Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

HIGHER ED Board, NDSU remain at odds on house funding Fargo, N.D. (AP) The group that managed construction of a new president's house at North Dakota State University says it's waiting to hear about its proposal to cover cost overruns.

The NDSU Development Foundation project was estimated to cost about $900,000, which was to be financed with private money. The house wound up costing more than $2 million.

The foundation says it agreed on Oct. 1 to cover the cost overruns, which were about $373,000 at the time. It says it won't cover at least $142,000 in bills that have surfaced in the last month.

University system chancellor Bill Goetz is scheduled to give an update on house funding at Thursday's board meeting in Minot. Board members have said the state should not have to cover the added costs.

Goetz refused to comment on Wednesday.

DENTIST SLAYING Attorney: Jones man to waive extradition to ND OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An attorney for an Oklahoma man accused of hiring his handyman to kill a Fargo, N.D., dentist says his client plans to waive extradition and return to North Dakota.

Oklahoma City attorney Irven Box says 63-year-old Gene Carl Kirkpatrick of Jones, Okla., plans to sign extradition papers during a brief court hearing on Friday.

Kirkpatrick is accused of hiring Michael Allen Nakvinda to kill Philip Gattuso, who was Kirkpatrick's son-in-law.

Kirkpatrick has been charged in North Dakota with conspiracy to commit murder.

North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven signed papers last week supporting Kirkpatrick's extradition.

Prosecutors allege Kirkpatrick paid Nakvinda $3,000 to kill Gattuso, who was found beaten to death with a hammer Oct. 26.

GRAND FORKS-FLOOD POLICY GF County mulls flood-fighting policy GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) Grand Forks County commissioners plan to adopt an official written flood policy before the next spring flooding threat.

The policy will spell out what the county will provide to protect people's property.

Under an unofficial policy that has been in use the past two decades, the county has paid for sandbags but residents have been responsible for paying for sand. However, when flooding has occurred the county often has expanded the list of flood-fighting costs it will cover, including sand.

Any new written policy is likely to establish minimum standards for what the county will provide, whether that is sand, empty bags or something else. Commissioners also have discussed setting trigger points such as river elevations or National Weather Service forecasts at which the county would provide more.

Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforksherald.com Flu DEATH ND has second flu death GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) The state Health Department says North Dakota has its second flu death.

Influenza surveillance coordinator Michelle Feist (FYST) says the victim was a woman older than 60 in the northwestern part of the state who had an underlying medical condition.

The department has now confirmed 3,139 influenza cases in North Dakota, up 184 over the past week.

Feist says the state continues to see weekly shipments of swine flu vaccine, but it could be January before Immunization clinics target the general population.

Information from: KNOX-AM, http://knoxradio.com UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS Unemployment benefits apps accepted Bismarck, N.D. (AP) Job Service North Dakota says it has begun accepting applications for the latest extension of unemployment benefits.

The federal government earlier this month approved the extension for almost 2 million people out of work nearly a year or more.

The measure extends benefits for up to 14 weeks for those who have exhausted their federal aid or will do so by the end of the year.

Job Service North Dakota says it will be contacting people who might be eligible by mail.

TRAFFIC FATALITIES ND traffic fatalities at modern-day high BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Traffic fatalities in North Dakota are at their highest point in nearly three decades.

The Highway Patrol says 124 people have died on state highways, with a month and a half left in the year. That surpasses the 2005 total of 123 and is approaching the 1982 fatality count of 148.

Last year, 104 people died on North Dakota highways. The total was 111 in each of the previous two years.

Highway Patrol Lt. Jody Skogen says the patrol is delaying some training so that it can keep more squad cars on the roads between now and the end of the year, to try to cut down on violations that lead to crashes.

Information from: KNOX-AM, http://knoxradio.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-19-09 0201CST | save this article / add to your favorites list