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FLOOD MEETINGS ND congressional delegation examine flood issues Valley City, N.D. (AP) North Dakota Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Congressman Earl Pomeroy say their meetings to learn about flood protection efforts have been productive.

The delegation met with local leaders yesterday in Valley City and Jamestown. They're working to outline what happened during this spring's historic flooding, the status of the recovery and how to minimize future flooding threats.

The floods caused millions of dollars in damage in March and April after snow, ice and heavy rain pushed rivers and streams over their banks, forcing evacuations.

Conrad said permanent flood protection starts at the local level, but there is a significant role for the federal government.

US JOURNALIST-IRAN Northwestern honors journalist Roxana Saberi EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) Fargo journalist Roxana Saberi, who was released from prison in Iran last month, has been honored by Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Saberi was given the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism at the school's graduation ceremonies yesterday. Saberi graduated from Medill in 1999.

She told graduates that the experience of being imprisoned gave her new insight into the meaning of courage.

Saberi lived in Iran for six years and has dual citizenship. She was arrested January 31st and charged with spying for the United States.

She was sentenced to eight years in prison, but an appeals court reduced that to a two-year suspended sentence and released her on May 11th. She and her parents returned to Fargo.

Northwestern students, faculty and alumni had rallied for her release and participated in an international hunger strike.

MOORHEAD INTRUDER KILLED Moorhead man kills intruder MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) Police say a Moorhead man shot and killed an intruder who walked into his unlocked apartment.

Lt. Tory Jacobson says the resident confronted the man and yelled at him to leave. He says the intruder refused to leave and the two fought. The resident allegedly got his shotgun, which went off during a struggle.

The Moorhead man called police around 12:05 a.m yesterday. The injured man was transported to Innovis Health in Fargo, where he died.

Jacobson says the same man had walked into another unlocked apartment in the four-plex minutes before, but a woman scared him off. Police are trying to identify him.

Police detained the apartment resident for questioning.

Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com PAY DISPUTE Burleigh employees object to pay change Bismarck, N.D. (AP) Burleigh County employees are contesting a planned switch from twice-a-month paychecks to paychecks every two weeks.

Employees say the first week of the transition, in January, they would be short 32 hours of pay.

Human Resource Director Renae Gall says the shortfall would be made up in July, when there would be three pay periods.

Burleigh County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Ahlgren, a spokesman for employees who oppose the change, says juggling monthly finances in such a way would be difficult for employees.

Gall says the accounting change is needed because of a change in the bookkeeping program's operating system.

The County Commission approved the change at its June 1 meeting.

The matter is to be discussed again at the July 1 commission meeting.

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com LOGAN WIND CENTER Work planned on Logan County wind center NAPOLEON, N.D. (AP) Work is expected to start this month on a wind center project in Logan County, near Napoleon.

Just Wind, LLC, plans to put up 153 wind turbines over two years in a project estimated to cost about 850 million dollars. Company President Jeff Metzger says the goal is to have 20 foundations finished in 60 days.

Metzger says a key is having a contract to sell the power. Just Wind has been in talks for more than a year with the Western Area Power Administration. Metzger says an agreement is nearly ready to be signed. WAPA officials will say only that negotiations are continuing.

Information from: The Jamestown Sun, http://www.jamestownsun.com GRANDMA'S MARATHON Minn. native wins Grandma's Marathon Duluth, Minn. (AP) Minnesota native Christopher Raabe and repeat champion Mary Akor won the men's and women's races respectively in Duluth's 33rd Grandma's Marathon.

Christopher Raabe became the first American to win the men's race in 14 years and the first Minnesotan since 1982.

He attended Sauk Rapids High School and North Dakota State University, but now lives in Washington, D.C.

He ran his fastest career time to finish in an unofficial 2 hours, 15 minutes, 14 seconds to win by about 3 minutes.

Akor of Hawthorne, Calif., won her third consecutive women's title, holding off Russian Alina Ivanova by 6 seconds.

Joshua George won his first Grandma's Marathon in the men's wheelchair division and Amanda McGrory won for the fourth consecutive year.

Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-21-09 0200CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list