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Latest North Dakota news, sports, business and entertainment:
PHARMACY MEASURE-SUPREME COURT
Pharmacy measure in ND Supreme Court's hands
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota's Supreme Court is
considering whether a voter initiative on pharmacy ownership will
get a statewide vote.
The initiative's supporters say it will give North Dakotans
access to cheaper prescription drugs. Its opponents say letting
large retailers into the pharmacy business will hurt rural
drugstores.
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem told the Supreme Court on
Wednesday that the initiative petition didn't include a required
listing of the proposal's sponsors. He calls the mistake a
"complete failure" and says it should prevent the measure from
being listed on the November ballot.
Devils Lake attorney Dan Traynor represents the
initiative's sponsors. He says the omission was an honest mistake
and shouldn't prevent a statewide vote on the pharmacy issue.
CATTLE SEIZED
Judge says seizure of ND rancher's cattle improper
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A judge has ruled that a McLean
County rancher's cattle should not have been seized by law
officers.
The Sheriff's Department seized 258 cows, calves and bulls
from Layton Reynolds of Douglas on Friday. State's Attorney Ladd
Erickson said in an affidavit that the cattle kept getting into
neighbors' fields due to lack of feed in the pasture in which
they were held.
Judge David Reich held a hearing Monday and ruled late
Tuesday that the state had failed to prove that the seizure was
necessary.
Reynolds faces eight misdemeanor criminal charges in three
cases filed last year related to allegations that he allowed
cattle to run loose and that he neglected animals. The first two
cases are slated for trial in November.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune,
http://www.bismarcktribune.com
MIDWEST ECONOMY
Midwest survey suggests major recession fears
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - More than a third of supply managers in
nine Midwest and Plains states surveyed for a regional business
index expect a recession in 2011.
As part of the Mid-America report released Wednesday,
supply managers were asked their expectations for 2011, and 35
percent said a recession was likely or very likely.
The August overall economic index dipped to 55.8 from 60.8
in July.
The report uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero
to 100. Any score above 50 suggests economic growth in the next
three to six months, while a score below 50 suggests a
contracting economy. The report is overseen by Creighton
University economist Ernie Goss.
States in the survey are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
TROOPER CHARGED
Former ND trooper accused of assault on trial
MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) - Trial is under way for a former
North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper accused of assaulting his
wife at their Moorhead, Minn., home.
During opening statements on Tuesday, defense attorney Mark
Friese (freez) said there was reasonable doubt that Michael
Polomny hit or kicked his wife.
Naomi Polomny testified Tuesday that being hit and kicked
was her perception of what happened during the June 23 incident.
She also said she doesn't believe her husband tried to
intentionally harm her.
Moorhead Police Sgt. Steve Larsen testified that domestic
assault victims often recant. Prosecutor Pamela Harris showed the
jury photos of scrapes and bruises the wife suffered on her back,
leg and forearm.
Forty-one-year-old Michael Polomny faces misdemeanor
charges of domestic assault and child endangerment. He was fired
from the Highway Patrol after his arrest. He has appealed.
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Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com
BERTHOLD KILLING-PLEA
ND murder suspect pleads guilty
MINOT, N.D. (AP) - The man accused of killing his ex-wife
in Berthold earlier this year has pleaded guilty to Class AA
felony murder.
Thirty-nine-year-old David Hail is to be sentenced in state
district court in Minot on Friday.
Hail was accused of strangling 44-year-old Noreen Hail
during a domestic dispute on Feb. 28. He initially pleaded not
guilty but changed his plea during a hearing on Tuesday.
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Information from: Minot Daily News,
http://www.minotdailynews.com
MINOT FLIGHTS
Delta canceling Minot flights to Salt Lake City
MINOT, N.D. (AP) - Delta Air Lines is ending daily flights
between Minot and Salt Lake City only a few months after they
began.
Minot International Airport Director Andrew Solsvig says
the service will end Oct. 4 because of lower-than-expected demand
for the flights, which began May 4. Only about half of the planes
were filled on average.
Delta's flights between Minot and Minneapolis are not
affected.
---
Information from: Minot Daily News,
http://www.minotdailynews.com
HOUSING CONFERENCE
Regional housing conference held in ND
FARGO, N.D. (AP) - Housing officials from across the Great
Plains are in North Dakota for a three-day conference.
Sen. Kent Conrad says the 2010 Sustainable Homes and
Communities Conference in Fargo is an opportunity to bring
together local, state and federal resources to provide training
for housing and community development specialists.
The North Dakota Democrat says the goal is to find
solutions to housing challenges.
Adequate housing is a particular problem in western North
Dakota, where the booming energy industry has created a housing
crunch. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan
visited Williston earlier this month to get a firsthand look at
the problem.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights
Reserved.)
AP-NY-09-01-10 1158EDT
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