Latest South Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:

CROP REPORT Weather helps farmers make harvest progress SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) As of Sunday, 40 percent of South Dakota's Corn crop was harvested well behind the five-year average but 13 percentage points ahead of the previous week's pace.

The weekly crop report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also says 79 percent of the sunflowers, 86 percent of the sorghum and 95 percent of the Soybeans have been harvested.

Temperatures last week were well above average, allowing farmers to make good progress on the fall harvest.

Feed and stock water supplies in the state were rated as mostly adequate to surplus.

SCHOOL START Group presses school board for later school start SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A group that wants the public school year to start later in Sioux Falls says it has 3,000 letters supporting its cause. The group appeared Monday before the Sioux Falls School Board.

One of the members, Rhonda Lockwood, said the board needs to listen to the group and not ignore it.

School is to start Aug. 16 start next year. But Lockwood and other group members say the summer break should better align with the weather.

Those defending the earlier start also spoke Monday.

Roosevelt High School physics teacher Barb Newitt says it's important that the first semester end before the Christmas break because students do better on semester tests.

Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com TRACKING STUDENTS SD on way to setting up student tracking system PIERRE, S.D. (AP) A national report says South Dakota has developed 7 of the 10 elements required in a data system that can track student progress from kindergarten through college.

The Data Quality Campaign reports that only 11 states have met all 10 elements of the tracking system.

Tami Darnall, finance and management director for the South Dakota education Department, says state officials are working to complete the remaining 3 elements by the deadline of September 2011. The system is designed to track student progress to help improve teaching and student performance.

Sandra Waltman of the South Dakota Education Association says the teachers union believes tracking student growth is good, but the system should not be used to make unfair assessments of teachers.

Flu-STUDENT DEATH Student's death leads more to seek vaccine SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A South Dakota sixth-grader's sudden death, linked to complications of swine flu and pneumonia, has led worried parents to seek flu vaccine.

State Epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger said he got calls all day Monday from parents reacting to the news of 12-year-old Tyler Newville's death. He said most of them asked where to get the vaccine for swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.

The Sioux Falls boy had a mild fever Wednesday night. He missed school Thursday and went to the hospital Friday with breathing problems. He died that night.

In a statement, Tyler's family said he had no underlying health problems and urged people to get the H1N1 vaccine.

Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com SDSU DEAN FINALISTS 3 finalists name for ag dean BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) Three South Dakota State University alumni have been named finalists for the next dean of the SDSU College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.

The three are Barry Dunn, executive director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville; Joseph Hiller, an assistant dean, assistant director for the Arizona Cooperative Extension Service, and head of American Indian Studies graduate interdisciplinary program at the University of Arizona in Tucson and Kenneth Odde, a professor and head of the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

SDSU says the finalists will be interviewed on the campus in Brookings next week and will attend public forums in Pierre and Rapid City.

The new dean will be responsible for a budget of $44 million in state and federal funds and more than $17 million in grants and contracts.

CABLE LAWSUIT Lawsuit in ND targets Midcontinent cable Bismarck, N.D. (AP) A south central North Dakota landowner is suing Midcontinent Communications over cable buried on his property.

The lawsuit against South Dakota-based Midcontinent Communications Investors and Delaware-based TCI Midcontinent seeks unspecified damages. The suit filed by Dale Neidhardt also is a proposed class action, meaning it could potentially involve hundreds of state residents.

The lawsuit is similar to one filed last year against AT&T. It says Midcontinent did not obtain the proper permission from landowners when it laid underground cable on private property, including on land for which state, county or township governments have easements for roads.

Midcontinent spokesman Tom Simmons declined immediate comment Tuesday, saying the company had not yet been served with the lawsuit.

A settlement is pending in the AT&T case. Fargo attorney Mike Miller has been the lead plaintiff's attorney on both lawsuits.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-24-09 1620CST | save this article / add to your favorites list