITCHELL S.D. - Pairings for the South Dakota American Legion State Baseball Championships will be held July 28-Aug. 1 at Cadwell Park in Mitchell.  Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, featuring Watertown against Pierre. Aberdeen plays Sioux Falls East at 1 p.m., followed by Rapid City Post 22 against Sioux Falls West at 5 p.m. The final game of the day matches Class B champion Alexandria against host Mitchell, an 8 p.m. start.  The tournament runs through Sunday.

PIERRE, S.D. - The Pierre Post 8 Teener 13-14 Teener baseball team will play a doubleheader today against the Rapid City Pony All-Stars in Rapid City. The games previously were cancelled because of lack of confirmation from Rapid City coordinators. The games are back on with the first game is set for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Rattlers amateur baseball team will take a 22-7 record into post season play this weekend in Brookings. The Rattlers are the second seed in the Region tournament behind the Brookings Cubbys and will face the Mitchell Mad Dogs in the first round of the tournament on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Bob Sheldon Field.  The Brookings Cubbys are the top seed and will face Castlewood at noon in the tournament’s first game.  The two winners will play at 6 p.m. Saturday night with the winner advancing to the State Class A Amateur tournament.  The loser will play Sunday in an elimination game of the tournament.  The Rattlers beat Mitchell 5-0 on Sunday in Mitchell in the final game of the regular season.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Former South Dakota State player and assistant coach Jake Angier has been named an assistant coach at North Dakota State.  Angier spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant coach with the Jackrabbits.  He also played for the Jacks in the 2006 and 2007 season as a pitcher on the SDSU staff where he compiled a 2-1 record in 34 appearances.  He joints head coach Tod Brown, assistant coach David Pearson and volunteer assistant Kole Zimmerman in the full time role as the Bison pitching coach.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota State University is giving head softball coach Darren Mueller a three-year contract extension. Mueller's teams have won 321 games in nine seasons and have appeared in two straight NCAA Regionals. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. - The 24th annual South Dakota All-Star Games begin today in Aberdeen.  They are held in conjunction with the South Dakota High School Coaches' Association summer clinics. Wrestling and girls basketball will hold the spotlight today with volleyball and boys basketball taking center stage Wednesday - all at the Barnett Center. Golf competition is also planned, and the games will end with the football contest Thursday at Swisher Field.

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Along with the athletes, several central South Dakota coaches will be working this week in Aberdeen for the annual South Dakota All Star Games.  Randy Pool of Sully Buttes is the head golf coach of the North squad who started the All Star games yesterday.  Pierre Governor head football coach Joe Kramer is an assistant on the North staff of head coach Vern Smith of Gettysburg.  And former Aberdeen Central wrestling coach Toby Bryant, a native of Pierre, is the head coach of the North Wrestling team.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Ryan Hollins to Cleveland for point guards Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair. Minnesota says it also will give the Cavaliers a future second-round pick.  Sessions and Hollins both signed with the Timberwolves before last season as part of a new rebuilding project. But the Timberwolves signed Luke Ridnour and Darko Milicic, making both of them expendable.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Minnesota Lynx have traded forward Rashanda McCants to the Tulsa Shock for guard Alexis Hornbuckle.  Hornbuckle was the final holdover from the Shock's days in Detroit, where it won three WNBA championships before relocating last fall.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City will host the Central Hockey League All Star game this coming season.  The game is set for January 21^st and will pit the defending Central Hockey League Champions playing against a team of CHL All Stars made up from players of the other 17 CHL teams.  Rapid City will begin it’s third season in the Central Hockey League this October.

PIERRE, S.D. - Pierre Riggs High School is once again holding a General Sports and Fall Sports Meeting to be held at Riggs High School’s Main Gym @ 6:30 pm next Monday August 2^nd.  The main purpose of the General Meeting which will start at 6:30 pm at the Riggs High Gymnasium is to get the paper work involved with the various sports filled out and completed in a timely fashion. We also will be available to answer any questions concerning the paper work as well.  After the General Meeting the Fall Sports will conduct their sport specific meetings as well.  Both the General Meeting and the sports specific Fall Sport Meeting need to be attended by both the athlete and a parent if at all possible!

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Vikings running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has been promoted to assistant head coach for the offense. He'll continue to oversee Adrian Peterson and the rest of the running backs.  Bieniemy recently turned down an offer from the University of Southern California to be the offensive coordinator there. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier remains the assistant head coach and Darrell Bevell remains the offensive coordinator.  The Vikings start training camp at Minnesota State University in Mankato with their first practice on Friday afternoon.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Single-game tickets and multi-game packages for all  2010 Minnesota Vikings home games will go on sale Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. CST in person at the new Vikings Ticket Office located at 425 Chicago Avenue (west side of Mall of America Field). All ticket sales at Mall of America Field are cash or credit card only; no checks will be accepted.   At 10:00 a.m. CST tickets will also be available in person at all Midwest Ticketmaster locations, by phone through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com. Single-game ticket prices range from $39 – $143. Single-game tickets will be available for all preseason and regular season games with the exception of the Dallas (Oct.17) and the Green Bay (Nov. 21) games.  The Vikings play their first home preseason game versus the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, August 28, at 7:00 p.m. The regular season home opener pits the Vikings against the Miami Dolphins at noon on Sunday, September 19.

PIERRE, S.D. - Registration is open for the Oahe YMCA tackle football program for this fall in Pierre.  Tackle football is offered to 3rd - 7th grade boys and girls   Deadline for tackle football regular registration is Friday, July 30th.  For more information check out the website, www.oaheymca.org or call 224-1683.

VERMILLION, S.D. - University of South Dakota women’s soccer coach Mandy Green has announced that former Coyote Laura Hallauer is joining the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Hallauer played for USD from 2001-04. She has spent the past two seasons as an assistant women's soccer coach at St. Joseph’s College (Ind.). Hallauer, a native of Aurora, Colo., was a midfielder on the USD soccer team from 2001-04.

PIERRE, S.D. - An organizational meeting for team kickball captains will be held Thursday Aug 5 at 6:00pm at the Pierre Aquatic Center/YMCA in the lobby. If you know anyone else interested please let them know.  Scheduling, rules, etc. will be discussed. For more information call or email Pierre City Recreation Director, Mindy Cheap at 773-7445 or email her at mindy.cheap@ci.pierre.sd.us.

(Copyright 2010 Dakota Radio Group.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Associated Press contributed to this report.)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Tampa Bay's Matt Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Rays franchise history and fifth of the 2010 season in a 5-0 victory over Detroit. Garza allowed only a second-inning walk and struck out six in facing the minimum 27 batters to improve to 11-and-5 on the season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Dan Haren had a short night in his debut on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels after suffering a right forearm contusion. Haren was hit by a line drive on the forearm of his pitching arm after allowing two runs and seven hits in four and two-thirds innings in a 6-3 loss to Boston.

CLEVELAND (AP) - The Alex Rodriguez 600 home run watch continues tonight in Cleveland. A-Rod went hitless in four at-bats in the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Indians as he remains stuck on 599 home runs.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The surging Philadelphia Phillies have closed within four and a-half games of idle Atlanta in the tightening NL East race. Backup catcher Brian Schneider's two-run home run helped the Phils complete a four-game sweep of Colorado with a 5-4 win yesterday.

SEATTLE (AP) - Tod Leiweke, the CEO of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, is jumping leagues. The 50-year-old executive is joining the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning as part-owner who will oversee daily operations of the Lightning.

UNDATED (AP) - The NHL Players' Association has filed a grievance over the league's rejection of the landmark $102 million contract between Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils. The league rejected the 17-year deal last week, saying the longest contract in league history violated its salary cap.

UNDATED (AP) - Helio Castroneves has apologized for his tirade following a weekend IndyCar race in Edmonton in which he finished first but was penalized for blocking teammate Will Power, thus giving the victory to Scott Dixon. IndyCar Series officials are reviewing the incident to determine if Castroneves should be penalized.

CINCINNATI (AP) - Bengals owner Mike Brown is trying to bring receiver Terrell Owens to the Queen City.  Browns says that the Bengals are discussing a contract with Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Owens worked out for the Bengals in March, but they decided instead to sign receiver Antonio Bryant to a four-year deal. The 36-year-old Owens is working out with Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in California. Palmer has called coach Marvin Lewis and given good reports on Owens.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints second-round draft choice Charles Brown has signed a contract in time for the left tackle to report for training camp. It's a four-year deal. Brown is the fourth of the Saints' six 2010 draft choices to sign. Still unsigned are first-round pick Patrick Robinson and third-round pick Jimmy Graham.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Chargers have opened training camp without first-round pick Ryan Mathews. Mathews, the heir apparent to LaDainian Tomlinson, is San Diego's only draft pick who hasn't signed a contract. He was taken with the 12th pick overall out of Fresno State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State University says former football star Maurice Clarett has been granted re-entry to pursue his degree after he spent more than three years in prison. Clarett led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship in his only college season and then pleaded guilty in 2006 to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, and served 3 1/2 years in a Toledo prison.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The lawyer for University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino says he may testify Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday in the case of a woman accused of trying to extort him.   Attorney Steve Pence, a former federal prosecutor, told The Associated Press that Pitino's testimony could last at least half a day in the case of Karen Cunagin Sypher. Pitino was not at the trial Monday.  

LONDON (AP) - London is marking the two-year countdown to the 2012 Olympics with a series of activities across the city. Organizers issued a call for 78,000 Olympic volunteers, threw open venues for star athletes and opened the first official merchandise store. Tuesday is exactly two years to go until the opening ceremony of the Games on July 27, 2012.

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) - The International Cycling Union says Spanish rider Ruben Lobato has been banned for two years for doping based on results from his "biological passport." The sport's ruling body said Tuesday that Lobato was suspended by Spain's cycling federation. It provided no details on when the ban starts or expires.

(Copyright 2010 Associated Press.  Used With Permission.  All Rights Reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)