March 14Th & 15Th, 2015
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PRESS & DAKOTAN n SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 THE MIDWEST: PAGE 9 Lawmakers Work To Finalize SD Budget Sturgis City Park To Host PIERRE (AP) — South Dakota lawmakers are wrapping up the main run of this year’s legislative session and are poised to pass a spending plan Friday for the fiscal year that begins in July. The Joint Appropriations Committee plans to finish Rally Events, Upsetting Some work on the approximately $1.4 billion state budget Friday so the House and Senate can pass the spending measure STURGIS (AP) — City officials plan lease agreement with a promoter to cre- Dave Wilson, a Sturgis resident by the end of the day. to allow vendors and motorcycle shows ate and manage a venue at the park. whose daughter is a soccer player, said Lawmakers on Wednesday adopted revenue estimates in Sturgis City Park during this year’s City officials aren’t releasing details of the city has crossed the line allowing that were lower than projections the governor made for his bike rally, a move that has upset some the contract but say the park activities vendors in the park. December budget. They’re now wrestling with how to bal- business owners and residents. are designed to enhance the experience “Our kids go down there during the ance the budget for Fiscal Year 2016. The decision was made without any of everyone visiting Sturgis during the rally and practice soccer,” he said. “We Legislators will return to the Capitol for a final day at opportunity for residents to comment 75th anniversary rally Aug. 1-8. have a very nice park. Leave it alone. the end of the month to consider any vetoes issued by Gov. because the matter was not listed on “The council was very adamant with It’s there for the citizens.” Dennis Daugaard. the agenda of the Feb. 2 City Council the promoter that it would be family Ainslie said having rally events in meeting during which it was approved, oriented,” City Manager Daniel Ainslie the park is somewhat of an experiment. Flames Blacken Fields In Nebraska businessmen Bob Davis and Rod said. More information will be released “Frankly, this is something the coun- Bradley told the Rapid City Journal. later, he said. cil is trying for a year,” he said. “It’s not OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Flames fanned by brisk winds in low “A lot of people are not happy about The park traditionally has served as something that might happen again in humidity have blackened fields in several parts of Nebraska. it,” Davis said. a rally-free refuge for residents during the future. If it doesn’t turn out well, On Thursday firefighters battled blazes west of Grand Is- land in south-central Nebraska, as well as in Antelope, Colfax The City Council voted after going the event that draws hundreds of thou- there is no desire on the part of the and Madison counties on the east side of the state. One of the into an executive session that was sands of people to the Black Hills town, council for it to continue on.” fires near Grand Island stopped just west of some homes in a closed to the public to enter into a Davis said. subdivision. No injuries have been reported. On Friday the National Weather Service issued hazardous Minnesota weather outlooks that warned of the continuing fire danger. Rounds Touring Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Gov. Dayton To Railroads: SIOUX FALLS (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds along with other members of Congress is touring the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Rounds was at the base Friday with fellow GOP members Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Pony Up For Safety Upgrades Joni Ernst of Iowa and James Lankford of Oklahoma. The Republican from South Dakota is part of the U.S. Sen- ate Armed Services Committee. BY KYLE POTTER efforts. The governor and to build underpasses or over- tax increases. The United States seized Guantanamo Bay from Spain dur- Associated Press other fellow Democratic law- passes in Moorhead, Prairie “While the governor and I ing the Spanish American War of 1898, and signed a lease in makers have proposed a se- Island, Coon Rapids and Will- agree that our railroad cross- later years with the Cubans guaranteeing access to the 45- ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. ries of tax increases and mar, where passing trains ings need improvements, the square-mile area. Mark Dayton gave railroad annual fees on railroads to block crossings for hours funding source is still the The naval base has been a key strategic location for U.S. companies and Republicans upgrade railroad crossings every day. main issue,” said Rep. Tim naval forces in the Caribbean. In 2002, the site became infa- a public tongue-lashing Fri- and ease congestion across Railroad companies such Kelly, the Republican chair of mous as a detention camp holding the post 9/11 terrorism day for their resistance to Minnesota. as BNSF Railway, the state’s the House Transportation Fi- suspects. his tax plan to fund safety “That is the responsibility largest freight railroad and a nance committee. improvements across Min- of the railroad,” Rep. Paul major shipper of Bakken Dayton criticized Republi- Southeast Tech Rolling Out New Lab nesota’s railroad network. Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, said crude, balked at the gover- cans for not supporting his Seven trains haul North of improvements. nor’s proposal. In a state- plan, but he saved his SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Dakota crude across Min- By taxing train cars and ment, spokeswoman Amy strongest words for the rail- Falls is sending its newest nursing lab to towns across South levying an annual fee on Min- McBeth said the company be- road companies. Dakota in an effort to boost rural health care. nesota daily — an influx that The lab is a converted semitrailer that has mannequin-like has contributed to backlogs nesota’ four major freight rail- lieves Dayton’s proposed The governor said state roads, the state would net taxes violate federal law “be- officials believe they’re on robots, hospital beds and other amenities. of agricultural shipments It’s one of two mobile units the tech school will deploy to and raised safety concerns $330 million over the next cause they single out rail- solid legal ground to foot rail- decade, mostly for improve- roads for discriminatory roads with a larger tax bill. offer health care training opportunities to students who live after a string of recent explo- far from the Sioux Falls campus. The Argus Leader newspaper sive derailments. ments at railroad crossings. taxation.” And he remained defiant in Dayton’s plan would also The other three major the face of a possible lawsuit reports that the lab is making its first stop in Chamberlain With a throng of officials freight railroads operating in from railroads if his proposal next week. About 10 students taking nursing classes online from towns dealing with the fund increased training for will practice clinical work in the mobile lab. first responders, including a Minnesota are Canadian Pa- goes ahead. headaches of heavier train cific, Union Pacific and Cana- “We’re going to do what we Nursing Program Director Kristin Possehl says improving traffic behind him, Dayton new statewide training fa- health care in small towns begins with education. cility. dian National. know is right for Minnesota. If called it “totally unaccept- Majority House Republi- they want to take us to court, The $500,000 mobile lab is being paid for with federal grant able” that railroads would The governor is also plan- money. ning to carve out $76 million cans have also signaled that certainly shows their true oppose contributing more from a bonding bill this year they’re not on board with the colors,” Dayton said. money to the state’s safety SD Day Care License Suspended SIOUX FALLS (AP) — The license of a South Dakota in- House Speaker Dean Wink March 10; the eighteenth aye ayes in Hunhoff, Otten, De- home day care has been suspended after police found of Howes stuck to his inter- came from Sen. Dan Leder- mocrat Angie Buhl O’Donnell methamphetamine at the facility. Debt pretation that two-thirds was man, R-Dakota Dunes, who of Sioux Falls, Republican Sioux Falls officials suspended the license after the drug needed and changed his po- has been excused for several Blake Curd of Sioux Falls and was discovered Thursday. A 33-year-old woman and a 32-year- From Page 1 old man were arrested after a tip led an area task force to the sition after the conference days. Republican Deb Peters of home. committee amendments A tie vote would have al- Hartford. The pair had been arrested on drug-related charges in the required a two-thirds major- were made. lowed Michels to cast the tie- The debt collectors’ lob- mid and early 2000s. The woman became licensed to operate ity for passage. Rusch had been ill and breaker Friday. Instead both byists picked up three in Re- the day care in February 2014, but authorities didn’t see the The 20 percent surcharge wasn’t present Thursday. His sides worked to get senators publican Bruce Rampelberg previous arrests because a criminal background check for the will flow into the state treas- return Friday put the count to change sides. of Rapid City and Democrats license only goes back five years. ury and the new contractor at 17-17, based on the first The governor’s lobbyists Jim Bradford of Pine Ridge will be paid from it.