Latest South Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

SANFORD-MeritCare health care system merger nears finish line Fargo, N.D. (AP) The largest health systems in the Dakotas are expected to complete their merger this week.

Fargo's MeritCare and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health are combining into a system with nearly $2 billion in assets and some 14,000 employees.

Sanford's chief executive, Kelby Krabbenhoft, says the merged system will operate its own fleet of two buses to shuttle staff and physicians between medical campuses in Fargo and Sioux Falls.

He says the buses will be equipped so staff members can work on the road.

The new system is to be called Sanford Health & MeritCare. It will have a coverage area of 130,000 square miles, including parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.

Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE Woman charged in traffic death SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A woman has been indicted in federal court on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for a traffic fatality.

Misty Randall, also known as Misty Eagle Elk, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol when an Aug. 24 accident near Wanblee killed Jason Wilcox.

SHOOTING SENTENCE Man given 18 months for crime SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A Manderson man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter.

Justin Looks Twice was indicted in the July 2008 shooting death of Darrell Martinez at Manderson. The 21-year-old defendant pleaded guilty in July.

CAR-DEER ACCIDENTS Busy season for car-vs.-deer accidents YANKTON, S.D. (AP) Farmers at work harvesting their fields and the return of wintry weather means motorists will have to avoid more deer moving across highways.

GF&P regional wildlife manager Ron Schauer says the start of October through the first week of December is the most active time for deer movement.

Schauer says if motorists drive through areas with known deer populations, they could slow down a bit and maybe look a little more into the ditches.

Many deer-related incidents result from animals reacting to unnatural atmospheres, notably towns or cities filled with people.

Schauer says people should stay away from deer who wander into populated areas, never feed them and quickly call animal control.

Information from: Yankton Press and Dakotan, http://www.yankton.net/ GOVERNOR RACE SD Governor's race taking shape PIERRE, S.D. (AP) Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard (DOO'-gard) and Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson seem to have drawn the most attention so far in the race for the Republican nomination for South Dakota governor, but a political science professor says a lot can happen before the June's primary.

Gary Aguiar (AG'-yar) of South Dakota State University says Daugaard and Knudson have the most experience in statewide politics and campaigns, but none of the four GOP candidates is well known across the state.

Besides Knudson and Daugaard, the other Republican contenders are former Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman and Buffalo Gap rancher Ken Knuppe (kuh-NOOP'-ee).

Aguiar says the GOP primary winner likely will have an advantage in the general election because South Dakota has not elected a Democratic governor since 1974.

For the Democrats, former state lawmaker Ron Volesky of Huron and Senate Minority Leader Scott Heidepriem have said they are running.

RAVEN-RANCHVIEW Raven to buy Canadian startup Ranchview SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) Raven Industries Inc. said this past week that it will buy almost all the assets of Ranchview Inc., a privately held Canadian startup.

The price was not disclosed.

Ranchview develops products that use cellular networks instead of the traditional radio systems that are typically used to deliver corrections to GPS enabled equipment. The network can also be used to provide high speed Internet access.

The deal is expected to close by next week.

Raven President and Chief Executive Ronald Moquist says the product line fits well with Raven's strategy to improve the movement and use of data in Agriculture.

S DAKOTA TOURISM SW South Dakota tourism escapes brunt of downturn RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) The economic downturn apparently hasn't kept folks from vacationing in southwestern South Dakota.

The Black Hills, Badlands, and Lakes Association says in its 2009 annual fiscal report that business was up at area attractions, parks and campgrounds. Some businesses set all-time records.

Revenue for hotels and restaurants remained about the same from a year ago while business was down at stores and casinos.

Association president Bill Honerkamp says the vacation season wasn't great everywhere, "but it sure was great in the Black Hills." FISHING SHOW Ready for his close-up ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) Tomorrow night, a Webster native who works at an Idaho fish hatchery will be on an episode of "Hooked: Monster Fish of America" on the National Geographic Channel.

The show is about the white sturgeon, which is on the endangered species list. They can live to be 100 years old, can grow from six feet to 12 feet long and weigh up to 500 pounds.

Chris Lewandowski, a 1995 South Dakota State University graduate from Webster, works at the hatchery. He says the National Geographic crew visited the Idaho hatchery last spring to document how the staff captures female white sturgeon that are ready to spawn.

Lewandowski says the hatchery's project has worked well so far.

Workers capture female sturgeon, gather and hatch their eggs and raise the young fish to 18 months before releasing them into the river. He says the effot reduces the mortality rate of the young fish.

The show is to be on the National Geographic Channel at 9 p.m.

tomorrow.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-01-09 1604CST | save this article / add to your favorites list