Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

MIDWEST FLOODING-Valley City Another leak being plugged in Valley City VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) Crews are working to plug another dike leak in Valley City this afternoon.

This one was in the northeast part of town on Main Street, near an electrical substation.

Gov. John Hoeven says the 100 National Guard soldiers there are being doubled to help with dike monitoring. He also says he'll talk to the Guard about building a temporary bridge if one is needed.

All but two bridges in the city are closed.

Hoeven was in Valley City today, along with Congressman Earl Pomeroy, who's a Valley City native. Pomeroy says he expects crews will have to spend the next couple of weeks monitoring dikes and plugging leaks. He says: "Valley City is in a marathon." MIDWEST FLOODING-Garrison Dam Garrison Dam releases reduced Riverdale, N.D. (AP) The Army Corps of Engineers once again is reducing water releases from Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, to ease flood worries downstream in the Bismarck-Mandan area.

The corps says today that releases were being cut from 9,000 cubic feet per second to 5,000 cfs.

The corps says high flows from two tributaries the Knife and Heart rivers raised the Missouri River in the Bismarck area from 5 feet to 9.5 feet. Flood stage is 16 feet.

Releases from the dam were cut off from March 24 to 26 when ice jams above and below Bismarck caused flooding along the river.

PROPERTY-INCOME TAXES ND House approves property, income tax cuts BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's House has added income tax reductions to Gov. John Hoeven's proposal to cut school property taxes.

Representatives approved the 395 (M) million dollar package today.

It cuts school property tax rates by about 75 mills, and provides 295 (M) million dollars to local schools to make up the revenue loss.

Hoeven included the plan in his budget recommendations to the Legislature.

The House has added individual and corporate income tax rate cuts to the bill. They're worth about 100 (M) million dollars to individuals and companies. The bill now goes to the North Dakota Senate for more work.

Several lawmakers say state money to finance property tax cuts is only a stopgap measure.

Fargo Representative Jim Kasper says the rising tax value of property has to be reined in.

Bismarck Representative George Keiser says North Dakotans will get a property tax shock once the state can no longer afford to pay for local tax cuts.

Maddock Representative Arlo Schmidt says the income tax cut isn't needed. He says property taxes are what North Dakotans are complaining about.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) YOUNG BLOOD DONORS Bill says ND 16-year-olds may donate blood without parent's consent BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakotans as young as 16 may soon be able to donate blood without a parent's permission.

North Dakota law now requires a donor who is younger than 18 to have a note from a parent or guardian to donate blood.

Today the North Dakota Senate gave final approval to a bill that says a teenager may donate blood without a parent's consent if he or she is at least 16 years old.

New Rockford Senator Joan Heckaman says the proposal gives young people a way to make a difference in their community.

Supporters of the change say it will increase donations and make it easier for young people to donate blood at school blood drives.

The bill now goes to Gov. John Hoeven for his review.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) MIDWEST FLOODING-DIKE SCARE Baldhill Dam operator says dike leak was scary VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) The operator of the Baldhill Dam near Valley City says crews have been working quickly to repair dikes after two scares since yesterday.

Rich Schueneman works for the Army Corps of Engineers. He says a technical expert was looking at a levee that was leaking water last night. He says the expert came running and telling crew, "Get out, Get out." Schueneman says the crews quickly got out of the area and the dike started caving in. But he says nothing happened, because it apparently caved on itself. He says the crews quickly went back to work on it.

Another dike scare this morning involved a larger area.

Schueneman says in that case, crews worked quickly to put up a ring dike and what he calls "fast, fast mobilization" saved it.

Information from: KFGO-AM, http://kfgo.com MIDWEST FLOODING-Minnesota GUARD Minn. Guard going to ND to fight flooding ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota National Guard says it's sending nearly 300 of its soldiers to North Dakota to help fight flooding there.

The soldiers are nearly evenly split between units in West St.

Paul and Cambridge. They left today.

In addition to troops, the Minnesota Guard will make its CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters available for rescue and other operations.

Minnesota Guard Capt. Randy Belden says the Minnesota troops are going to Cass County, which includes Fargo.

A second crest of the Red River at Fargo and neighboring Moorhead is expected late this week. It's projected to reach 38 feet to 39 feet, lower than the first crest.

SNOW REMOVAL GRANTS ND Legislature approves $1M for snow removal BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's Legislature has approved $1 million to help counties and cities pay for emergency snow removal expenses.

The North Dakota House's Democratic and Republican leaders say it's only the first installment of state aid to help local governments with snow removal and road repair costs.

Representatives voted 92-1 today to give the measure final legislative approval. It now goes to Gov. John Hoeven, and he's expected to sign it in the next few days.

The bill has languished on the House calendar for a number of days. Lawmakers have argued about whether it should be approved or held over to add more money.

STUMP LAKE FISHERY Stump Lake pike limits upped BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has increased the northern pike limits on Stump Lake, as the Nelson County fishery continues to improve because of flooding.

The daily limit had been three and the possession limit six.

Those limits have now been increased to five and 10.

Devils Lake flowed east into Stump Lake for years because of a series of wet years in the basin. About a year and a half ago, the two lakes became the same level for the first time in nearly two centuries, and Stump Lake effectively became a bay of Devils Lake.

Wildlife officials say northern pike have been swimming freely between the two.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-13-09 1600CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list