Fort Pierre Man to Appear in Court in October For July Theft and Injuries to Rodeo Horse

Following Tuesday’s arrest of a Fort Pierre man on charges linked to the theft and injuries to a rodeo horse in July, those close to the horse “Dually” say they’re glad to hear that the case is moving forward.  Travis Bechen, the boyfriend of Dually’s owner Wendy Halweg, says news that an arrest has been made was good to hear.

Halweg reported Dually missing July 5 from a Stanley County Fairgrounds pen where she had kept him overnight after the Fourth of July rodeo in Fort Pierre.  The horse was found a few hours later, but had sustained leg injuries and other cuts.  Bechen says Dually is getting better, but still has lots of healing to do.

Bechen says Halweg won’t know how well Dually is healed and whether he can get back into performing in rodeos for another six to eight months.  He says the horse seems to have cabin fever-as he has to stay in small confined spaces until doctors give the okay to let him stretch his legs.

A Fort Pierre man, 22-year-old Flint David Dahl, was charged yesterday with two alternate counts of grand theft and inhumane treatment of an animal.  Grand theft is considered a felony and inhumane treatment of an animal is a misdemeanor. Dahl will make a court appearance on the charges October 19.   Stanley County States Attorney Tom P. Maher says he is not commenting on the criminal case right now, but says a written complaint that was filed at the Stanley County Courthouse yesterday answers a lot of questions that many people have had since the story broke in July.  Click on the link below to read the court papers and affidavit.

CLICK HERE FOR COURT PAPERS

Moose Visits Gettysburg Tuesday

The residents of Gettysburg might have had to blink twice yesterday as a young bull moose made his way through town on the way to destinations unknown.  The moose was first reported to Potter County’s Conservation Officer around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.  C.O. Brad Saltsman says the moose first made an appearance on the northern edge of town and traveled south.

Saltsman says news of the moose spread quickly, and the people that made efforts to get a closer look at the animal seemed to keep it from dawdling in town too long.

The moose is estimated to be about a year and a half old and weighs about 900 lbs.  Saltsman says wildlife officials aren’t certain where the big creature came from, but believe he’s either the baby of a female moose seen around Mobridge or wandered to the area from another nearby state.

Saltsman says anyone that sees the moose should notify their local Sheriff’s Office or County Conservation Officer.  He says it’s best to keep your distance from the big moose if you see it.

Saltsman says this is the first time he has seen a moose in Potter County, but heard reports of a female moose along the river edge along the Whitlock Bay area this past summer.  The moose that visited Gettysburg yesterday was said to have been in town only about 10 minutes.  (Photos below courtesy of Molly McRoberts-Potter County News)

Crash Between Pickup and Semi Hurts Drivers of Both Units

An accident involving a semi and a pickup in Corson County Monday left the drivers of both units hurting.  Corson County Sheriff Keith Gall says the accident was reported about 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time Monday.  The collision occurred about 8 ½ miles south of the Highway 12 and Highway 20 junction in southeast Corson County.  Gall says early indications are that the pickup which was traveling in an easterly direction crossed the center line and collided with the semi truck.  The semi truck was loaded with a tanker of fuel at the time of the mishap.  Both drivers were taken by ambulance to the Mobridge Regional Hospital.  Besides the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, other authorities responding to the accident scene included BIA Law Enforcement, Mobridge Ambulance and Mobridge Fire and Rescue.  The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. (Photos below courtesy of Sheriff Keith Gall)

Funds Awarded to Hughes County for Recording Equipment for New Jail

The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded funds to pay for audio/visual recording equipment that will be installed in the county’s new jail.  The new Hughes County Jail being built east of Pierre is close to completion and should be housing prisoners starting early in 2010.  Attorney General Marty Jackley says money awarded to the county comes from the Drug Control Fund.  In a press release, Sheriff Mike Leidholt says Hughes County will use the funds to acquire appropriate recording equipment that will help in all types of investigations.  He says past experience has shown that properly recording jail interviews can play an important role in successfully prosecuting major cases.

Students Visit KGFX Studios

Students from Crow Creek High School in Stephan traveled to KGFX to record anti-alcohol messages Tuesday.  The students are all part of the Talented and Gifted Program at CCHS.  The program is under the direction of Beth Schumacher and Monte Sazue.  Listen for the voices of these students as they offer important words of advice on 1060-AM KGFX.

Show Off Your Green and White!  Student Senate Selling Homecoming Items!

Congratulations to Linsey Peterson and Graham Schuetzle-named the First Lady and Governor at Homecoming Coronation last night.  Rod Fisher has more information on last night’s event in sports, so page down and read other details.  The Riggs High Student Senate wants to remind parents that Pierre Homecoming shirts and other fundraising items are still available for purchase.  The shirts are $15.  Also being sold are sling bags for $10 and beads, foam fingers and eye blacks range in price from $1 to $5.  The homecoming merchandise can be purchased at school and will also be sold through the end of half time at Friday’s homecoming game against Rapid City Stevens.

Will You Get Your H1N1 Shot?

The state health department will soon be receiving H1N1 flu vaccine, which will be offered in addition to the normal seasonal flu vaccinations this fall.  Health officials are making efforts to keep the H1N1 flu from taking hold and just recently launched a new webpage dedicated to the new influenza virus at http://www.h1n1.sd.gov. The Health Department recommends that adults get one dose of the H1N1 vaccine and that children receive two doses a few weeks apart.  The vaccine will first be distributed to high risk groups and then will be offered to the general public.  Vaccines for seasonal flu are already being offered.   Check out our homepage and let us know whether or not you’ll be one of those getting your shot for the H1N1 flu at www.dakotaradiogroup.com.

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

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota prosecutors handling the 1975 slaying of an American Indian Movement activist say they'll turn over evidence to the two people charged - but only if it won't be misused. John Graham of Canada and Thelma Rios of Rapid City are accused in state court of taking part in the kidnapping and killing of Annie Mae Aquash of Nova Scotia. Graham also is charged in federal court but his trial with Richard Marshall was delayed so prosecutors could appeal the dismissal of one of the three counts against Graham. Attorneys for the state say they'll reveal the names of the witnesses who testified at the state grand jury, but only with assurances the defense won't make public what is intended to be confidential because that has happened in the past.

FORT YATES, N.D. (AP) - Officials of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe say they are appealing the denial of a $1.5 million suicide prevention grant that would help keep five workers on the job in communities along the North Dakota-South Dakota border. The grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration had been approved for the tribe for the past three years. Standing Rock Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder said the tribe's application this year was not ranked high enough to continue the money. He says he will challenge the decision. His Horse Is Thunder said at least 20 clients have been served with the grant through transportation programs that get them to counseling or other medical help. The money also helps grieving families of suicide victims. Officials of the grant program said they could not comment on specific requests.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Federal authorities have ordered a Utah company to pay a $550,000 penalty for hiring children as young as 13 to staff phone banks for market research and political surveys. Children that young can't legally be employed except on farms. The U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday that Western Wats hired three 13-year-olds. Nearly 1,500 more children 14 or 15 years old worked more than three hours on a school day or more than eight hours on a weekend day, among other violations. Investigators say the violations occurred at call centers in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Western Wats is disputing the fine and says it will fight the child-labor allegations. Officials say the $550,000 penalty is among the highest of its kind ever assessed against a U.S. company.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Wheat production in South Dakota this year fell significantly from last year's record production. The Agriculture Department says in its annual small grains report that production of all wheat in South Dakota in 2009 stood at 129.2 million bushels, down 25 percent from last year. The report says fewer planted winter and spring wheat acres combined with lower yields resulted in the lower production. Winter wheat production, at 64.3 million bushels, is down 38 percent from last year. Spring wheat production, at 64.7 million bushels, is down 5 percent. Durum wheat production in South Dakota is up 9 percent, oat production down 25 percent and barley production down 33 percent. In a separate report, the Agriculture Department says South Dakota stocks of corn and soybeans on Sept. 1 were up from last year, while stocks of all wheat, oats, barley, and sorghum were down.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is planning a rural community forum Monday on a farm near the northeastern South Dakota town of Bath. Vilsack's office says he will discuss efforts to rebuild and revitalize rural America, listen to local residents and discuss solutions to challenges they face. Vilsack is making visits to communities in several states to talk about rural projects funded with federal stimulus dollars. In Bath, he will be joined by Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. On Tuesday afternoon, the Republican National Committee issued a release pointing to job losses in South Dakota since the stimulus passed and saying South Dakotans won't be fooled. State Labor Department figures show 1,835 fewer people had jobs in the state in August, compared to February.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The two largest health systems in the Dakotas will miss their goal of having a merger agreement done by Oct. 1. Fargo's MeritCare health system and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health had set that date as the goal for approval by both organizations' boards. MeritCare spokesman Darren Huber says teams representing both organizations still have work to do, and the North Dakota Attorney General's Office is still reviewing the proposed deal. Huber says MeritCare and Sanford now expect to complete the merger by November. Once united, the Sanford-MeritCare service area will cover about100,000 square miles, with a population of almost 1 million in parts of five states - North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.

SISSETON, S.D. (AP) - Voters in Roberts County have overwhelmingly decided against opting out of the state property tax freeze. Tuesday's vote was 1,214 against and only 330 in favor of the move. County commissioners have been dealing with tight finances, in part because of the recent construction of a new county jail in Sisseton. The opt out would have allowed them to increase theannual budget by up to $500,000 per year for up to five years. Auditor Dawn Sattler says 24 percent of eligible voters turned out for the election.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota legislative panel has endorsed a measure that would allow liquor sales on Christmas Day and Memorial Day. The bill also would allow liquor sales on Sundays. Each city now has the option of allowing Sunday sales. The bill basically deals with liquor sales. Businesses already can sell beer on Christmas, Memorial Day and Sundays. The measure will be submitted to the legislative session that opens in January. Rep. Charles Turbiville of Deadwood says he suggested the measure because veterans should be able to buy a drink on Memorial Day. But other lawmakers say the full Legislature will reject the bill because many South Dakotans will oppose liquor sales on Christmas.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - State Rep. Tim Rounds of Pierre says he is working on a proposal that would allow 19- and 20-year-olds to drink beer in controlled establishments if accompanied by someone who is at least 21. Rounds told other members of a legislative committee that he will drop the idea if it would cause South Dakota to lose federal highway funds. The Republican lawmaker says he also might propose another change that would presume 19- and 20-year-olds are driving under the influence if they have any amount of alcohol in their blood. But an official of Mothers Against Drunk Driving says the change to a drinking age of 21 has clearly saved about 1,000 lives a year nationwide.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The office of U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson says the Senate late Tuesday afternoon approved the nomination of Rapid City lawyer Jeffrey Viken to be a federal judge. President Barack Obama nominated Viken to the bench last month. Viken replaces Lawrence Piersol, who has been a federal judge for the South Dakota district since 1993 and recently moved to senior status, leaving his full-time post in Sioux Falls. U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier is expected to change locations from her current docket in Rapid City to Sioux Falls, and Viken was nominated to fill the Rapid City post. Johnson, who recommended Viken, said on the Senate floor Tuesday that he has known Viken for a long time and finds him to be of good moral character and standing in the community.

LEAD, S.D. (AP) - The director of the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake, Jose Alonso, has announced his retirement, effective Oct. 15. A release from the Lead-based lab says Alonso will continue as laboratory director emeritus and consult on science and education programs. Alonso became the lab's first director in October 2007. He brought more than 40 years experience in physics research and managing large experiments to the Sanford Lab post. Alonso had retired in 2002 after more than 30 years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority is reopening Homestake to the 4,850-foot level. The National Science Foundation is considering a proposal to make Homestake a national underground laboratory down to the 8,000 foot level.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A subsidiary of Rapid City-based Black Hills Corp. is seeking state permission for an electric rate increase in South Dakota starting next April. Black Hills Power has filed a request with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a 26.6 percent increase in annual utility revenues. The utility says a typical South Dakota residential customer would see an increase on their bill of about $18 per month. The utility says it is seeking to recover costs associated with the Wygen III power plant near Gillette, Wyo., and other generation, transmission and distribution assets, as well as increased operating expenses over the past four years. Black Hills Power serves 64,100 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 20 communities in western South Dakota. The utility also serves customers in northeastern Wyoming, and expectsto file a rate request for those customers soon.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A North Dakota-based company that provides engineering, planning and surveying services is cutting staff. Ulteig isn't saying how many workers are losing their jobs. The company had about 420 employees in four states before the announcement. President and CEO Gerald Floden says parts of the diverse company are seeing rapid growth, while other parts are affected by the downturn in the economy, particularly in the housing industry. While it makes cuts, the company continues to seek people to fill 15 specialized positions. Ulteig has offices in Fargo and Bismarck in North Dakota; Detroit Lakes and Minneapolis in Minnesota; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Denver. The company isn't saying which offices will be affected by the cuts.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Badlands National Park is getting money from the federal stimulus measure to improve the main road through the park in western South Dakota. Park officials report that they are receiving $11.2 million to rehabilitate Loop Road 240. The work will start now and is expected to be completed in November 2010. The project will include replacing culverts, improving drainage and repaving parts of the road. Officials say traffic delays are expected throughout the construction period. About 1 million people a year visit Badlands National Park.

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) - Workers are putting the finishing touches on flood repairs at the D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery and Archives at Spearfish. Stone walls and the facility's lone access road were severely damaged in June 2008. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says workers must use special techniques and materials to make repairs because the facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It dates back to the late 1800s. The federal government provided $100,000 in stimulus money for the repairs.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Sioux Falls police say the person who trashed a fast-food restaurant over the weekend did thousands of dollars in damage, but it could have been worse. Whoever broke into the McDonald's restaurant and damaged several pieces of equipment also tried to set the building on fire. The intruder did torch a pickup truck in the parking lot about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, destroying the vehicle valued at about $1,000. Police say the restaurant has about $5,000 in damage to windows, computer monitors and a cooler. Whoever did the damage also left an apron smoldering in a storage room.

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) - A new report says 96 percent of the University of South Dakota Law School graduates who took the South Dakota bar examination for the first time in July passed it. In terms of numbers, 51 of the 53 first-time USD test-takers passed, surpassing the overall average of 94 percent. The American Bar Association, the Law School Admission Council and other national organizations typically report a law school's pass rate for first-time bar exam-takers. Seventy-six graduates from 13 law schools took South Dakota's bar exam in July. Fifty-five were from USD, and 16 of 21 taking the test from other law schools passed.

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

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Former White House political adviser Karl Rove is to be inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in Minot today, despite criticism from state Democrats. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem will introduce Rove during the induction at the annual Norsk Hostfest.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota is partnering with the federal Energy Department, NASA and other agencies in a program to train engineers, especially in the aerospace industry. The Real World Design Challenge has teams of students compete to come up with ways to meet such challenges as fuel efficiency in aviation.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A state audit has found little evidence that a "Centers of Excellence" initiative for North Dakota's colleges has done much to create private jobs. Commerce Department director Shane Goettle says the audit includes a number of worthwhile suggestions, most which he says have already been put into place.

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) - A top official with the Army Corps of Engineers says the agency still hopes to start work on the first phase of the Devils Lake dike project this fall. Brigadier General Michael Walsh led a delegation of corps officials who came to tour the area Monday and yesterday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann from Minnesota is one of 11 to appear in the "Great American Conservative Women Calendar." The Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute is behind the 2010 calendar. The Herndon, Va.-based institute is a think tank for young conservative women.

RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) - Police in Richfield say a customer who was shot during a pawnshop robbery has died. The 33-year-old Minneapolis man's name was not immediately released. No arrests have been made in the incident, which also left an employee at Avi's Pawn grazed by a bullet.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has fined a Pipestone County dairy $10,000 for a manure spill that caused a fish kill and a swimming beach's temporary closing. The 252,000-gallon spill at Pater Dairy happened May 5 but wasn't reported to the state until May 13.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is suing an employment agency, claiming it lured job seekers and charged fees without finding them work. The lawsuit accuses The Arthur Group of violating consumer fraud and deceptive trade practice laws.

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

WASHINGTON (AP) - The top American commander in Iraq says the U.S. is speeding up its military withdrawal from that country, sending 4,000 more troops home next month. The reduction will be announced by Army Gen. Ray Odierno during testimony this morning before a House panel.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is debating in earnest the increasingly unpopular Afghanistan war. Yesterday, President Barack Obama met with NATO's secretary-general who said Obama is right to delay troop decisions until a possibly revamped approach is devised.

NEW YORK (AP) - New York's police commissioner says the threat from a terrorism plot has been neutralized. Commissioner Raymond Kelly wouldn't go into detail. Meanwhile, a suspected al-Qaida operative pleaded not guilty today to plotting an attack on New York.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama plans to visit the Hurricane Katrina-damaged Gulf Coast by mid-October. The White House says details of the trip will be released later. The 2005 storm killed more than 1,600 people and caused more than $40 billion in damage.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The administration says the Environmental Protection Agency needs the tools to evaluate and the authority to act against chemicals it determines to be dangerous. Congress is being asked to draft a tougher law for how the government regulates tens of thousands of chemicals. Officials say the current law is a flawed tool.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A sweeping health overhaul bill has survived a major challenge from the left. Liberal Democrats have failed in two efforts to include a government-run insurance option in legislation before the Senate Finance Committee. But public option supporters aren't giving up and hope to have better luck in the full Senate.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wants new measures to clamp down on efforts to skirt the Freedom of Information Act. Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont complains that special exemptions for federal agencies are being slipped into legislation without public debate or scrutiny. Leahy is holding a hearing today.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Securities and Exchange Commission's inspector general has recommended a new system for handling the thousands of tips and complaints the agency receives. The recommendations follow a report that shows the SEC bungled five investigations into convicted swindler Bernard Madoff.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Toyota says it's notifying the owners of 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. that removable floor mats can cause the accelerator to get stuck and lead to a crash. Popular models affected include the Camry, Prius and some Lexus models. Owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) - The first clown in space is on his way. Billionaire Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and two fellow astronauts lifted off on schedule today for the international space station. They're aboard a Russian spacecraft. The entertainer donned a bulbous red clown nose before boarding the capsule and brought several more for his crew mates.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Institutes of Health will get $5 billion in economic stimulus funds to support research into cures for cancer and other diseases, and to create jobs. President Barack Obama will make the announcement today at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government says nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction. The Transportation Department is bringing together experts over two days for what it's calling a "distracted driving summit." to take a hard look at the problem.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - The utility that owns four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon has agreed to terms for their removal. It's a key milestone in efforts to restore what was once the third biggest salmon run on the West Coast and end decades of battles over scarce water.

PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona judge has blocked implementation of several key parts of a new state law restricting abortions. But a few provisions will take effect. The preliminary injunction allows a 24-hour waiting period to take effect. The judge did block requirements that a woman see a doctor in person for advance disclosures before getting an abortion.

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - An Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Pulp Fiction" has been sentenced to a year in jail for causing a fatal traffic crash in Southern California. Roger Avary was sentenced Tuesday in a Ventura court. He also received five years of probation.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A self-proclaimed preacher who was a contestant in the TV beauty pageant "The Sexiest Bachelor in America" has pleaded not guilty to murdering a former adult-movie actress. Brian Randone was arraigned Tuesday in Pasadena, California. He's being held on $2 million bail.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California man will be facing serious charges after being accused killing a pedestrian while texting behind the wheel. A Superior Court Commissioner has denied a defense motion to reduce the charge against Martin Kuehl. He's accused of hitting Martha Ovalle as she walked in an Orange County crosswalk on August 29 of last year. He faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter.

PALISADE, Colo. (AP) - Prosecutors say an 18-year-old man was plotting a "profoundly disturbing" attack on his western Colorado high school with weapons and explosives. Robert Dell Johnson is being held on $100,000 bail on suspicion of criminal solicitation and interference with an education institution.

CHICAGO (AP) - Six thousand dollars is being offered for information that leads to more arrests in the fatal beating of a 16-year-old Chicago honor student. Four teens have already been charged in the death of Derrion Albert. They're all being held without bond. Police say they're looking for three other suspects.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's inspector general is reviewing whether lapses in the state's parole system allowed Jaycee Dugard's alleged kidnapper to go undetected for 18 years. A spokeswoman says parole agents had monitored Phillip Garrido over the years. But authorities say he was hiding Dugard in the backyardof his home the whole time.

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

WASHINGTON (AP) - The economy sank at a pace of just 0.7 percent in the spring, a better-than-expected performance that provided strong evidence the recession was ending. The small dip in gross domestic product for the April-June quarter follows the 6.4 percent annualized drop logged in the first three months of this year, the worst downhill slide in nearly three decades.The new reading on second-quarter GDP shows the economy shrinking less than the 1 percent pace previously estimated. It also was better than the annualized 1.1 percent drop that economists were predicting. The final revision of second-quarter GDP comes on the last day of the third quarter, in which many analysts predict the economy started growing again at a pace of about 3 percent.

NEW YORK (AP) - AT&T Inc. says it plans to sell a satellite phone from TerreStar Corp. that can place calls even in the deep wilderness or at sea. The TerreStar Genus phone, due next year, will have all the features of a standard "smart" phone, including the ability to use AT&T's ground-based wireless broadband network. But it also will be able to connect to a TerreStar satellite, for service where the cellular network doesn't reach. The satellite covers North America. AT&T plans to market the phone first to business and government customers. AT&T didn't disclose the price of the phone or the service. Satphones from companies like Iridium and Globalstar are already in use in the same market, but they lack the smart-phone capabilities of TerreStar's device.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest retailer, plans to offer more than 100 toys at $10 during the holiday season. During last year's holiday season, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer promoted just 10 toys for $10. Additionally, Walmart will match any local competitor's advertised offer on the same toy product if it falls below $10. Toys to be promoted include Barbie Cut and Style Rapunzel, a Play-Doh Burger Builder Set, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Action Figures, My Little Pony So Soft Newborn and others, according to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Toy retailers are ramping up competition for consumers' dollars. Toys R Us is opening 350 pop-up stores in malls and at its Babies RUs locations, while Sears will offer toys at 20 of its stores.

NEW YORK (AP) - Bank of America says it will sell the long-term asset management business of one of its units to Ameriprise Financial. Ameriprise will pay between $900 million and $1.2 billion for Columbia Management's long-term asset management business. The division has $165 billion in equity and fixed-income assets under management. The final price will be based on asset flows and investor consents leading up to the closing of the deal. Minneapolis-based Ameriprise says the acquisition will boost earnings within one year. Bank of America, based in North Carolina, says it is still considering what to do with the cash investments and short-term asset management businesses currently managed by Columbia. The deal is expected to close in the spring of 2010.

ROME (AP) - A U.N. agency warns that the climate change will badly affect agriculture and hit developing nations hardest, leading to unreliable food production and higher prices. The Food and Agriculture Organization says climate change will push food prices moderately up until 2050. After that, prices will rise more significantly in line with further increases in temperatures. The Rome-based agency on Wednesday estimated that until 2050 developing countries may experience a decline of between 9 and 21 percent in potential agricultural productivity. For many African countries, this could lead to increased dependency on food imports. The paper said adaptation policies will be costly but vital to ensure access to food and reduce poverty.

LONDON (AP) - UPS has become the latest sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics, and the delivery company will manage the local organizing committee's transportation and logistics. The organizing committee announced Wednesday that UPS had become its fifth tier two supporter and 22nd commercial sponsor overall. Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organizing Committee, said: "Staging an Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is probably the biggest peacetime logistical undertaking in the world. UPS will bring a wealth of expertise to the planning and delivery of aspectacular Games in 2012."

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors is bidding farewell to a trial program with eBay today. The program ran in California and allowed shoppers to negotiate a price on new cars with a dealer through eBay's auto marketplace or buy the vehicle at a fixed price and pick it up at a dealership. A GM spokesman says the trial is scheduled to end today after a six-week run. John McDonald says the Web site received 1.5 million visits, providing 15,000 leads for dealers. He said it was difficult to track how many cars were actually sold through the program. GM and eBay say the program wasn't canceled for lack of participation. Instead, the automaker called it a "success" because it helped the Detroit company improve strategies to reach car buyers who typically don't consider GM products. GM is focusing on its money-back guarantee plan that allows unsatisfied car buyers to return the car for a refund.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Newspapers may have slowed, or perhaps even stopped, their financial descent after three years of plunging revenues, crumbling stock prices and heavy layoffs. The latest glimmer of hope came as the largest U.S. newspaper publisher Gannett announced that its third-quarter earnings will be substantially above analysts' forecasts. Although Gannett's revenue for the period fell slightly below analysts' projections, executives said newspaper advertising sales didn't fall as badly as they did in the first half of the year. Still, newspapers have yet to come up with a solution about what to do regarding the massive shift of readers and advertisers to the Internet. Gannett shares rose 18 percent Tuesday. Other newspaper and media stocks also climbed.

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

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) - Burn Bret burn. Packers fans are being invited to torch their Brett Favre gear during halftime of next Monday's Green Bay-Minnesota Vikings game. The Milwaukee Burger Co. is hosting the burn party. Manager Julie Kolk says the bar and grill will have a flaming barrel where fans can toss their Favre jerseys, pictures, posters, and other stuff. Kolk says they plan to donate 10 bucks to charity for each item to go up in flames. Favre, of course, was the legendry Packer's QB. He came out of retirement to quarterback the Packers' rival, Minnesota.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) - You probably don't want to take a razor, a knife and scissors through a courthouse security scanner. Oh, and add pot to the list of things to leave at home. Authorities in St. Lucie County, Fla., report a young woman was stopped at a courthouse security check. The sheriff's office says a private security officer found a number of suspicious items during the scan. When the security officer emptied the purse, authorities say he found a baggie of suspected pot. A field test confirmed it. Chantel Marissa Johnson was busted and charged with possession. The 21-year-old was later freed on $500 bail.

NOGALES, Ariz. (AP) - Too much pot is a problem in Arizona -- for the law. Authorities in Santa Cruz County are running out of room to store the illegal weed. The Metro Task Force in southern Arizona seized two tons of marijuana in just one week alone. SantaCruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada calls it overwhelming.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The party patrol in one Oregon college town is cruising for kegs. But these aren't students looking for fun. The Eugene Police Department's "party patrol" issued 170 citations last weekend. The tickets were almost all for alcohol-related offenses. Police shut down party after party Friday and Saturday nights. Officers are patrolling a student-heavy neighborhood near the University of Oregon campus. Police officials say the party patrols will continue as long as they're needed.

BOSTON (AP) - Sex in a dorm at Tufts University is fine. Sex in a Tufts dorm with your roommate there? That's a no-no. The Boston-area school has a new policy this semester banning sexual activity while a roommate is in the same room. A school spokeswoman said Tuesday that Tufts issued the rule after a dozen or so complaints in the past three years. The school maintains the new policy is about respect and consideration, not about regulating students' behavior. The policy is aimed at the school's 5,000 undergraduates. Officials say they hope it'll get roommates talking about how to best share space.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Happy the Hippo may soon be a lot happier. He's going to be living with two female hippos. Happy has been moved from Washington's National Zoo to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Happy arrived early yesterday morning after a 17-hour roadtrip on a flatbed truck. Happy's home in Washington is being taken over by an expanded elephant exhibit. Happy's new roommates are two female hippos, Patti and Puddles. Milwaukee zoo officials hope Happy and his lady-friends will be making some hippo whoopie.

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) - Postal worker Patty Henken is on the hunt for buried treasure. She was refinishing an antique chair and found a key in an envelope with a note. The envelope read "Finders Keepers." The note inside promises $250 in U.S. gold coins buried in a chest in Springfield, Ill. Henken has gotten permission from the property owner to dig on the lot identified in the note. The first search with a backhoe didn't reveal any gold. But Henken says she's not giving up. She and the property owner have agreed tosplit any treasure found.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man has pleaded guilty to smuggling songbirds into Los Angeles from Vietnam by hiding them under his pants. Prosecutors say 46-year-old Sony Dong entered his plea Tuesday to one count of illegally importing wildlife. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Dong had originally pleaded not guilty in May. He was arrested in March at Los Angeles International Airport. Authorities found 14 birds he wrapped in cloth and strapped to his legs and ankles when he arrived on a flight from Vietnam. Another suspect, 34-year-old Duc Le, has pleaded not guilty to smuggling charges. He is expected to stand trial Oct. 27. Le was arrested after investigators found 51 songbirds at his California home.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - New signs at a Mormon church-owned plaza in downtown Salt Lake City put visitors on notice: Anyone can be asked to leave for any reason. The change follows a much-publicized incident this summer in which two men were cited with trespassing on the plaza after sharing a kiss. City prosecutors did not pursue the charges, saying signs at the plaza failed to adequately warn the couple they were entering private property. Church spokesman Scott Trotter says the new signs include extra text at the suggestion of the Salt Lake City prosecutor's office. They now say the church reserves the right to refuse access to anyone. City prosecutor Sim Gill says the new signs provide clarity. He says with the new signs in place, visitors who refuse to leavecould be prosecuted for trespassing.

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

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 30, the 273rd day of 2009. There are 92 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 30, 1809, the Treaty of Fort Wayne (also known as the Ten O'Clock Line Treaty) was signed by Indiana Territory Gov. William Henry Harrison and representatives of four Indian tribes. (Under terms of the treaty, the Indians sold some 3 million acres of land to be used for U.S. settlements.)

On this date:
In 1777, the Continental Congress -- forced to flee in the face of advancing British forces -- moved to York, Pa.
In 1791, Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" premiered in Vienna, Austria.
In 1846, Boston dentist William Morton used ether as an anesthetic for the first time as he extracted an ulcerated tooth from merchant Eben Frost.
In 1938, after co-signing the Munich Agreement allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain praised the accord on his return home, saying, "I believe it is peace for our time."
In 1939, the first college football game to be televised was shown on experimental station W2XBS in New York as Fordham University defeated Waynesburg College, 34-7.
In 1949, the Berlin Airlift came to an end.
In 1954, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was commissioned by the Navy.
In 1955, actor James Dean, 24, was killed in a two-car collision near Cholame, Calif.
In 1962, black student James Meredith was escorted by federal marshals to the campus of the University of Mississippi, where he enrolled for classes the next day.
In 1988, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev retired President Andrei A. Gromyko from the Politburo and fired other old-guard leaders in a Kremlin shake-up.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered a top-level investigation of accounts of mass killings of Korean civilians by U.S. soldiers at No Gun Ri in 1950. A major leak at a uranium-processing plant in northeastern Japan exposed dozens of people to radiation. German novelist Guenter Grass won the Nobel Prize in literature. The San Francisco Giants played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the last baseball game at Candlestick Park (3Com Park); the Dodgers won, 9-4.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry met at the University of Miami for their first debate, with Kerry accusing Bush of a "colossal error in judgment" in ordering the invasion of Iraq and the president noting that Kerry had voted to authorize the military action. Bombs killed some three dozen children in Baghdad as U.S. troops handed out candy at a government-sponsored celebration. The House followed the Senate in decisively rejecting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Vioxx, the heavily promoted arthritis drug, was pulled from the market by its maker after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
One year ago: Congressional leaders and President George W. Bush rummaged through ideas new and old, desperately seeking to change a dozen House members' votes and pass a multibillion-dollar economic rescue plan. Wall Street regained hope as the Dow industrials rose 485 points. More than 200 people were killed in a stampede of pilgrims at a Hindu temple in Jodhpur, India. J.L. Chestnut Jr., the first black lawyer in Selma, Ala. and a prominent attorney in civil rights cases across a half century, died in Birmingham at age 77.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts is 83. Author Elie Wiesel is 81. Actress Angie Dickinson is 78. Singer Cissy Houston is 76. Singer Johnny Mathis is 74. Actor Len Cariou is 70. Singer Marilyn McCoo is 66. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is 64. Pop singer Sylvia Peterson (The Chiffons) is 63. Actress Victoria Tennant is 59. Actor John Finn (TV: "Cold Case") is 57. Rock musician John Lombardo is 57. Singer Deborah Allen is 56. Actor Calvin Levels is 55. Actor Barry Williams is 55. Singer Patrice Rushen is 55. Actor Vondie Curtis-Hall is 53. Actress Fran Drescher is 52. Country singer Marty Stuart is 51. Actress Debrah Farentino is 50. Rock musician Bill Rieflin (R.E.M.) is 49. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is 49. Actress Crystal Bernard is 48. Actor Eric Stoltz is 48. Rapper-producer Marley Marl is 47. Country singer Eddie Montgomery (Montgomery-Gentry) is 46. Rock singer Trey Anastasio is 45. Actress Monica Bellucci is 45. Rock musician Robby Takac (Goo Goo Dolls) is 45. Actress Lisa Thornhill is 43. Actress Andrea Roth is 42. Actor Tony Hale is 39. Actress Jenna Elfman is 38. Actor Ashley Hamilton is 35. Actress Marion Cotillard is 34. Actor Mike Damus is 30. Tennis player Martina Hingis is 29. Olympic gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu is 28. Actress Lacey Chabert is 27. Actor Kieran Culkin is 27. Singer-rapper T-Pain is 25.

Thought for Today: "You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." - Sam Levenson, American humorist (1911-1980).

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

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

American League

Minnesota 3, Detroit 2, 10 innings, 1st game

Detroit 6, Minnesota 5, 2nd game

N.Y. Yankees 4, Kansas City 3

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, ppd., rain

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1

Toronto 8, Boston 7

L.A. Angels 5, Texas 2

Seattle 6, Oakland 4

National League

Philadelphia 7, Houston 4

Washington 4, N.Y. Mets 3

Florida 5, Atlanta 4

Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 2

Chicago Cubs 6, Pittsburgh 0

Colorado 7, Milwaukee 5, 11 innings

San Diego 3, L.A. Dodgers 1

San Francisco 8, Arizona 4

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

Championship Series  (Best of Five)

Phoenix Mercury 120, Indiana Fever 116  OT   (Mercury lead series 1-0)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRE-SEASON

Minnesota    5  Philadelphia    4 (SO Minnesota 3-2)

New Jersey   4  N-Y Islanders   2

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

No Games Scheduled

SOUTH DAKOTA SCOREBOARD

High School Scoreboard

Aberdeen Central def. Huron, 29-31, 25-21, 25-21, 25-20

Aberdeen Roncalli def. Langford-Roslyn, 25-23, 21-25, 16-25, 25-11, 15-12

Belle Fourche def. Hill City, 25-20, 25-20, 25-15

Bennett County def. Kadoka Area, 25-22, 25-21, 18-25, 25-21

Britton-Hecla def. Leola-Frederick, 19-25, 25-15, 16-25, 26-24, 15-8

Brookings def. Mitchell, 23-25, 25-12, 25-12, 25-22

Canistota def. Hanson, 25-11, 19-25, 17-25, 25-18, 15-10

Canton def. West Central, 28-30, 25-12, 25-19, 25-18

Chadron, Neb. def. Hot Springs, 25-17, 25-23, 27-29, 16-25, 15-10

Chester def. Beresford, 27-25, 25-18, 25-17

Colome def. Andes Central, 8-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-21, 15-13

Corsica def. Stickney, 25-16, 15-25, 25-14, 25-19

Dakota Valley def. Bon Homme, 25-9, 25-16, 25-16

Dell Rapids def. McCook Central-Montrose, 25-16, 25-19, 25-10

Dell Rapids St. Mary def. DeSmet, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 26-24, 15-10

Douglas def. Lead-Deadwood, 25-16, 25-2, 25-13

Elk Point-Jefferson def. Tri-Valley, 25-17, 29-27, 25-19

Ellendale, N.D. def. Eureka-Bowdle, 17-25, 25-17, 15-25, 25-19, 15-9

Estelline def. Oldham-Ramona-Rutland, 23-25, 17-25, 28-26, 25-23, 15-9

Faulkton def. Hoven, 25-16, 8-25, 25-14, 26-24

Freeman def. Menno, 25-11, 25-21, 25-13

Garretson def. Elkton-Lake Benton, 25-23, 9-25, 25-23, 21-25, 19-17

Groton Area def. Tiospa Zina Tribal, 25-12, 25-12, 25-10

Harrisburg def. Tea Area, 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22

Herreid def. McIntosh-Isabel, 25-10, 25-18, 25-19

Hettinger, N.D. def. Faith, 25-22, 25-14, 25-19

Hitchcock-Tulare def. Sunshine Bible Academy, 25-15, 25-21, 25-15

James Valley Christian def. Iroquois, 25-10, 25-14, 25-21

Kimball def. Mitchell Christian, 25-13, 25-17, 18-25, 25-16

Luverne, Minn. def. Lennox, 25-20, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15

Marion def. Bridgewater-Emery, 25-18, 25-18, 25-18

Milbank def. Madison, 25-11, 25-15, 25-18

Miller def. Chamberlain, 25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 21-25, 16-14

Mobridge-Pollock def. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, 25-16, 22-25, 25-14, 25-20

Mt. Vernon def. Sanborn Central, 25-8, 25-18, 25-13

Northwestern Area def. Redfield/Doland, 25-9, 25-10, 25-7

Parkston def. Tripp-Delmont-Armour, 25-19, 25-21, 18-25, 26-24

Platte-Geddes def. Dakota Christian, 25-10, 25-14, 25-18

Scotland def. Avon, 26-28, 9-25, 29-27, 25-21, 15-9

Selby Area def. Edmunds Central, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-22

Sioux Falls O'Gorman def. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 25-17, 25-19, 15-25, 25-20

Sioux Falls Roosevelt def. Sioux Falls Washington, 25-20, 25-14, 25-11

Sioux Valley def. Flandreau, 21-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13

Sisseton def. Hankinson, N.D., 25-15, 25-22, 25-18

St. Thomas More def. Newell, 25-20, 24-26, 25-14, 25-18

Sturgis def. Spearfish, 25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 25-5

Sully Buttes def. Gettysburg, 25-19, 20-25, 27-25, 25-15

Wall def. Jones County, 25-15, 25-11, 25-8

Warner def. Aberdeen Christian, 25-6, 25-6, 25-10

Wessington Springs def. Plankinton, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 11-25, 18-16

White Lake def. Wolsey-Wessington, 25-23, 25-15, 25-11

White River def. Gregory, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22

Wilmot def. Waverly-South Shore, 25-10, 25-15, 25-20

Yankton def. Brandon Valley, 25-19, 16-25, 24-26, 25-18, 15-11

Deuel Triangular

Castlewood def. Hamlin, 16-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20

Deuel def. Castlewood, 25-21, 25-17, 12-25, 25-15

Deuel def. Hamlin, 25-21, 25-5, 25-17

Tri-Valley Tournament

Baltic def. Freeman Academy, 25-20, 25-20, 25-18

Centerville def. Gayville-Volin, 25-18, 25-19, 26-24

Hurley def. Alcester-Hudson, 22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-20

Viborg def. Irene-Wakonda, 25-20, 25-22, 25-15

College Volleyball

Augustana def. St. Cloud State 25-21, 25-23, 25-23

Dordt def. Mt. Marty  25-17, 25-14, 25-16

Dakota Wesleyan def. Dakota State  25-16, 25-18, 15-25, 25-20

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

 MINNESOTA TWINS BASEBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

  Day                        Game                                                                   First Pitch    Pre Game

Wednesday         Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers                                               6:05 p.m.          5:35 p.m.

Thursday             Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers                                             12:05 p.m.            None

Saturday              Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins                                     3:10 p.m.           2:35 p.m.

Sunday                Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins                                     1:10 p.m.         12:06 p.m.

                    End of Twins Regular Season

    MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE     

Monday:  Green Bay Packers at Vikings      7:30 p.m. Kickoff  6:30 p.m. Pre-Game

          DAKOTA RADIO GROUP HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PLAY BY PLAY THIS WEEK

     Thursday:    Volleyball – Watertown at Pierre  6:30 p.m.  Pre-Game 6:10 p.m.

                       Friday:         Football – Rapid City Stevens at Pierre  7:00 p.m. Kickoff  6:30 p.m. Pre-Game

        Friday:        Football – Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian at Stanley Co.  7 p.m. Kickoff  6:40 Pre 

     Friday:         Football – Chamberlain at Miller Area  7:00 p.m. Kickoff  6:45 p.m. Pre-Game

                        Saturday:     Football -  Lyman at Jones Co.  1:30 p.m. kickoff   1:15 p.m. Pre-Game

        Friday:          Football –  Ipswich at Eureka-Bowdle   7:00 p.m. Kickoff  6:40 p.m. Pre-Game

STAR 99-FM

99.5-FM       Friday:          Football – Stanley County at Crew Creek  1:30  p.m. Pre Game 1:20 p.m.

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:  

DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers have kept their lead at two ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central after splitting a critical doubleheader. The Twins won the opener 3-2 in 10 innings yesterday, but Detroit got a 6-5 victory in Game 2 of the key four-game series.  Orlando Cabrera delivered the go ahead single in the 10^th inning in the first game, but Detroit touched Twins starter Brian Duensing for 5 earned runs to build an early 5-0 lead and held on in the second game as Justin Verlander won his 18^th game of the season for the Tigers.

MINNEAPOLIS – The starting time for Saturday’s Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals at the Metrodome has been changed.  The game is scheduled for a 3:10 p.m. first pitch instead of 6:10 p.m. as was originally scheduled.  The game time was changed to accommodate Fox Television coverage.

UNDATED (AP) - The agent for Dominican shortstop Miguel Sano says the Minnesota Twins have agreed to sign his client for a bonus of $3.15 million.   Sano's agent, Rob Plummer, says he expects an agreement to be signed this week. Major League Baseball, as it does with many young Dominican players, investigated Sano's age and identity earlier this year.  His identity was verified, Plummer says, and the age investigation was inconclusive. Sano says he is 16 years old. Twins general manager Bill Smith declined comment Tuesday.

HOUSTON (AP) - Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch has appeared in court on a charge he assaulted his common-law wife.  The woman told police Knoblauch hit her in the face and choked her at their Houston home on Friday. Knoblauch played for the Twins, Yankees and Royals during his major league career.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Vikings rookie Percy Harvin has been named NFC special teams player of the week. He returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against San Francisco. It tied for the second-longest kickoff return in Vikings history.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are trying their best not to buy into the hype over their upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers. Favre is preparing to face his former team of 16 years, adding fuel to one of the NFL's fiercest rivalries. After his last-second touchdown pass beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the Vikings are 3-0. The Packers are 2-1. With an extra day between games this week, the Vikings rested three veterans, including Favre, during Tuesday's light practice. Favre did not have his helmet; neither did left guard Steve Hutchinson or tight end Jim Kleinsasser during the drills that were open to reporters.   Punt returner Darius Reynaud was not present. He appeared to hurt his left hamstring in Sunday's game.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings have swapped backup centers again, waiving Kory Lichtensteiger and signing Jon Cooper from the practice squad. Cooper made the final cut out of training camp, but was waived the next day when Lichtensteiger was signed after being dropped by the Denver Broncos. The undrafted rookie Cooper was then placed on the practice squad. John Sullivan is set as the starter. Reserve lineman Ryan Cook can also fill in at center.   Also, the Vikings signed offensive tackle Patrick Brown to the practice squad and wide receiver Nick Moore was released from the eight-person squad.

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Wyoming coach Dave Christensen is being treated for a kidney stone. Athletics Department spokesman Tim Harkins says the 48-year-old went to the hospital Tuesday morning. Assistant head coach Dan Hammerschmidt filled in for Christensen later in the morning on the weekly Mountain West Conference coaches teleconference. Christensen is in his first year as head coach at Wyoming.   Wyoming plays Florida Atlantic at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Governors host Rapid City Stevens in the Governors annual homecoming game Friday night with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.  The Pierre Athletic Booster Club’s annual homecoming tailgate party will be held once again this year at the Wegner Auto showroom serving from 5 to 7 p.m.  All proceeds will go to the Pierre Athletic Booster Club.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre Governor homecoming week activities continued last night with the annual homecoming coronation as the Governors and First Lady were named to preside over the remainder of the week’s activities.  Graham Schuetzle, starting quarterback and strong safety for the Governors football team was named the 2009 homecoming “Governor” and Linsey Petersen, a member of the Lady Govs soccer team, was named “First Lady”.  Today’s big event for homecoming is the annual homecoming parade that is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana women’s cross country team is rated 3^rd and the Vikings men’s squad is 4^th in this week’s NCAA Division II Central Region rankings.  Adams State of Colorado is the top rated team in the region in both the men’s and women’s divisions. 

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Timberwolves star Al Jefferson says his right knee felt fine during his first real practice in nearly eight months since having surgery. He tore his ACL shortly before the All-Star game in February. The Timberwolves faded without him in the lineup.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Great West Conference men’s basketball tournament champion has been granted an automatic bid into the CollegeInsider.com Post-season Tournament.  The CollegeInsider.com Post-season Tournament (CIT), which was played for the first time in March of 2009, features 16 teams not participating in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship or the National Invitational Tournament. The tournament is single elimination and consists of five rounds, all being played at on-campus sites, which will be determined by seeding.  The field for the 2010 CIT will be announced on Sunday March 14, following the announcement of the fields for both the NCAA and NIT.  First round action will begin on March 16. The championship game, which will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports, will be played on March 30.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Minnesota Wild have earned a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the final preseason game for both teams. Antti Miettinen scored the deciding goal in a shootout yesterday in Philadelphia as the Wild snapped a three-game losing streak.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Wild have reduced their active roster to the regular season limit of 23 players. They assigned right wing Craig Weller to Houston, their AHL affiliate. They also placed center Benoit Pouliot and left wing Derek Boogaard on injured reserve. Pouliot has a groin problem, and Boogaard is recovering from a concussion.   The moves were made before Tuesday's preseason game at Philadelphia.

BROOKINGS, S.D. - Junior Greg Vollmer of Rapid City earns his first Summit League Athlete of the Week honor after leading the South Dakota State men's cross country team against top competitors at the Griak Invitational.  The field included the nation’s 25th ranked team (Iowa State) and 12 regionally-ranked teams including No. 3 in the Midwest region, Minnesota and No. 4 in the Southeast region, Duke. Vollmer was the first Jack to cross the finish line with a time of 26:04, and placed 56th at the meet in the 8K race.  The South Dakota State men's and women's cross country teams return to their home stomping grounds at Edgebrook Golf Course for the SDSU Classic on Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Coaches in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have picked Denver to win the league title. The Pioneers received eight of the 10 first-place votes in the Grand Forks Herald preseason coaches poll.   Defending league champion North Dakota received the other two first-place votes and is projected to finish second, followed by Wisconsin, Minnesota and St. Cloud State.   The bottom five, in order, are Minnesota Duluth; Minnesota State, Mankato; Colorado College; Alaska Anchorage; and Michigan Tech.

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

DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers earned a doubleheader split against Minnesota yesterday to stay two games ahead of the second-place Twins in the American League Central. Orlando Cabrera singled home the go-ahead run in the Twins' 3-2, 10-inning victory in Game 1 before Justin Verlander tossed eight innings in Detroit's 6-5 win. Boston wrapped up the wild card when Texas fell to the Los Angeles Angels 5-2.

UNDATED (AP) - The Colorado Rockies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 last night to open a three-game lead over Atlanta for the National League wild card. The Rockies blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth before pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta belted a two-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the 11th. The Braves were 5-4 losers to Florida, allowing the Rockies to pad their lead with five games to play.

MIAMI (AP) - Miami quarterback Chad Pennington is done for the season, placed on the reserve-injured list with a hurt right shoulder. Second-year signal-caller Chad Henne is expected to get the start for the Dolphins this week against the Bills. To fill Pennington's void, the Dolphins acquired quarterback Tyler Thigpen from Kansas City.

METAIRIE, La. (AP) - Two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown has been place on injured reserve by New Orleans. Brown had been sidelined since early in the preseason, first by a sports hernia and later by an injured left hip that required surgery.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A doctor says Southern California tailback Stafon Johnson is giving thumbs up signs and communicating in writing to his mother and teammates. Johnson underwent a seven-hour surgery to repair a crushed neck and larynx after he was injured Monday in a bench-pressing accident when a bar slipped from his grasp. The trauma medical director at California Hospital Medical Center says Johnson is unable to speak, but he's recovering well and is in stable condition.

UNDATED (AP) - The NBA has told teams it's going ahead with replacement referees, days after the league thought a deal had  been reached with locked-out officials. The league sent a memo informing teams it had "no expectation of concluding a timely labor contract." According to the memo obtained by The Associated Press, the sides had agreed in principle on a new two-year deal Friday. But the National Basketball Referees Association rejected the NBA's proposal Sunday.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) - The Cleveland Cavaliers say they don't know why Delonte West failed to show up for the team's first preseason practice Tuesday. The troubled guard has a Nov. 20 court date after he was recently arrested for gun possession in Maryland following a traffic stop. West has battled mood disorders for years but appeared in good spirits on Monday, saying during the team's media day that he had resumed taking his medications.

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) - Sidney Crosby has practiced with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time since injuring his groin during a preseason game Thursday in Columbus. The team captain took part in the Penguins' practice Tuesday and expects to play in the season opener Friday against New York Rangers.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) - Verizon has announced it is ending its association with South Carolina's stop on the PGA Tour.   Verizon first began its association with the Heritage Classic Foundation in 1987.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Arnold Palmer has been selected to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. The award honors a person for his distinguished achievements and contributions. Palmer is a seven-time major champion whose charisma and hard-charging style made an elite sport popular with the masses.  He is scheduled to receive the medal from President Barack Obama during a ceremony today at the White House.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Jeff Gordon, who stands in eighth place in NASCAR's Chase standings after two races, says the current format of determining a champion doesn't suit his style of driving. The five-time Cup champion says the old format, where the winner was decided over 36 races, fit the way he drives more than the current ten-race Chase format.

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