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South Dakota at 1 a.m. CT
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TOP STORY:
FLIGHTLESS TOWN
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. — Heather Borgen's out of work — and she can't stand it. After working for 40-plus hours a week for five years at Hertz Car Rental, Borgen was laid off when the airport's only commercial airline was grounded in February. Great Lakes Airlines, a small regional carrier, suspended its service to Thief River Falls in February, citing changes in federal regulations. The airline also suspended service to other small towns across the Midwest such as Jamestown and Devils Lake, N.D., and cancellations have plagued its service in Pierre, S.D. Business leaders and others like Borgen are feeling the effect of the loss of service whose future is in question. By Kevin Burbach and Dave Kolpack. SENT: 750 words, photos.
AROUND THE STATE:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTIGATION
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A state-sponsored company that directed millions of dollars from foreign investors to the idled Northern Beef Packers plant in South Dakota attempted to finance the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Records show that SDRC Inc. submitted an application to federal immigration authorities to list the pipeline's operator as a qualifying business under a program that enables foreign investors to secure permanent residency in the U.S. for investing at least $500,000. SENT: 630 words.
CHILDREN'S BOOK-LAKOTA
PIERRE, S.D. — Donald Montileaux grew up listening to his father tell Lakota stories. They were stories passed down from father to son for generations. Now that rich history of Native American storytelling is taking on a new form. Montileaux is one of many South Dakota artists who create visual depictions of Native American legends and scenes using old accounting ledgers. Using his talent for creating unique-looking horses through ledger art, Montileaux authored "Tasunka: A Lakota Horse Legend." By Joel Ebert of the Capital Journal. SENT IN ADVANCE: 590words, pursuing photos.
COLLEGE CREDIT
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Even though they haven't graduated from high school yet, twin sisters Samantha and Mackenzie Reynolds have a year of college under their belts. The girls have spent around $14,400 in tuition to take two three-credit hour courses a semester at the University Center-Rapid City for what is known as the dual credit program, which gives students an opportunity to take high school and college courses simultaneously. Despite tuition costs of $301 an hour for the program, more than 2,860 high school students have taken advantage of it since 2008, according to data provided by the Board of Regents. But the cost of tuition became a source a concern for Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who this year asked the Legislature to approve $300,000 for the program. As a result of that appropriation and other adjustments, the cost will drop to $40 per credit hour beginning with this fall's classes. By Jennifer Naylor Gesick of the Rapid City Journal. SENT IN ADVANCE: 630 words, pursuing photos.
IN BRIEF:
MISSING INMATE — Authorities are searching for a state prison inmate missing in Rapid City.
ROCK CLIMBING INCIDENT — Authorities say a 39-year-old woman has died as a result of injuries sustained from a fall while rock climbing in western South Dakota.
BIRTH RATE-SOUTH DAKOTA — South Dakota's birth rate is on the rise after seeing a slump caused by the economic prospects during the recession.
EASTER EGG HUNT — There's an Easter egg hunt Sunday afternoon at the South Dakota governor's mansion.
HORSE RACES — The annual horse races in Fort Pierre at the Stanley County Fairgrounds have begun.
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If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to apsiouxfalls@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to AP in New York via FTP or email (statephotos@ap.org). Be sure to call to follow up on emailed photos: (877) 273-6867. If you have questions about the South Dakota AP report, contact News Editor Carson Walker at (605) 332-3111 or (800) 952-9911 or cwalker@ap.org.
MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from South Dakota and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigation pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click "All" or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.
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