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MIDWEST FLOODING-BREAK-INS 2 charged with thefts from flooded homes in south Bismarck BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Bond has been set at $5,000 cash for each of two men charged with burglaries at flooded homes in the Fox Island area along the Missouri River in south Bismarck.

Kevin Fossen, of Carrington, and Dustin Henrickson, of Bismarck, were charged Thursday in Burleigh County with conspiracy to commit burglary. Henrickson also was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Authorities say burglars stole mostly electronic devices, camera equipment, computers and jewelry from the homes on April 5.

Fossen and Henrickson also have been charged in Morton County with felony theft. Authorities say stolen items were pawned at a pawn shop in Mandan.

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com MIDWEST FLOODING-KATHRYN Crews adding clay, sandbags in fight to save dam KATHRYN, N.D. (AP) Trucks have hauled in clay to fortify the Clausen Springs Dam, along a tributary of the flooding Sheyenne River to help protect the small town of Kathryn.

Authorities have said the town would be flooded should the dam fail. Kathryn's 55 residents have been evacuated.

But some have trickled back in. Gordy Madland says he thinks feels less anxious now credits the Army Corps of Engineers with helping save the dam.

Officials say water has been eating through the walls of the grass-lined channel called the spillway that's built to handle extra volume. The National Guard had dropped more than 100 1-ton sandbags to shore up the dam.

MIDWEST FLOODING-MISSOURI RIVER Army Corps releasing more water from ND dam BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The Army Corps of Engineers says it is releasing more water from North Dakota's Garrison Dam now that the Missouri River has dropped in the Bismarck area.

In a statement, the corps says it increased the water releases from the dam to 9,000 cubic feet per second last night. The releases had been cut to 5,000 cfs due to fears of flooding.

The corps said flows into the Missouri from the Knife and Heart rivers have dropped. But it warned boaters and anglers that river levels could fluctuate rapidly.

NORTH DAKOTA NICKNAME Fighting Sioux nickname opponents seek vote delay FORT TOTTEN, N.D. (AP) Opponents of the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname are challenging petition signatures submitted to put the issue to a tribal vote.

Terry Morgan and Erich Longie question more than 85 of the 301 signatures submitted to put the issue on next Tuesday's ballot.

They're asking a tribal judge today to put the referendum on hold.

About 200 signatures are needed for the referendum to stay on the ballot.

Eunice Davidson is a nickname supporter and one of the volunteers who gathered the signatures. She said she had heard of the opponents' allegations but did not know enough about them to comment. A tribal election committee had found no irregularities.

Longie said a judge's ruling to delay the vote could buy opponents of the nickname more time to persuade voters.

Morgan said a judge from the Three Affiliated Tribes will rule on the issue.

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com MIDWEST FLOODING-Valley City STATE Valley City State preparing for online semester VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) Valley City State University President Steve Shirley says the school has rebuilt most of its online network after moving to higher ground to escape flooding, and is preparing to start online classes next week.

Shirley says it's a chance to show how the school of about 1,000 students is making the most of technology.

About half the campus is in a flood plain where city officials urged people to evacuate. While the campus is dry officials say it's has been roughed up by dikes and heavy equipment.

Shirley says classes won't be canceled, they'll just be moved online.

He says instructors will be flexible because some students may have better online access than others.

Shirley said Valley City State took down its information technology network Monday to move it to higher ground, and rebuilt it the next day.

BANKERS SURVEY Survey: Rural economy shows signs of improvement OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A new survey of rural bankers in 11 Midwest and Plains states suggests the region's economy remains weak, but there are also signs it may soon improve.

The bankers who responded to the monthly Rural Mainstreet survey say they're more optimistic about the future despite low farm equipment sales.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says he thinks the overall rural economic index has bottomed out. It increased to 21.7 in April from March's 18.7.

The survey's index ranges between 0 and 100, and any score below 50 on the index suggests a contracting economy over the next three to six months.

The survey covers Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

MIDWEST FLOODING-JUMPER Police: Man jumped into flooding river Minot, N.D. (AP) Authorities plan to resume a search today of the Souris River in east Minot for a man who jumped into the flooding waterway after fleeing from a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper.

The patrol identified the man as 27-year-old Ryan Luke Eback of Minot.

Police Sgt. Scot Redding says the man bolted and jumped into the fast-moving river after the trooper made a traffic stop shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday.

Redding says officers yelled at the man to come out of the water. He says an officer retrieved a life buoy but by the time he got back to the river bank, the man had gone under and no one saw him come up again.

Trooper Capt. Gary Orluck says the search was suspended Thursday night but would continue at first light on Friday.

STATE MILL PROFITS ND state mill back in black after $21M in losses BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) From last April through December North Dakota's state Mill and Elevator lost $21 million. Now it is back in the black.

The state-owned mill reports profits of almost $4.2 million during January, February and March.

A good deal of the mill's losses were because of difficulties in the grain futures market. Mill manager Vance Taylor says some of the quarterly profit is because of hedging gains.

Taylor presented the mill's quarterly report to the state Industrial Commission yesterday. Gov. John Hoeven is chairman of the commission. He says the results show a trend toward better profits and more stability at the mill.

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring (GORE'-ing) says he's not surprised the mill had problems in the futures markets last year because he says a lot of other people did too.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) oil RIG DEATH Wyoming man killed in oil rig accident STANLEY, N.D. (AP) Mountrail County authorities say a Wyoming man died in an oil rig moving accident.

The victim is identified as 40-year-old Ivan Barton of Rock Springs, Wyo.

Sheriff Ken Halvorson says Barton was killed Wednesday afternoon, at a rig site near Parshall.

Halvorson says Barton was attempting to attach safety chains to the derrick portion of the drill rig. The sheriff says a chain that was holding up a large hydraulic cylinder failed, causing the cylinder to fall on Barton.

Halvorson says the rig owned by Pioneer Drilling of Williston.

He says Barton worked for Peak USA, which had been hired to move the rig.

The sheriff's office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the death.

MIDWEST FLOODING-AID More than 1,000 families apply for FEMA flood aid Fargo, N.D. (AP) More than 1,000 families in 41 counties affected by flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota have already applied for disaster aid grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA officials told reporters that 741 families in the 26 North Dakota counties that have been declared presidential disaster areas have registered so far. FEMA has already provided them $700,000 in grants for home repairs and other recovery needs.

In Minnesota, FEMA has taken 338 registrations from the 15 declared counties and distributed $540,000 in individual assistance grants.

The FEMA grants are limited to $30,300.

Flood victims may also be eligible for low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration up to $40,000 for personal goods lost to flooding and up to $200,000 for home repairs.

BUY NORTH DAKOTA House rejects 'Buy North Dakota' measure BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's House has rejected a bill to encourage the state's colleges and government agencies to buy more North Dakota-produced foods.

Opponents of the bill say state agencies can already buy goods close to home.

Mandan Rep. RaeAnn Kelsch says she's afraid the bill will hurt North Dakota food processors who sell their products in other states.

Representatives voted 55-37 against the measure. It said state agencies and colleges that buy food should try to get it within North Dakota.

The bill ordered the state budget office to get information about how much North Dakota-produced food is bought by government agencies.

Getting the information would have cost about $20,000. Fargo Rep. Jim Kasper called it a waste of money.

BANK OF NORTH DAKOTA PROFITS Bank of North Dakota posts $57M record profit BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The Bank of North Dakota posted a $57 million profit last year. It's the sixth straight year of record earnings for the state-owned bank.

Bank President Eric Hardmeyer presented the bank's annual report to the state Industrial Commission yesterday. The commission is the bank's board of directors.

The bank made a profit of $51.1 million in 2007. The new report shows an 11.5 percent increase.

Hardmeyer says the bank had loan growth of 31 percent last year.

He says it's a remarkable number given recent economic turmoil.

The bank's assets grew 27 percent. It had $3.51 billion in assets at the end of last year.

Gov. John Hoeven says the bank's results show the strength of the state's economy.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) Canada-FLOODING State of emergency declared in Winnipeg WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Winnipeg's emergency preparedness coordinator has declared a state of emergency in parts of the western Canadian city as a precaution against flooding from the Red River.

Randy Hull says about 240 homes on the riverside of the primary dike that protects Winnipeg are affected.

Hull says people should not panic about the state of emergency since it simply allows officials to respond quickly if evacuations are needed or if they have to gain access to properties.

Flood levels in Manitoba this spring have been among the highest on record.

NEW JUDGES Ranks of ND trial judges set to increase BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Lawmakers have agreed to hire two new state district judges, and Gov. John Hoeven says he approves of the move.

The North Dakota Senate gave final approval yesterday to legislation that authorizes new judgeships in the state's northwestern and southeastern judicial districts.

Hoeven says he'll sign the bill. He's not sure yet whether he will appoint the judges or call an election to let the voters pick them.

North Dakota now has 42 district judges in seven judicial districts. The new judges likely would be based in Minot and Jamestown. North Dakota's Supreme Court will decide the locations.

Adding the two new judges will cost about $875,000 over two years. The bill includes operating expenses and the cost of hiring support staff.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) GOEHRING-INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION New ag commissioner learning ropes on Industrial Commission BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's new agriculture commissioner has to do more than learn the ropes at his own agency.

Doug Goehring (GORE'-ing) has to figure out the work of the state Industrial Commission.

Goehring, Gov. John Hoeven and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem are the commission's members.

Goehring attended his first meeting yesterday, and listened to financial reports from the Bank of North Dakota and the state Mill and Elevator.

He says he's familiar with the bank and mill. He says he's less knowledgeable about the state Housing Finance Agency and oil and gas regulation.

Goehring says he brings a new perspective to the commission and the more he learns about it, the more he'll be able to make suggestions for improving things.

(SOUND: Sound files have been e-mailed to accompany this story) (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-17-09 0201CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list