Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

MISSING STUDENTS-NORTH DAKOTA Family visits pond where ND college students found Dickinson, N.D. (AP) Family members and teammates of three North Dakota college softball players have thrown roses and softballs into a pond where the students were found dead inside their Jeep.

The bodies of 22-year-old Kyrstin Gemar, of San Diego; 20-year-old Afton Williamson of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and 21-year-old Ashley Neufeld, of Brandon, Manitoba were found inside their white SUV on Tuesday. Authorities say it appears the three went on a stargazing trip when their vehicle slid into the pond in southwest North Dakota.

Police traced cell phone signals from the women's frantic calls to friends late Sunday. Those signals helped lead authorities to the pond near Dickinson.

About 30 relatives, friends and teammates gathered at the pond on Wednesday.

Flu NUMBERS ND reports more than 2,000 flu cases Bismarck, N.D. (AP) State health officials are reporting 2,475 confirmed cases of the flu in North Dakota, up nearly 900 from last week.

The state's influenza surveillance coordinator, Michelle Feist, says most of the cases likely are swine flu, or the new H1N1 strain.

Feist says the flu season in North Dakota usually peaks in February or March.

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com KALK-RAIL ND commissioner says rail is opportunity BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk predicts renewed interest in railroads.

Kalk says investor Warren Buffett must see an opportunity if his company is willing to put up $34 billion for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. BNSF is North Dakota's largest rail shipper.

Kalk says pipelines cannot get built fast enough and trucks cannot haul as much as rail cars. He says, "rail is where a lot of transportation is going to end up in the next few years." Kalk thinks that would be good for North Dakota's Agriculture, energy and other industries.

Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, has held a large stake in BNSF for years.

Information from: KXPO-AM mountain lion KILLED 5th mountain lion killed in western ND BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's Game and Fish Department says five mountain lions have now been killed in the western part of the state. The season will close there if three more are killed before the end of March.

The western part of the state is considered Zone 1 during the season. The rest of the state, in Zone 2, has no quota and the season there is open to North Dakotans through March 31.

EXPOSURE ARREST Man arrested for indecent exposure Fargo, N.D. (AP) Fargo police say a 66-year-old man was arrested Tuesday and accused of exposing himself to students who were on a bus for students with disabilities.

Authorities said Darreld Calvin Olander of Fargo faces a felony charge because the alleged offense occurred on the property of a Discovery School.

Olander worked for Valley Bus as an aide.

Information from: KVLY-TV, http://kvlytv11.com WET CYCLE Experts see no end to valley wet cycle FARGO, N.D. (AP) Climate experts organized by the Army Corps of Engineers see no end to a wet cycle in the Red River Valley.

A report released by the group this week says the conditions show a need for flood protection.

The panel includes climate researchers from the corps, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Pat Foley heads the hydraulics section for the corps' St. Paul, Minn., office. He says the findings will help the corps set a new level for a 100-year flood. It refers to a 1 percent chance the river will reach that level or exceed it in any given year.

The current number for the 100-year flood in Fargo-Moorhead is 39.5 feet, or to 31,000 cubic feet of water per second.

Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-04-09 1600CST | save this article / add to your favorites list