Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

NEEDY-VENISON ND pantries reach halfway goal of 700 deer Bismarck, N.D. (AP) A North Dakota program that distributes venison to the needy is halfway toward its goal of getting 700 deer from hunters this fall.

The North Dakota Community Action Partnership, which administers the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, accepted only deer killed with arrows last year, fearing that firearm-shot meat might contain lead fragments. The group has been accepting deer killed with lead bullets again this year.

State health officials continue to recommend that pregnant women and children younger than 6 avoid meat from deer killed with lead bullets.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department says there are 144,440 North Dakota deer gun licenses were available this year, down about 3 percent from last year. The season runs through Sunday.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE Fargo area housing agencies have backlog FARGO, N.D. (AP) Housing assistance agencies in the Fargo area are seeing record backlogs.

The Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority reports the wait for Section 8 vouchers is roughly 18 months. Section 8 is a federal rent subsidy program that offers housing options for people who cannot afford suitable housing and mortgage assistance.

Officials say the waiting list totals about 1,500, up 50 percent from 2007.

In neighboring Moorhead, Minn., which has a small, 95-voucher program, the wait is two years. The executive director of the Clay County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Dara Lee, said the demand has more than doubled in that time.

Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com SCAM HEROES Jamestown employees called heroes in scam JAMESTOWN, N.D. (AP) Jamestown police are praising employees of two stores who kept a woman from getting scammed out of $2,700 by refusing to allow her to wire money to Canada.

Police say 84-year-old Bernice Wipperling of Carrington was told her grandson needed money to get out of a Canadian jail. She later found out it part of a so-called "grandparent scam" known to prey on older people.

Wipperling said she and her husband, Wilfred, withdrew the money, drove to Jamestown and headed to a Walmart Supercenter. But employee Christina Butts refused to wire their money. Butts said the employees are trained to try to protect people who appears to be victims.

The Wipperlings then drove to Hugo's grocery store in Jamestown.

Butts called Chasta Mansavage, the Hugo's office manager, to warn her.

Mansavage said she told the Wipperlings their grandson probably was not even in Canada. They then called their daughter, who confirmed their grandson was in school in Fargo.

Information from: The Jamestown Sun, http://www.jamestownsun.com ACCOMPLICE TO MURDER CHARGE Woman pleads not guilty to accomplice charge Dickinson, N.D. (AP) A woman accused of being an accomplice to murder has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Authorities say Melissa Angerer, who also goes by the name Melissa Cady, drove Jamie Osborn to the home of his wife, Tracey, in August, knowing he intended to kill his wife.

The body of 43-year-old Tracey Osborn was found in northern Dunn County, north of Dickinson. The body of 41-year-old Jamie Osborn was found in Montana after he apparently shot himself.

In court Monday, detective Chris Coates said Angerer was Jamie Osborn's cousin and that she admitted driving Osborn to his wife's home. The detective said Angerer allegedly let Osborn go to her home to wash blood off his hands before driving him to Montana.

Defense attorney Kevin McCabe said it would be "a stretch" to find probable cause that Angerer knowingly caused the death of another human being.

Judge William Herauf bound the case over for trial.

Information from: The Dickinson Press, http://www.thedickinsonpress.com CEMENT TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED Cement truck driver charged with manslaughter BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A woman accused of falling asleep while driving a cement truck has been charged with manslaughter in a crash that killed a pickup driver.

Mary Agnes Greff also is charged with five counts of felony reckless endangerment in the Sept. 26 crash that killed Jeffrey Burgess of Bismarck.

Authorities say the 43-year-old Greff lost control of the cement truck on U.S. Highway 83 and the truck crossed the median and struck the pickup driven by Burgess. The 56-year-old Burgess died at the scene.

The crash injured 52-year-old Sylvia Burgess and 6-year-old Nicholaus Burgess, who were passengers in the pickup. Authorities said the reckless endangerment charges relate to their injuries and to the three other vehicles that had to swerve to avoid getting hit.

The Highway Patrol said the pickup was headed to the Coleharbor area and the cement truck was headed south from Washburn.

Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com Surrey FATAL Surrey teen killed in crash SURREY, N.D. (AP) A teenage girl from Surrey has died in a crash.

Ward County Sheriff's Capt. Todd Keller says 17-year-old Reiny Inman was alone in her car when she lost control of it shortly before 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Keller said the teen was thrown from the car after it went off a rural road in the Surrey area, just east of Minot.

Information from: KCJB-AM, http://kcjb910.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-17-09 1600CST | save this article / add to your favorites list