Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

WIFE SHOOTING ND woman allegedly shot by husband dies Grand Forks, N.D. (AP) A Grand Forks woman who authorities say was shot in the head by her husband has died.

Altru Hospital officials say Julie Cordts passed away on Thursday.

Police have said the 47-year-old Cordts was found unconscious on the floor of her bedroom Sept. 8. They believe her husband, 50-year-old Lyle Cordts, shot her in the head and then killed himself. His body was found on the bed.

Detectives are awaiting the final report on Lyle Cordts' autopsy.

Police and court records show the couple had a history of domestic violence.

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com STABBING-REWARD Reward offered in ND home-invasion stabbing GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) A $2,000 reward is being offered for information in the stabbing of a Grand Forks man in his home.

Police say Tom Schirrick was stabbed in the chest during a struggle with a burglar Thursday morning. He was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Schirrick's employer, Minnkota Power, and co-workers are putting up the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information is asked to call Grand Forks police at 701-787-8000.

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com DEPUTY-DOG SHOOTING Deputy on paid leave after dog shooting COOPERSTOWN, N.D. (AP) The Griggs County sheriff says a deputy is on paid administrative leave after shooting a dog he felt was threatening him earlier this week.

Sheriff Bob Hook says the state crime bureau is investigating the case.

Hook says Deputy John Tronset was off-duty but on-call when he shot a black Labrador retriever twice with his service handgun.

Hook said it happened Monday in the driveway of Tronset's home. He said Tronset told him he shot the dog at close range after it approached him in what he felt was a threatening manner.

The sheriff said the dog was treated for two .40-caliber gunshot wounds to the snout and mouth and is expected to fully recover. He said the dog was returned to the owners in Cooperstown.

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com Bismarck sales tax Bismarck mayor says hold off on sales tax hike BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Bismarck Mayor John Warford wants to postpone a proposal for a penny sales tax increase.

Warford asked that city attorney Charles Whitman hold off on the sample ballot for the tax.

The mayor says it's bad timing. He says tough economic times are hitting Bismarck with the pending closure of the Bobcat Co. plant.

The mayor earlier had pushed for the tax to help pay for property tax relief and road work. He says the tax may come up for discussion again next year.

Bismarck's current sales tax generates a little more than $12 million in revenue.

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com Minot Airport Minot's airport terminal a construction zone MINOT, N.D. (AP) Minot's airport terminal is getting an upgrade over the next three months.

Airport director Andrew Solsvig says the work is aimed at enhancing the comfort of passengers and potentially accommodating a new airline. Airport officials continue to seek an airline to provide a connection to a major western hub.

Remodeling will create bigger bathrooms and more space in the main lobby and baggage claim. Transportation Security Administration equipment will be relocated for a more efficient security checkpoint and more seating will be added in the gate area.

There also will be a shift in location of car rental agencies, an upgraded snack shop and an additional airline ticket counter.

The $700,000 project is 95 percent funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com RECYCLING WATER Researchers studying ways to recycle oil water MINOT, N.D. (AP) Researchers say the oil industry uses millions of gallons of water, and they're studying ways to recycle it.

The study by the Energy and Environmental Research Center is funded by state and federal agencies. It focuses on water used in the process of fracturing rock to extract the oil.

EERC senior research manager Bethany Kurz said truckloads of water have to be hauled to fracturing sites, and a typical fracturing job takes as much as 1 million gallons of water.

Minot and other area communities have been selling water to oil companies and some are looking at Lake Sakakwea water.

State officials say North Dakota's oil industry generates about 546 million gallons of salt water a month along with the oil.

Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com BADLANDS HISTORIC DISTRICT Officials at odds over Badlands site designation BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Federal and North Dakota officials are at odds over listing about 12,000 acres of the scenic Badlands on the National Register of Historic Places to recognize an area that inspired Theodore Roosevelt.

The U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service are pushing for the designation to highlight the significance of the region, where Roosevelt ran his cattle more than a century ago.

Ranchers and state officials fear the designation would hinder development and say local residents were not consulted.

But now federal officials say they plan to hold meetings with state and local leaders on the proposal for the designation. Those meetings have not yet been scheduled.

The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's list of properties it considers worthy of preservation and recognition. PUMPKIN PATCH Popular Bismarck patch rises from the fire BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Papa's Pumpkin Patch has come back from the fire.

An April fire destroyed a building and equipment at the popular family attraction, causing damage estimated at more than $100,000.

Operator Dave Pearce says neighbors and friends stepped up to help "patch up the patch." A new building has been named the "Phoenix" building, in a reference to a mythical bird that rises from the ashes.

And Pearce says the area has had plenty of moisture to help the pumpkins grow.

If the weather holds, he expects the patch to produce more than 35,000 pumpkins this year.

Owners of the patch say about 40,000 people visited the patch last fall.

On the Net: Papa's Pumpkin Patch: www.papaspumpkinpatch.com Information from: KXMB-TV, http://www.kxnet.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 09-19-09 1608CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list