Latest South Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

OFFICER ASSAULT-PLEA SD man pleads guilty to assaulting officer PIERRE, S.D. (AP) A Fort Thompson man has pleaded guilty in federal court to assaulting a law enforcement officer.

Court documents say 22-year-old Codi Lee Harmon was involved in a chase with an officer on the Crow Creek Reservation that reached speeds of 120 mph.

He was accused of steering his vehicle directly toward another officer responding to the incident, and forcing that officer into the ditch.

Harmon faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Dec. 7.

Information from: KGFX-AM, http://www.dakotaradiogroup.com JUDGES REAPPOINTED SD circuit court presiding judges reappointed PIERRE, S.D. (AP) South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson has reappointed all seven presiding judges in the state's circuit court system.

The presiding judges are administrative heads of their respective circuits.

Presiding judges are appointed by the chief justice and serve at his pleasure.

The reappointments are effective Sept. 16.

ADVENTURE RACE First 3 Primal Quest teams finish SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A spokesman for the Primal Quest Badlands adventure race in western South Dakota says the order of the first three teams across the finish is likely to stand.

Team OrionHealth.com was first to finish the 600-mile race Thursday after more than six days on the course. The Salomon/Crested Butte and Merrell/Zanfel Adventure came in second and third.

Team South Dakota was in 13th place Friday morning and approaching 400 miles into the race that started last Friday. The South Dakota team members include Gary Haven, Lisa Gustin, Andrew Busse and Eric Hansen, all of Rapid City.

Primal Quest ends at noon Sunday in Memorial Park in Rapid City.

Any teams unlikely to finish the full course will be shuttled in or will be able to take a modified course.

BABY SITTER-DRUG CHARGE Wandering child leads to drug arrest SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A report of a wandering child led to a drug arrest in Sioux Falls.

Police were called to an apartment building after a woman reported finding a 3-year-old girl wandering the complex about 1 a.m. Wednesday. When officers took the girl to the apartment number she gave them, they detected the smell of marijuana.

Police arrested a 21-year-old woman on drug charges. The woman had been baby-sitting the 3-year-old for a friend Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com BROOKINGS-LAYOFFS Brookings firm cuts 71 positions BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) A Brookings firm that makes play sets for children has cut 71 positions this month.

The cuts at Rainbow Play Systems are the third round of layoffs this year at the company as it responds to continuing weakness in retail demand.

Human Resources Director Kandy Barthel declined to comment beyond the company statement announcing the cuts.

The layoffs began in April when the company trimmed 74 workers from a base of 1,100 after losing 10 percent of its business volume in 2008. Another 25 workers were cut in late May.

Rainbow Play Systems attracted attention in March when one of its trademark swing sets was installed on the White House lawn.

Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com RED MEAT SD red meat production down in July SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) The Agriculture Department says commercial red meat production for South Dakota totaled 59.2 million pounds during July, down 24 percent from a year ago and down 19 percent from June's production.

July Pork production was down but sheep and lamb production were up from a year ago.

Commercial hog slaughter in South Dakota totaled 259,500 head, compared to 358,000 head in July 2008.

AVIATION HALL Seven added to Aviation Hall of Fame RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) The names of seven veterans of combat flight operations have been added to the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame.

In a ceremony Thursday at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, the engraved plates with the names of the military veterans were attached to the wall roster that includes other Hall members.

Among the names added was the late Capt. Cecil Harris, who shot down 24 enemy aircraft while serving in the Pacific during World War II. Officials say Harris was the second-highest scoring Navy ace of that war.

Information from: KEVN-TV, http://www.kevn.com ASSAULT SENTENCE Man sentenced for assault in stabbing incident RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) A Rapid City man involved in a fatal stabbing incident has been sentenced to two years in prison on a simple assault charge.

Authorities say 33-year old Durell Rooks and 22-year old Joshua Red Cloud tried to rob a man who then fatally stabbed Red Cloud on April 20. Prosecutors declined to charge the man, saying he acted in self-defense.

Rooks was accused of assaulting a law enforcement officer who responded to the scene.

Information from: KEVN-TV, http://www.kevn.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 08-21-09 1059CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list