Emergency Responders work to put out a fire caused from a two-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 90 approximately a mile east of Alexandria on Thursday afternoon. (Matt Gade/Republic)
One year after a car crash killed four people near Alexandria, South Dakota, the reasons for the crash remain uncertain.
According to the investigator's report on the crash, conducted by South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Peterson, the reason 75-year-old Salem resident David Wise was driving eastbound in the westbound lane on Interstate 90 is unclear.
"It is unknown why driver of unit 1 was traveling the wrong way down the interstate or if the crash was deliberate," the report states.
According to the Highway Patrol, who sent a statement to The Daily Republic last week regarding the report, the crash was investigated in the same manner as all fatal crashes. The area was mapped, photos were taken and interviews were conducted.
But in cases like the Alexandria crash, where both drivers were killed, Highway Patrol said it's difficult to determine why the crash occurred.
"Sometime the 'why' of the crash can't exactly be determined," the statement said. "This is one of those crashes."
While Highway Patrol said its troopers rely on facts, not speculation, one witness suspected Wise believed he was driving on a two-lane highway.
"He was doing a good job of driving," said Jim Arens, of Mitchell, who was listed as a witness in the Highway Patrol report. "He was driving normally like he was on a two-lane road."
Wise died in the crash, and the report states he had no alcohol in his system. Despite the lack of alcohol and unknown motives, Wise drove approximately 80 mph when he crashed head-on into another vehicle, killing three Omaha residents and seriously injuring another. The Omaha residents were traveling in the correct direction.
The report states Wise's 1995 Chevrolet truck had corn plants on the windshield, which possibly affected Wise's vision. The report also states that "good samaritans" were able to pull two passengers from the vehicle struck by Wise but were unable to remove the fatally injured drivers from the vehicles as they were consumed by flames.

Reasons for fatal South Dakota crash still undetermined one year later


A bushel of soybeans are shown on display in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri, U.S. on July 28, 2014. REUTERS/Tom Gannam/File Photo
BOONE, Iowa—U.S. farmers plan to increase their soybean plantings in 2017 to an all-time high, encouraged by robust demand for the oilseed, while reducing corn and wheat acreage, according to a producer survey released by Farm Futures magazine on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Growers will plant 84.4 million acres of soybeans next spring, up from 83.7 million in 2016, and 93.1 million acres of corn, down from 94.1 million this year, according to the survey, the magazine's first for the upcoming season.
Low prices will prompt farmers to slash wheat area for a fourth straight season to 49.1 million acres, which would be the lowest U.S. all-wheat acreage since 1970, according to the
online survey of 1,225 farmers conducted in late July and early August.
A moderate increase in white wheat seedings will be more than offset by declines in plantings of all other major classes of wheat, the survey showed.
"Farmers show a tendency to base planting decisions on what worked the previous year, and soybeans were profitable for growers able to take advantage of hedging opportunities this
summer," Bryce Knorr, Farm Futures senior grain market analyst, said in a statement.
"Strong buying from China also provides a much better fundamental underpinning for the market compared to corn and wheat, which lack demand drivers," he said.
The survey also forecast moderate increases in cotton and sorghum acres.

U.S. soybean plantings to rise in 2017, corn to fall


Derren Sorrells is pictured in this undated booking photo. Sorrells is charged in the murder of Nykea Aldridge, a cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade. Chicago Police/Handout via Reuters
Darwin Sorrells Jr. is pictured in this undated booking photo. Sorrells is charged in the murder of Nykea Aldridge, a cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade. Chicago Police/Handout via Reuters
Two brothers have been arrested and charged in the shooting death of basketball star Dwyane Wade's cousin in Chicago, a case that has emerged as a talking point in the U.S. presidential race, police said on Sunday.
Darwin Sorrells Jr., 26, and Derren Sorrells, 22, are facing charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of Nykea Aldridge, a 32-year-old mother of four, who was hit in crossfire on Friday while pushing a baby in a stroller.
Both brothers were on parole, said Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi on Twitter on Sunday morning.
Guglielmi described Derren Sorrells as a "documented member" of a Chicago gang called the Gangster Disciples and the older Sorrells as a "co-conspirator" who was "let out early" on a sentence of six years after his conviction on a gun charge from 2013.
It was not clear whether the brothers had a lawyer.
In a city with as many as 90 shootings a week, homicides in Chicago this year are on track to reach their highest since 1997, raising concern about a reversal in the declining rate of serious crime in the country's largest cities in recent years.
Aldridge's death has drawn national attention because of the connection to Wade, a 12-time National Basketball Association All-Star who signed a two-year, $47.5 million deal this summer to play for his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls.
Wade described his cousin's killing as "another act of senseless gun violence" on Twitter.
In a campaign speech in Iowa on Saturday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Aldridge's shooting illustrated why black voters would rally behind him, calling it an example of violence that Democrats have failed to address.
Earlier Trump was criticized for politicizing the killing, and for spelling the NBA player's name wrong, when he sent a Twitter message that read:
"Dwayne Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!"
Hours later, Trump followed up with a Tweet that offered condolences to Wade's family.

2 Chicago brothers charged in murder of NBA star's cousin, police say


WASHINGTON—A European Commission order requiring Apple Inc to pay Ireland $13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in unpaid taxes on Tuesday drew swift rebukes from the Obama administration and lawmakers in Congress, while reigniting calls for U.S. tax reform.
The White House and the Treasury Department, which enforces federal tax policy, warned that U.S.-EU economic relations could be affected by the European Commission's ruling that Apple had received illegal state aid under its agreement with Ireland.
Business groups protested. The Business Roundtable, which represents U.S. chief executives, called the decision "an act of aggression" against a law-abiding U.S. company and a sovereign government.
Members of both parties in Congress pointed to the stunning decision as evidence that the U.S. tax code should be rewritten to give American companies an incentive to bring home some $2.1 trillion in U.S. corporate profits held abroad. But there was no sign that lawmakers were any closer to bridging the substantial divides that have prevented agreement up to now.
"Above all, this is yet another reason why we need to fix our tax code," House Speaker Paul Ryan, the highest-ranking elected Republican, said in a statement. "Today's decision should be a spur to action."
Apple was found to be holding over $181 billion offshore, more than any U.S. company, in a study published last year by two left-leaning nonprofit groups: Citizens for Tax Justice and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.
"This is yet another example of why we need to reform the international tax system to ensure these revenues come home," said Senator Charles Schumer, the chamber's No. 3 Democrat.
Even the European Commission voiced indirect criticism of the U.S. tax code, suggesting that Washington could require Apple's Irish operations to pay larger amounts of money to the U.S. parent to finance research and development, which would increase Apple's U.S. tax bill.
Former Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat whose investigation of U.S. corporate tax avoidance was cited by European regulators, blamed the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for failing to challenge Apple's overseas arrangements.
Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have discussed plans to encourage the repatriation of U.S. profits abroad.
But House Republicans hope to move broader legislation next year that would cut the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and adopt a "territorial" system that would exempt the overseas earnings of U.S. companies from U.S. taxation. Democrats have dismissed that as a massive tax giveaway.
Other critics in Washington warned that Tuesday's European Commission move would encroach on U.S. government jurisdiction and ultimately add to the federal deficit.
"We are concerned about a unilateral approach ... that threaten(s) to undermine progress that we have made collaboratively with the Europeans to make the international taxation system fair," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.
U.S. Representative Kevin Brady, Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, called the decision "a predatory and naked tax grab".
Apple and Ireland said they would appeal the EU decision. But some analysts said the ruling, if upheld, could change the calculus that has kept U.S. corporate money overseas if it means higher taxes in low-tax European countries like Ireland.
"The scheme of U.S. multinationals parking money offshore indefinitely, taxed at zero, may be coming to an end," said Steven Rosenthal of the Tax Policy Center research group.
Online retailer Amazon.com Inc and fast-food company McDonald's Corp already face probes over taxes in Luxembourg, while coffee chain Starbucks Corp has been ordered to pay up to 30 million euros ($33 million) to the Dutch government.

EU ruling on Apple stirs calls for U.S. tax reform


A Hershey's chocolate bar is shown in this photo illustration in Encinitas, California, U.S. January 29, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Mondelez International Inc said it was "no longer pursuing" the acquisition of Hershey Co , a month after the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office unveiled the terms of a reform deal with the trust that controls Hershey.
Shares of Mondelez, the maker of Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolates, rose nearly 4 percent in extended trading on Monday, while Hershey's shares plunged about 12 percent.
In June, Hershey rejected a $23 billion cash-and-stock offer by Mondelez.
"Following additional discussions, and taking into account recent shareholder developments at Hershey, we determined that there is no actionable path forward toward an agreement," Mondelez Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld said on Monday.
The reform agreement for Hershey Trust came after an investigation of several months by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office over the charitable trust's governance, compensation and expenses.
The trust, set up by Hershey's eponymous founder a century ago, holds 81 percent of the company's voting stock and a sale is impossible without its approval.
"While we are disappointed in this outcome, we remain disciplined in our approach to creating value, including through acquisitions," Rosenfeld said on Monday.

Oreo cookie maker Mondelez abandons bid for Hershey


Longtime Bemidji State head football coach Jeff Tesch is on a 'leave of absence,' the university announced Tuesday, two days before the team's season opener against Upper Iowa. Forum News Service
BEMIDJI, Minn.—Longtime head coach Jeff Tesch will not be on the sideline at Bemidji State for Thursday's football season opener against Upper Iowa.
In a press release delivered just over 48 hours prior to the Beavers' home opener, BSU director of athletics Tracy Dill said that Tesch was taking a "leave of absence" from the Beavers.
BSU officials would not elaborate further on the nature of Tesch's absence.
BSU opens its season at 6 p.m. Thursday at Chet Anderson Stadium.
Defensive coordinator Brett Bolte would be taking over as head coach in the interim, the press release said.
Tesch is entering his 21st season on the Beaver sideline. He is 126-91 all-time as BSU head coach, a tenure that began in 1996 and featured a conference championship (2006), a bowl game appearance (also 2006) and 10 All-Americans.
A native of Robbinsdale, Tesch played college tight end at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he was an All-American and NCAA Division II receiving champion. After graduating he was an assistant at Montana State, Central Missouri State and North Dakota, where he spent 11 seasons.
Bolte has been a member of Tesch's staff since 2000, and a full-time assistant since 2003. He's been defensive coordinator since 2005.

Bemidji State football coach on 'leave of absence,' AD says


Like all great ghost stories, the Legend of Emily's Bridge, in Stowe, Vermont, has many different versions.
Some say a young woman named Emily was stood up at the altar by her fiancé, and fled from the church in anger on her family carriage. Not paying attention to where she was going, she crashed the carriage into the creek underneath what used to be known as Gold Brook Bridge, killing herself and her family's horses.
Others claim Emily hoped to meet her secret lover at the bridge, so that they could elope. When he didn't show, she flung herself off the bridge into the waters below, drowning to death.
And finally there's the tale of the young woman who became pregnant out of wedlock, and, in desperation, hanged herself from the rafters of the covered bridge.
But one local reporter says she simply made it all up. In the 1970s, Nancy Stead was horrified when creepy stories of witchcraft near the bridge made it a popular gathering place for curious tourists and locals alike, leading to loud parties and unsafe swimming conditions.
"The girls were buzzing about witchcraft and covens, and we said we should probably tell them about this bridge, and this girl Emily who died there," Stead said. "Each of us would add our own line to the story, and boom, it just took off and went crazy. But it was just made up."
The only problem with Stead's story is that disturbing paranormal activity has been reported at Emily's Bridge since the 1960s.
Several commuters have reported hearing strange scratching noises on the side of the car and dragging noises across the top as they drive through Emily's Bridge, only to find what appear as bloody claw marks on the side of the vehicle, or, even more chilling, shoe-like scuffs across the roof of the car.
Others have spotted a white apparition floating nearby the bridge. Photographers and videographers have noted the presence of large white orbs in footage shot near or on the bridge, as well as unexplained figures and shadows. In one particularly chilling video, there appears to be a figure hanging from the roof of the bridge.
Those brave (or oblivious) enough to walk under Emily's Bridge have reported an ominous feeling of being watched, hearing the sounds of a rope tightening and stretching, and even the disembodied sound of a woman's screams. Some unlucky people have been scratched by an unseen presence under the bridge, emerging with bloody marks on their backs and arms.
The eerie phenomena surrounding Emily's Bridge has been so unsettling that some locals refuse to cross the bridge, and even go well out of their way to avoid it. What would you do, if you came across this picturesque covered bridge? Are you brave enough to make it to the other side?
This story was originally featured on The-Line-Up.com. The Lineup is the premier digital destination for fans of true crime, horror, the mysterious, and the paranormal.


North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, (from right) talks about the state's Legacy Fund as House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, and Brad Crabtree of the Great Plains Institute listen on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, during the Greater North Dakota Chamber's Policy Summit at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck, N.D. Photo by Mike Nowatzki / Forum News Service
BISMARCK — North Dakota leaders are signaling a growing willingness to use earnings from the state's $3.8 billion Legacy Fund to shore up declining revenues when they craft the budget for next biennium, but just which earnings will be available is still up in the air.
"I'll tell you right now, I'm counting on the revenue from the Legacy Fund," Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said during a lively panel discussion Thursday as part of the Greater North Dakota Chamber's daylong Policy Summit in Bismarck.
The discussion came about three weeks after the Legislature met in special session to plug a $310 million budget shortfall for the current biennium that ends next June, in part by using $100 million in profits from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.
The Legacy Fund has grown to more than $3.8 billion since state voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2010 to create the trust fund by setting aside 30 percent of the state's taxes on oil and gas production and extraction starting in 2011.
There were no guidelines on how to spend the money, but lawmakers can't tap it until after June 30, 2017. After that date, the state treasurer must transfer earnings to the state's general fund.
Wardner and House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, both said there's no appetite to spend the fund's principal — which requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate — but agreed that the earnings will likely be needed to fund state programs.
Wardner said about $120 million in earnings are expected to be available for the 2017-19 biennium, citing a Legislative Council estimate.
"If we're going to keep our priorities and make sure we get through this time, we're going to need that $120 million," he said. "In my mind, I'm planning on that we're probably going to use it."
Long-term vision
Brad Crabtree, vice president for fossil energy for the Minneapolis-based Great Plains Institute, led an initiative in 2013-14 involving public and private sector leaders from across the state to develop a road map for the Legacy Fund. He urged lawmakers Thursday not to use the Legacy Fund just to plug short-term budget gaps but to invest most of the earnings back into the principal to allow compounding interest to build the fund bigger so it can be invested in major long-term initiatives later on.
Crabtree said the group presented lawmakers last year with modest recommendations about governance and management of the fund, "and to be very candid, most of the legislators in the hearing room couldn't give a damn."
"I don't see a lot of responsiveness or vision to new ideas, and so it worries me that we're going to make some bad choices that will then set the precedent ... that the Legacy Fund slowly dies a death by a thousand cuts legislative session by legislative session," he said.
"That's an unfair statement," Wardner shot back. "The Legislature is not going to let it die. We're committed to leaving it in there. Sometimes we need to use it, the interest, in order to get through a tough time."
However, the question remains whether the earnings that have accrued so far will also be available for lawmakers to spend with a simple majority vote, or whether they'll be considered part of the principal and will require a two-thirds vote to spend. State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt has asked Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for an opinion on the issue.
"The constitution is silent on it," she said.
Warner and Onstad both said they're not interested in using those earnings. Onstad said after the panel that he doesn't even want to use the 2017-19 earnings, "but I think we're going to be forced to because we've cut revenue in other areas."
Like other state revenues, monthly deposits into the Legacy Fund have shrunk considerably as low crude prices have slowed oil drilling activity, though a rebound is in the forecast.
The average monthly deposit so far this calendar year has been $29.7 million, down from about $50 million in 2015 and $93 million in 2014, according to the treasurer's office. The record high monthly deposit was more than $117 million in August 2014. This month's deposit was about $35.3 million.
The 2016 figures reflect GOP lawmakers' decision last year to lower the oil extraction rate from 6.5 percent to 5 percent as of Jan. 1, while doing away with price-based tax breaks that would have drastically reduced oil tax collections. Whether the tax break was necessary continues to be a source of debate, as seen Thursday.
Revenue forecasts released earlier this month project tax revenues going into the Legacy Fund will total about $810.7 million this biennium and $994.2 million in 2017-19.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple told reporters last month that he would not rule out the possibility of using interest earnings from the Legacy Fund in his proposed budget for 2017-19, but said he doesn't support spending the principal.

N.D. leaders shift toward willingness to spend Legacy Fund earnings for 2017-19 budget --EMDASH-- but which earnings?


Then White House senior adviser David Plouffe walks to the Marine One helicopter to depart with U.S. President Barack Obama for a day trip to Ohio and New York, from the White House in Washington, June 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON—A former top adviser to President Barack Obama on Sunday labeled Donald Trump a "psychopath", saying the Republican presidential nominee met the clinical definition of the personality disorder.
With a little more than two months to go before the Nov. 8 U.S. election, the comments by David Plouffe, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign, mark another escalation in a series of blows exchanged between Trump's camp and that of his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.
"Basically, you have a psychopath running for president. I mean, he meets the clinical definition," Plouffe said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."
When challenged, Plouffe acknowledged he had no degree in psychology but rattled off what he said were the New York businessman's symptoms: "grandiose notion of self-worth; pathological lying; lack of empathy and remorse."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Clinton accused Trump of fueling America's "radical fringe" with racist rhetoric, while Trump said Clinton was letting down black Americans with failed policies and called her a "bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings."
Obama has also lambasted Trump, saying of him: "Somebody who makes those kinds of statements doesn't have the judgment, the temperament, the understanding to occupy the most powerful position in the world."

Former Obama aide calls Trump a 'psychopath'


A former Virginia politician who was jailed over a sex scandal involving a teenage girl leads a crowded field running for mayor of the state's capital city, a poll showed on Tuesday.
Joe Morrissey, 58, holds a commanding lead in the Richmond mayor's race with 28 percent of the vote city-wide, according to the Christopher Newport University poll. The poll showed him about 12 points ahead of the nearest of his seven competitors.
Morrissey pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in December 2014 for his relationship with a receptionist who began working in his office when she was 17. He is now married to the woman and they have two children.
Morrissey, who was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2007, was sentenced to six months in jail and resigned from office. He switched from Democrat to run as an independent in the special election to fill his seat.
During a three-month stay in an area jail, Morrissey commuted to the state legislature on work release and also ran his re-election campaign.
Morrissey stunned political pundits when he won in January 2015 while serving his jail sentence. He gave up his most recent bid to serve in the state Senate last September, citing health problems.
The poll was based on 600 live interviews with registered voters Aug. 18 through- 24 and has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.
Morrissey also had his license to practice law revoked by the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board in 2003.

Poll shows Virginia lawmaker jailed in sex scandal leading mayor's race


This is in response to Brad Elliott Schlossman's column, "UND's athletics committee is problematic" (Page C1, Aug. 28).
After reading the column twice, I still cannot answer the question, "why is it problematic?"
Is it because even though 75 percent of the committee has a direct stake in the deliberations, there are non-athletic department representatives on the committee as well? Is it because not all sports are represented equally, and Schlossman feels this will lead to preferential treatment?
Or is it because when all is said and done, UND likely will be fielding fewer teams than last year?
All three points are valid, but ...
An oversight committee is by definition comprised of experts from within (the athletic director is part of this committee) and stakeholders from without. It is their job to police the athletic department, not be its lapdog.
This is how we avoid adding another chapter to the North Dakota University System's history of oversight failures.
As for the concern that not all sports are represented equally, when I first saw the makeup of the committee, I had the opposite reaction: It is too big. They will talk for days and never get anything done. Adding more stakeholders would only worsen this situation.
The athletic director should be able to represent those who don't have their own champion.
Finally, the fact remains that someone, somewhere, has to bleed. The athletic department is $1.4 million over budget, and no one else is stepping up to the plate to solve the problem.
Also, like every other university department, the athletic department has to present a 90 percent budget. That's 10 percent off the top compared to last year.
Given that the department's costs have increased (more money for many scholarship athletes to pay for "incidentals"), this makes drastic cuts inevitable.
Do I want to see teams go? Absolutely not. Sports are an integral part of the college experience. That said, with at least one more academic program on the way out, any attempt to shelter athletics from further cuts is a nonstarter.
Paul Cline
Grand Forks

LETTER: UND sports can't be exempted from cuts


U.S. President Barack Obama, having completed a tour of flood-affected boards Air Force One at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON—When Barack Obama became the first African-American to win the White House in 2008, his victory was a turning point in U.S. race relations that set high expectations for progress to come.
Nearly eight years later, with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton attacking each other over racial politics, the legacy of Obama's presidency looks decidedly mixed, black leaders said.
To some, the tone of the Republican presidential nominee's campaign, as well as a recent series of racially charged shootings involving police, show that the United States has come no closer to overcoming its history of racial strife.
Having a black president, two attorneys general and a chief of homeland security did not result in basic fairness for victims of racially charged violence, said Cornel West, an academic and former Obama supporter who has become a high-profile critic of the Democratic president.
"How many policemen who have murdered unarmed innocent black civilians have gone to jail with that kind of black power at the top? Zero," West said.
Obama could have acted more directly while in office to help blacks, West added, citing persistently high childhood poverty among African-Americans. "The (economic) recovery has not filtered over into black and working poor communities," he said.
Others said Obama showed leadership on race while making real achievements on healthcare and the economy that helped Americans of all ethnicities.
Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader with close ties to the White House, described Obama as a "transformative" president held back by the need to serve varying constituencies and compromise with lawmakers who had different priorities.
"He tried to be as balanced and respectful as he could, to the chagrin of many in the black community, who felt that he was leaning over backwards," Sharpton said.
Unemployment among African-Americans fell by half under Obama, Sharpton noted, while Obama's remarks on race elevated the issue. In 2012 at the White House, Obama referred to Trayvon Martin, a black youth gunned down by a white Hispanic man, as a boy who would have resembled the son he did not have.
"We've never had a president do that," Sharpton said.
False sense of progress
Andrew Young, a former Atlanta mayor, congressman, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and adviser to slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., said Obama, as a black leader, had to seek compromise more than previous white presidents.
"It was easier for (Jimmy) Carter or Lyndon Johnson, even Bill Clinton as southern whites to do things specifically for black people," Young said.
Backlash from white working class voters had contributed to Trump's rise, Young said.
"We really haven't had a complete psychological adjustment to a multi-racial society," he said. "That's what's rallying people behind Trump. They're frustrated by the complexities of this day and age. And (Trump), like others, gives a simple answer and blames it on somebody else."
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, blasted Trump on Thursday as a divisive candidate who was stoking racist groups. Trump criticized Clinton, saying she had let black Americans down and was falsely labeling Republicans as bigoted.
Clinton supporters were more likely to want to address race relations than Trump supporters, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll of more than 2,800 people found in late March.
Obama has said race relations are not as bad as some suggest. Friends say he never expected his presidency to wipe away centuries of racism and slavery's legacy.
"To expect to erase all of that legacy of injustice or racism and discrimination in eight years is unrealistic," said Valerie Jarrett, a White House adviser and close Obama friend.
"Were there people who probably had a false sense of progress based just on an election? Sure," she said.
The administration wants to advance criminal justice reform legislation before Obama leaves office, aiming for a win on an issue watched closely in the black community. But prospects of passage in Congress during an election year are uncertain.
Obama, who has made clear his disdain for Trump and his frustration with Congress, has said he hoped his own voice on race would help improve things for future generations. "We plant seeds, and somebody else maybe sits under the shade of the tree that we planted," Obama said at a news conference in July.

As racial politics loom over election, Obama's legacy is seen as mixed


Brad Dokken is editor of the Herald's Northland Outdoors section and also works as a copy editor and page designer. Dokken joined the Herald company in November 1985 as a copy editor for Agweek magazine and joined the Herald staff in 1989. He worked as a copy editor in the features and news departments before becoming outdoors editor in 1998. He also writes a blog called Compass Points. A Roseau, Minn., native, Dokken is a graduate of Bemidji State University.

WATCH: Boy water skis in a ditch in Minnesota after heavy rain storm


Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
NEW YORK—Financial and commodity-sector stocks led the S&P 500 higher in a low-volume session on Monday, Aug. 29, after consumer spending rose for a fourth straight month, pointing to a pick-up in U.S. economic growth.
Investors continued to digest comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials on Friday. After Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the case for a rate hike before the end of the year was strengthening, Vice Chair Stanley Fischer seemed to indicate not only the possibility of a tightening move in September but a second one in December.
Besides the outperformance from cyclical sectors, utilities also rose, clawing back from a sell-off in the sector on Friday, which was its largest in four months.
"Utilities are up on a bounce," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities in New York.
He said investors were taking Fischer's comments as less hawkish than initially thought, while acknowledging there has been a turn for the better in U.S. economic data in recent weeks that could support tighter monetary policy.
The U.S. Commerce Department said that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.3 percent last month after a 0.5 percent gain in June.
"There is a rethink of Fischer's two rate hikes," said Hogan, but "the Fed is certainly trying to get the market ready for a rate hike."
Financials, a sector that has underperformed most of the year, was the best performer on the S&P 500, with Wells Fargo up 2.2 percent.
The sector typically rises with talk of higher rates, on the expectation that banks' income could rise as they charge more for loans. However, the correlation is not direct as it requires the yield curve, which has been flattening of late, to steepen.
Wunderlich's Hogan said the gains in bank stocks are likely from traders who are short, as they buy in to cover their bets.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 107.59 points, or 0.58 percent, to 18,502.99, the S&P 500 gained 11.34 points, or 0.52 percent, to 2,180.38 and the Nasdaq Composite added 13.41 points, or 0.26 percent, to 5,232.33.
The S&P closed 0.45 percent below its record high set earlier this month. Data last week showed speculators are the most net long S&P e-mini futures contracts in three years.
Stock trading volume was the weakest so far this year at just below 5 billion shares, compared with the average of 6.1 billion over the past 20 days. It is expected to remain low through the week, the last of the U.S. summer vacation season.
Shares of private prison operators fell after the Department of Homeland Security said it will evaluate whether the agency should continue to contract with private prisons, following a decision announced Aug. 18 by the Justice Department to phase out contracts with private operators.
Corrections Corp of America fell 4.1 percent to $16.79 and The GEO Group lost 3.0 percent to $21.25.
Apple ended down 0.1 percent at $106.82. The company could face over 1 billion euros in back taxes as the European Commission was set to rule on Tuesday against Ireland's tax dealings with Apple.
Caesars Entertainment Corp tumbled 15.7 percent to end at $6.35 after a U.S. judge cleared the way for billions of dollars in bondholder lawsuits against the casino group to proceed.
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 2.60-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.68-to-1 ratio favored advancers.
The S&P 500 posted 27 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 121 new highs and 20 new lows.

Wall Street gains as data points to budding economy


For several years running, Northeastern Minnesota boasted stronger employment prospects than the nation as a whole. But since a mining downturn began last year, the region has failed to beat the national unemployment rate, and even as the industry shows signs of recovery, the number of Northland residents without jobs remains stubbornly high.
July data showed a 5.5 percent unemployment rate in the Duluth-Superior metropolitan statistical area — a territory that encompasses all of St. Louis, Douglas and Carlton counties. That's above the national unemployment rate of 5.5 percent and well above the state rate of 3.7 percent for the same month.
Erik White, a regional labor analyst for Northeastern Minnesota, attributes the weakened job market primarily to softer demand for U.S. steel.
"That is an effect of mining layoffs, not only within the industry but some of those contingent industries, as well," he said, noting that mine service providers and suppliers have also felt the impact.
There have been some encouraging signs of late that the region's mining industry may be on the mend, including the recent recall of workers to United Taconite's operations and an announcement by Cliffs Natural Resources that it plans to invest $65 million in the facility to produce a new pellet, giving the plant access to a new market.
But as of July, jobs on the Range remained tough to come by, with unemployment rates in Virginia and Hibbing of 8.2 and 8.3 percent, respectively.
The city of Duluth has fared better, reporting a July unemployment rate of 4.1 percent.
"Typically Duluth's unemployment rates tend to be a little bit lower than in the surrounding area, because it's the economic hub of the region," White said.
White said the city has proven resilient because of its more diverse economy.
"If you look at the major industries of Duluth, it has a lot of accommodations and food service businesses. But the main thing is health care, and that isn't necessarily impacted by mining layoffs. You might even see demand for some of those services increasing in the area. That's where we see the mining layoffs being less impactful. But there are still some of those local service industries that are affected, especially things like shipping and transportation," he said.
Although finding appropriate work remains a serious challenge for many Northland residents, White said the higher unemployment figures also may reflect a positive development. He noted that unemployment insurance data reflects only those seeking work or who have actively sought work in the past 30 days.
"We know from the recession of 2008 and 2009 that there were quite a few people who might have given up on work. ... So it's almost not a bad thing to see some increases in the unemployment rate, because that could be an indicator ... that some of these people are entering back into the workforce," White said.

Lingering effects of mining downturn show in northeast Minnesota unemployment rate


Law enforcement personnel working at the Dakota Access Pipeline protest near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation are taking precautions not to advertise their identities after threats were made to specific officers both online and in person.
Currently work on the pipeline has been halted by Energy Transfer Partners due to safety concerns related to the on-going protests.
I spoke with Lt. Tom Iverson and Captain Aaron Hummel of the North Dakota Highway Patrol yesterday after I’d been told that their troopers had been told to stop wearing their name badges while working at the protest. Hummel confirmed that he had sent that advice out to their personnel in an email which he also provided to me. In it he also advised law enforcement personnel to review their social media presence to ensure privacy.
You can read the full blog post by clicking here.

Port: Law enforcement at pipeline protests take precautions after social media threats


Dylan Selk carried the football six times for 20 yards in the 2015 high school football season. Logan Dietrich caught two passes for 25 yards.
Those numbers make Selk and Dietrich the veterans returning at the skill positions for East Grand Forks Senior High.
The Green Wave are in total rebuild mode in the backfield and the receiving positions.
"It's actually kind of an exciting situation,'' Senior High coach Ryan Kasowski said. "We've got kids with talent. Even though they haven't played much varsity ball, we're comfortable with the guys we'll be putting out there.''
Seniors dominated the offense for last season's 3-6 Senior High team. Quarterback Trevor Selk rushed for 684 yards and passed for 1,456 yards. Jordan Young had 853 yards rushing. Cole Hammargren, Braden Shea, Gunner Welsh and Tom Pace all caught 12 or more passes.
All were seniors.
"We graduated all of our playmakers,'' Kasowski said. "It's wide open who plays now. Guys are competing for playing time, every day competing to earn spots. And they are competing. In that way, it's been good.''
Who gets the ball Thursday when Senior High hosts Crookston at 6 p.m. in the first football game on the new artificial turf at Senior High Field is still unclear.
Dylan Selk, a junior and third-year varsity player who is making the switch from running back to quarterback, is the front-runner to succeed his brother at quarterback. But Carter Beck and Jake Hjelle are also competing for the job. Selk started at linebacker last season.
"Dylan (Selk) probably has a bit of an edge because of his experience,'' Kasowski said.
In the mix in the backfield are Nick Derrick, Ethan Trebil, Maguire Stanislawski, Jackson Galstad and Jhett Pesch. Kasowski doesn't see one back dominating the rushing opportunities like Young did last season.
"They'll all get playing time,'' Kasowski said.
"It will be more of a run-oriented offense. We're trying to go to more of a power game. We got away from that the last few years because of the skill set of those kids. But we feel confident with all these backs.''
Whatever direction the Wave offense goes, there will be high expectations for the offensive line. That's where the experience lies, as Bauer Brown, James Egeland and Austin Overgaard are returning starters.
Brown isn't concerned about all the new faces in the huddle this season. Instead, the senior is anxiously anticipating an offense geared around power.
"It will be fun, trying to take it to the guy across from you on every play,'' Brown said. "In the running game, you have to get into (defenders) more, to push more. We'll be more of a blue-collar team.
"We have new guys who are excited about what they're doing. Hopefully we'll be a better team this year. There is a lot of pressure on us (linemen). We're trying to teach the younger guys about what East Grand Forks football is about, about the hard work."
Because of the experience on the offensive line, "that's the group we'll rely on to move the ball,'' Kasowski said. "We want to run the ball. We need those guys doing their jobs to make that happen. A lot falls on those guys. And they seem to be OK with that.''
And the inexperience at the skill positions? Kasowski doesn't anticipate that being a drawback.
"They're inexperienced,'' Kasowski said, "but they're talented.''
EGF Senior High at a glance
Coach: Ryan Kasowski.
2015 results: 3-6, lost in first round of Section 8AAA playoffs.
Key graduation losses: Trevor Selk, Jordan Young, Cole Hammargren, Tom Pace, Braden Shea, Gunner Welsh, Ben Olson, Grant Demers, Issac Flores.
Returning offensive regulars: Sr. OL Bauer Brown, sr. OL James Egeland, jr. OL Austin Overgaard.
Returning defensive regulars: DL Brown, sr. ILB Nick Derrick, jr. ILB Dylan Selk.
Potential new impact players: Soph. QB/DB Carter Beck, sr. WR/DB Logan Dietrich, soph. RB/DB Ethan Trebil, soph. RB/LB Maguire Stanislawski, soph. RB/DB Jackson Galstad, soph. RB/LB Jhett Pesch, soph. OL/DL Zack Johnson, soph. OL/DB Chase Olderbak, soph. TE/DL Luke Vonesh, soph. TE/DL Evan Estad.
Top returning rushers: Dylan Selk 6-20, Jorge Bernal 2-15.
Top returning receiver: Logan Dietrich 2-25
About the offense, coach Kasowski says: "We'll run the ball a lot more this year. That will be our main focus. We can throw the ball, but with the players we have we won't have to throw out of necessity. It will be running by committee because we have several guys who we think will be good. We feel comfortable with our with our offensive line. That's one of our stronger areas.''
About the defense, coach Kasowski says: "With Derrick and Dylan back at linebacker, and Brown and Overgaard on the line, we feel good about the front seven. Derrick and Dylan are our two best defensive players, our best playmakers. We're confident with our No. 1s in the secondary, but we're young and inexperienced behind them.''

PREP FOOTBALL: Inexperienced, but optimistic


BISMARCK — Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Department of Human Services officials say a recent scathing audit fails to tell the whole story about how the agency deals with child care licensing, but State Auditor Robert Peterson is standing behind his staff and suggested DHS is downplaying the findings because of public outrage.
The audit released last month found that DHS didn't properly monitor or suspend providers and notify parents "after confirmed knowledge of activities that jeopardize the health and safety of children."
Auditors reviewed 58 provider licenses out of about 1,600 licensed providers that care for more than 39,000 children statewide, trying to include at least one provider from each of the state's 53 counties.
Some of the harshest criticism targeted 13 cases in which providers were allowed to operate under memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreements. Two agreements were noted in the licenses, and auditors identified an additional 11 related to providers' care, reported concerns and required corrections.
"Providers were allowed to continue operating under MOU agreements while the Department was aware of activities including illegal drug use by the provider, restricted persons being present at the facility, inappropriate touching from adults, inappropriate sexual play between children, and other concerns of supervision and discipline," the report states.
But the DHS official who oversees child care licensing said the spreadsheet reviewed by auditors contained only anecdotal information on the 11 MOU agreements and didn't reflect how the concern was addressed. Confidentiality laws prevented DHS officials and auditors from providing details of the individual cases, but they spoke generally about the process.
"Generally, if an individual is a staff member at a program and there's a complaint about them, and that individual has been removed from the facility, then we would allow them to continue to operate because the threat has been removed," Early Childhood Services Administrator Rebecca Eberhardt said, adding, "They didn't look at the whole file to see what actions were taken."
Dalrymple also said it provided an incomplete picture.
"I look at it as kind of like you're seeing one side of a story, as the initial report, and then you don't see anything after that. So it's really kind of not fair," he said.
Allison Bader, the auditor in charge of the report, said evidence showed that investigations into the allegations found a "substantiated concern" that was enough to issue the MOU agreements in the first place. Auditors found that DHS took no action to more closely oversee providers operating under MOU agreements and didn't notify parents about them.
"The parents would be the ones that are there on a regular basis to know if there's somebody there who shouldn't be," she said.
Peterson — who, like Dalrymple, is a Republican not running for re-election this November — said DHS had the flexibility to notify parents but didn't do it, and the agency shouldn't get mad at auditors for pointing it out.
"They're trying to cover this as best they can," he said of DHS. "Our recommendations are valid because we're looking at the child's safety."
Notification at issue
Rep. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, who chairs the Legislature's Human Services Committee and is a former director of Cass County Social Services, said removing an accused person from the setting could be enough to ensure children's safety, comparing it to a school teacher being placed on leave while allegations are investigated.
"Obviously, we keep the schools running," she said.
With due process concerns, officials walk a thin line on whether and when to notify parents, she said.
"When you've substantiated an allegation, parents need to be told that. Parents deserve to be told that. It sounds like that wasn't going on," she said.
State law says DHS may suspend a license "any time after the onset" of an investigation alleging child abuse or neglect by the owner, operator or in-home provider if law enforcement has been involved and if "continued operation is likely to jeopardize the health and safety of the children."
The agency also can prohibit an owner, operator, provider, staff member or household member from being on the premises during child care hours after a report of child abuse or neglect.
The law says the department "shall" notify parents when a license has been suspended, and that it "may" notify parents if there's an investigation into a provider or staff member.
Department policy requires that when a provider or staff member is investigated by the county-administered, state-supervised Child Protection Services, DHS must make a good-faith effort to notify affected parents of the results — though state law allows earlier notification.
"Because a lot of the allegations are not substantiated, we have notified (parents) after the fact, not prior to," DHS attorney Jonathan Alm said, adding that if there's an investigation by CPS and law enforcement indicating a risk to children, "the suspension would occur sooner than later" and parents would be notified.
Auditors contend there's an "improper balance" between ensuring safe quality of child care and supporting providers to become licensed or keep operating without meeting minimum requirements.
"They need to be more forceful in contacting the parents and making sure the parents know," Peterson said.
Changes considered
The audit recommends DHS further oversee providers to ensure compliance with MOUs, suspend providers when children are at risk of harm and directly notify parents immediately after confirmed knowledge of activities that jeopardize children's health and safety.
Eberhardt said the department is looking at updating policy to see if additional visits to providers are warranted to better monitor MOU requirements. Currently, each provider is supposed to receive one announced visit and one unannounced visit per year, though auditors found that 16 of the 58 providers checked didn't have the proper unannounced inspections, and documentation was incomplete for an additional five inspections.
Dalrymple noted some of the deficiencies raised in the audit — among them the backdating of licenses and licenses becoming effective before background checks are performed — are being addressed by an advisory group he formed last spring in the wake of the summer 2015 drowning-related death of a 5-year-old girl whose child care provider in Velva was operating with a lapsed license.
"We were first and we were way ahead in wanting to follow through on some of the things that were coming out about day care licensing," he said, adding he expects the group to take up proposed rules next month. "That's a big piece of this because those rules touch on a lot of these topics."
Dalrymple said he still has confidence in DHS Executive Director Maggie Anderson, calling her an "outstanding" director and saying Eberhardt also is doing a good job. Criminal charges filed against Anderson in connection with the investigation into the Velva incident were dismissed earlier this month.
Hogan, who was "shocked" at how bad the audit was and has asked for the advisory group to meet soon, said the problems are "much more systemic than one person," and that replacing Anderson before the transition to a new governor would serve no purpose. Areas of state law may need strengthening to address some of the issues, she said.
"I think it's a system issue that we all have to own and look at," she said.

Governor, DHS fire back at scathing audit of child care licensing


ORLANDO, Fla. -- Popping balloons during a fire inspection at a Florida mall panicked shoppers who mistook them for gunfire, triggering a stampede in which nine people were hurt, authorities said on Friday.
The false alarm at Orlando's Florida Mall occurred on Thursday, Aug. 25, during the inspection of a fire-suppression system at a restaurant being opened by 'NSync singer Joey Fatone, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The inspection included the bursting of six large balloons in a row, an industry-standard test, followed by a fire alarm, the statement said.
"People mistook it for gunfire, so people started fleeing," said Orange County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Ngoc Huynh.
Four of the nine people injured in the panic were transported to hospitals, she said.
A contractor was carrying out the inspection with a fire marshal on scene. The sheriff's office said an announcement had been made about the test on the mall's public address system.
Orlando is the site of the June shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub, where 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded.

9 hurt when popping balloons set off stampede at Florida mall


FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn.—Activists took their frustration to the Falcon Heights mayor Thursday, showing up at his home and asking pointed questions about the city's contract with the St. Anthony police department and more.
They've been calling for the city to cancel the contract since a St. Anthony police officer fatally shot Philando Castile in Falcon Heights on July 6.
Corydon Nilsson, a Black Lives Matter St. Paul organizer, said people had attended the last three Falcon Heights City Council meetings without getting answers.
"It's been nearly two months since Philando was killed," Nilsson said Friday. "Nothing really has been done on the part of government officials, so we decided we should go to the mayor's house and try to get answers to our questions on the spot."
Nilsson said he grew up on Mayor Peter Lindstrom's street and knew him as a neighbor, so he led 13 other organizers from four groups to the mayor's home about 6:20 p.m. Thursday. He videotaped a 30-minute conversation they had with Lindstrom on his front lawn and posted it on Facebook.
It began with Rashad Turner, Black Lives Matter St. Paul organizer, speaking angrily to Lindstrom: "It doesn't feel so good that we're at your house, does it? No, we're not going to wait."
Davina Newman of Black Coalition quickly offered to organize the group into a circle, where everyone would get a chance to "say their piece," and they did.
When people asked about Falcon Height's contract with St. Anthony, Lindstrom responded that the city was in year two of a five-year contract for police services.
"You're giving us (expletive) answers," Turner responded. "We'll get more people here and we won't leave until you give us real answers."
Lindstrom told them them the city council has a workshop meeting on Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, which is open to the public, during which the council will discuss his idea for a task force to "look at inclusivity and policing issues in our city."
He said he'd like the task force to examine best practices around training officers and to review policies and procedures about police use of force "to make sure that we are doing all that we can to make our community safe."
"That's my idea and whether or not it will go forward or not, it's up to the entire city council," Lindstrom said.
People pressed Lindstrom about why the city could not terminate its police contract with St. Anthony, which costs about $650,000 a year.
"We would be in breach of contract," Lindstrom answered.
People also grilled Lindstrom about various aspects of what happened the night Castile was killed.
"I know as much about the investigation or what happened that night as all of you do," he told them. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation continues.
Nilsson said Friday that he'd like Lindstrom to be more vocal about the case, which he thinks could bring pressure to charging the officer.
Lindstrom, who didn't respond to a call or email from the Pioneer Press on Friday, told the group Thursday night that it would be irresponsible for him to weigh in without knowing all the information.
"I want justice to be done, just like all of you do, and I want a serious investigation," he said in the video.

Falcon Heights mayor gets home visit from civil rights activists


UND junior safety Cole Reyes remembers the last time he faced Stony Brook, a 13-3 win in 2014 at the Alerus Center.
"It was one of the most physical games I've ever been in as a football player," Reyes said.
The No. 19 Fighting Hawks expect the same style at 6 p.m. Thursday in the season opener on Long Island at Stony Brook's Kenneth P. Lavale Stadium.
"They're a big, physical team," UND senior tight end Luke Mathewson said. "We expect it to be one of the more physical teams based on their sheer size and game plan."
Stony Brook's offensive setup will look similar to UND with big-bodied personnel. The physical style is a contrast to UND's usual Big Sky Conference foes.
The Fighting Hawks also will face a different style of play the following two weeks—at Bowling Green and at home against South Dakota. USD and Bowling Green employ more of a fast-paced pass attack.
"We know the staff and the style they want to play," said UND coach Bubba Schweigert, who faced the Seawolves in his first season in 2014. "That's a real challenge. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the team we are playing."
The Seawolves were stingy on defense in 2015. SBU, which went 5-5 a year ago, led the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring defense (15.7 points per game), rushing defense (104.6 yards per game), passing defense (145.5 ypg) and total defense (250.1 ypg).
SBU returns seven starters from that stout defense, but the Seawolves did lose 2015's top two tacklers in Naim Cheesboro and Julian Quinton. SBU also lost 2015 CAA sack leader Victor Ochi, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent after breaking the SBU career sacks record.
"On defense, we don't see any real weaknesses," Schweigert said. "We expect them to be the same type of defense. When they come out of the locker room, they'll look the part. And they back it up with good, sound play, too."
SBU's offense is expected to be the run-first variety. Running back Stacy Bedell was off to a fast start in 2015, racking up 351 yards in two-plus games before an injury against No. 25 William & Mary. He had 193 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 31-6 win over No. 13 New Hampshire.
SBU sophomore quarterback Joe Carbone, meanwhile, is unproven. He had 617 passing yards last year with two touchdowns and eight interceptions.
"I'm looking forward to it," Mathewson said. "I like the physical games where you're cracking heads every play."

UND FOOTBALL: Expecting a bruising matchup


Traffic flows from southbound Interstate 29 to eastbound Interstate 94 in Fargo, N.D. in this file photo.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday, Aug. 26, issued a proposed rule that would require trucks and buses to be equipped with devices that would limit their speed, a move it said could save both lives and fuel.
"There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment."
Under the long-delayed proposal, all new U.S. trucks and buses weighing more than 26,000 pounds would need to be equipped with a speed-limiting device.
The department said the maximum allowable speed would be decided after the agency receives public input. Publication of the proposal kicks off a 60-day comment period.
It said both vehicle manufacturers and the companies that purchase and operate the vehicles would be subject to the rule.

U.S. mulls rule to require speed-limiting devices for trucks, buses


U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton stands with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, after accepting the nomination on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
WASHINGTON—U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday, Aug. 26, said the Clinton Foundation was seeking other organizations to take over some of the group's charitable work, but that winding down her family's foundation would take time.
"I know the foundation is looking for partners, but that's going to take some time to carry out," Clinton said in an interview on MSNBC. "Winding down some of these programs takes time. You don't just turn on and off ... a switch. Even trying to negotiate with partner groups takes a lot of serious effort," she said.

Hillary Clinton says family's foundation looking for partners


ESPN Broadcaster and former Texas coach Mack Brown talks about the NDSU championship run in FCS football while talking with the media from the Fargodomeon Friday, August 26, 2016. David Samson / The Forum
FARGO—Mack Brown won a national title at the top level of college football and the former Texas head coach thinks North Dakota State should stay put.
The Bison, who have won an unprecedented five consecutive Division I FCS national championships, open their season against Charleston Southern at 6:36 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
Brown will serve as the color analyst for ESPN, which will televise the FCS Kickoff game.
"I think (the Bison) stay where they are. It's about winning, it's about character, it's about academics," Brown said on the game's eve outside the NDSU football offices in the Fargodome. "It's working for them. Why would you ever even think about changing it? You want to be the best at what you do, and right now, they are the best program in FCS and it's not even any question."
The Bison have a 71-5 record over the previous five seasons, including four wins against Division I FBS opponents. They have five consecutive wins against FBS teams.
That success has some clamoring for the Bison to move to the FBS level. In recent years, former FCS powers like Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have made the move to FBS.
Brown was the head coach at Appalachian State in 1983. In 2013, the Mountaineers started their transition to FBS from FCS. They were the first team to win three consecutive FCS national titles (2005, 2006, 2007).
"I told Appalachian if I was them I'd stay, keep winning national championships at their level because that's what it's all about. You want to win, you want to compete," Brown said. "You'll have a great experience for your fans and your university and your players. How does it get any better than that?"
Brown led the Texas Longhorns to the FBS national championship for the 2005 season. The Longhorns rallied to beat Southern California 41-38 in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.
Brown is impressed that NDSU has been able to maintain a national championship level for half a decade.
"What the guys have done here is just unbelievable ... five straight national championships. You always say you can't repeat, well these guys have done it," Brown said. "They've stayed humble and they've stayed hungry and it's very, very difficult to do."
Brown said he has a "large bank of knowledge" about NDSU football. He worked with former Bison coach Darrell Mudra at Florida State in the 1970s. Mudra was a head coach at NDSU in the 1960s and led the team to a national title in 1965.
Brown also said he's friends with Craig Bohl, who led the Bison to three FCS national championships (2011, 2012, 2013) before taking the head job at Wyoming.
"Craig Bohl is a dear friend," Brown said. "Craig is a guy that I watched and followed."
Brown predicts the college football structure will change in the next 5 to 10 years with the Power Five conferences breaking away from the rest of Division I.
"It will probably be a system where maybe there's this Power Five group and then everybody else," Brown said. "But I think that true college football right now is at the FCS level and it's fun to watch."
As for Saturday's NDSU-Charleston Southern game, Brown is looking forward to experience the atmosphere in the Fargodome.
"I'm looking forward to the noise. I hope they can't hear us at all," Brown said with a laugh. "The (team) entrance is supposedly unbelievable."

ESPN analyst Brown thinks FCS is the right level for the Bison


U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton stands with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, after accepting the nomination on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
NEW YORK—The Republican National Committee asked the charity of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's family on Monday, Aug. 29, to produce all correspondence its staff had with the U.S. State Department while Clinton served as America's most senior diplomat.
Clinton's campaign to win the Nov. 8 presidential election has been dogged by criticism that donors to the Clinton Foundation may have expected special favors from the U.S. government in return. She says donors to the global charity receive no preferential treatment.
"The Clinton Foundation can play a vital role in filling important gaps in the public record by demonstrating its commitment to transparency and making public all correspondence its officials had with the State Department during Secretary Clinton's tenure," Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman, said in a letter to the foundation's president, Donna Shalala.
The RNC provided a copy of the letter to reporters.
Spokesmen for Clinton and the foundation, which is known for its work to widen access to HIV medicines in developing countries, did not respond to a request for comment.
Some emails have already emerged that show Clinton Foundation officials seeking meetings with Clinton and other diplomats on behalf of supporters who have made large donations to the foundation.
Foundation officials also sought other favors, including help with visa issues or urging the government to hire certain people, emails show. Spokesmen for Clinton have noted that in several cases the requests from foundation officials were unsuccessful.
Thousands more emails from Clinton's tenure are still in the process of being released as public records. Their release was delayed in part because of Clinton's decision to use an unauthorized private email server for her work without informing record-keeping officials.
In his letter, Priebus said the foundation's own records have "the unique ability" to establish whether donors received special treatment.
Clinton promised President Barack Obama that her family's charities would annually disclose all their donors and seek prior approval from the State Department for any additional money given by foreign governments when Obama made her his most senior diplomat in 2009. The charities said last year they failed to comply with the promises, blaming oversights.
The foundation has said it will no longer accept foreign or corporate funding for at least some of its work if Clinton is elected. Her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will remain on the board.

Republicans ask Clinton Foundation to produce State Department correspondence


Construction on the Sacagawea Pipeline is pictured in July 2016 in Mountrail County, N.D. The Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota submitted this photo to state regulators with concerns about construction practices. Submited photo
NEW TOWN, N.D. — Construction has resumed on a pipeline that will cross a water body over the objections of a North Dakota Native American tribe.
No, it's not the Dakota Access Pipeline. This project involves Paradigm Energy Partners, a company that is installing two pipelines under Lake Sakakawea that will be owned by Sacagawea Pipeline Co.
The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation asserts that Paradigm was required but failed to get the tribe's permission to begin pipeline construction under the lake. The Tribal Business Council voted Aug. 3 to issue a cease and desist order to halt all construction under Lake Sakakawea.
"Paradigm was informed on several different occasions that the consent of the MHA Nation would not be granted unless there were adequate assurances that an oil pipeline under the lake posed no threat to the MHA Nation's water resources," Tribal Chairman Mark Fox wrote in an Aug. 8 letter. "To date, that assurance has not been provided to the MHA Nation's satisfaction."
Paradigm filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 19 against Fox and Tribal Police Chief Nelson Hart arguing they have no authority to halt construction. The company is constructing two 70-mile companion oil and natural gas pipelines that will travel from McKenzie to Mountrail counties.
The oil pipeline, which was the first to be constructed and is nearly complete, is under investigation by federal pipeline regulators after former contractors said the pipeline was installed under the lake without being properly inspected. The current contractor maintains the pipeline was inspected and the allegations are false claims being made by workers who were fired.
While those concerns remain unresolved, the company began installing a natural gas pipeline under Lake Sakakawea. Because the 16-inch diameter pipeline will transport raw gas, it is considered a gathering pipeline and is not subject to the same regulatory scrutiny or public meeting requirement as the oil pipeline.
Paradigm sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the tribe from halting construction, arguing it has the regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland granted the temporary restraining order, authorizing construction to resume. However, the parties will be back in court in Bismarck on Thursday as Paradigm argues for an injunction against the tribe and to continue the restraining order.
All of this has played out quietly while a protest of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline has attracted thousands north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The tribe is suing the Corps of Engineers over its approval of the $3.78 billion pipeline's Missouri River crossing.
The MHA Nation's situation is further complicated by the fact that the tribe has a stake in Sacagawea Pipeline Co. The company is a joint venture involving Paradigm Energy Partners, Phillips 66 and Greywolf Midstream, an entity owned by the tribe that's an investor in the project. The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation produces about one-sixth of North Dakota's total oil production.
Reducing trucks, flaring
Paradigm says the Sacagawea Pipeline system will reduce truck traffic and reduce natural gas flaring in areas where pipeline capacity is limited. The pipelines will cross privately owned lands, state trust lands, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation lands and land regulated by the Corps of Engineers.
About 8,980 feet of the pipeline system will pass under Lake Sakakawea via the installation of about 10,980 feet of welded steel pipeline, the Corps of Engineers said in its environmental assessment. The pipeline will be installed at least 100 feet below the lakebed through horizontal directional drilling with emergency shut-off valves on either side of the lake and around-the-clock pipeline monitoring to detect leaks.
The Tribal Business Council supported the Sacagawea Pipeline system in an April 2015 resolution, finding it in the best interest of the tribe to grant a right-of-way for the project. The North Dakota Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over the oil pipeline but not the natural gas gathering pipeline.
In late July, shortly before the tribe issued its cease and desist order, federal pipeline regulators received a complaint about potential problems with the oil pipeline under Lake Sakakawea. On Aug. 3, the Laborers District of Minnesota and North Dakota notified the PSC about potential violations on the oil pipeline.
A former laborer on the pipeline alleges that the contractor, Boyd & Co., failed to properly inspect the pipeline before it was installed under the lake, putting the lake at risk of a spill. Two other former workers have reported similar concerns to federal and state regulators.
The owner of Boyd & Co. told Forum News Service the pipeline was properly inspected and he says the claims are false accusations made by workers who were fired.
Public Service Commission Chairwoman Julie Fedorchak said the state agency has forwarded those reports to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which has jurisdiction in that area.
"We're certainly going to look at what PHMSA says, but they're the authority on those regulations and determining if there's a violation of them," Fedorchak said.
PHMSA has confirmed it's investigating the claims, but the status of the investigation is unclear.
Meanwhile, Phillips 66 has told investors the Sacagawea Pipeline is expected to be operational by Sept. 30.
The PSC is investigating concerns from the Laborers Union about construction practices on the oil pipeline the union says did not properly protect wetlands, prevent erosion or protect the pipeline coating from becoming damaged.
In addition, PSC inspectors who have visited the oil pipeline construction have raised concerns about poor topsoil separation on the project, a step that is important to successfully restoring the land.
A Paradigm spokesperson said the company took immediate action after learning of the concerns on topsoil management. In addition, the company said PHMSA has been involved during construction and has reviewed documentation from third-party inspections.
"Sacagawea Pipeline Company stands behind our contractors and third-party inspectors and remains fully committed to preserving the environment and ecological safety of Lake Sakakawea and all areas where we operate," the company said in a statement.
-- Optional trim --
Limited oversight
The natural gas pipeline construction has proceeded with less regulatory oversight than the oil pipeline.
The North Dakota Industrial Commission has limited regulation over gathering lines and has six pipeline inspectors who can inspect projects. But under current rules, the company is not required to notify regulators about a gathering pipeline until after it is constructed and placed into service.
"We were not aware of the construction of this pipeline, but under our current regulations we wouldn't have to be notified of that construction," said Department of Mineral Resources spokeswoman Alison Ritter said.
New proposed rules on gathering pipelines are expected to take effect on Oct. 1 that would include notifying the agency seven days prior to construction.
Kevin Connors, pipeline program supervisor for the Department of Mineral Resources, said Friday the concerns raised about the oil pipeline have gotten the agency's attention. The natural gas pipeline is being constructed in the same right-of-way as the oil pipeline.
"We'll certainly approach this situation with a closer look," Connors said, adding he planned to ask an inspector to look into the project this week.
The Corps of Engineers also has oversight of the construction of both pipelines as it relates to Corps-managed land, said spokeswoman Eileen Williamson. The Corps permit has several requirements to protect the lake, including spill response planning.
Lake Sakakawea is the drinking water source for several western North Dakota cities, including communities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
Paradigm attorneys wrote in court records that if the natural gas pipeline is not complete by Nov. 1, the company will lose its anchor customer and the project will fail.
The Laborers Union, which supports the Dakota Access Pipeline being constructed by union contractors, questioned last week why pipeline opponents are so vocal about that project but not speaking out about the Sacagawea Pipeline.
"Our members find it hard to understand why protesters have targeted a pipeline that's being built the right way, but we don't hear a word about the pipeline just installed under Lake Sakakawea that workers say wasn't properly inspected," said Kevin Pranis, a spokesman for the Laborers International Union of North America in North Dakota.

New court battle brewing on Sacagawea pipeline


Once established in a lake, starry stonewort can grow in large mats and crowd out native vegetation. Submitted photo.
BEMIDJI, Minn.—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have discovered two new cases of the invasive species starry stonewort in Beltrami County.
The species, a grass-like form of algae, was found in Upper Red Lake and Cass Lake, according to a press release. Additionally, the DNR has confirmed starry stonewort among heavy native growth in a northeast section of Cass Lake, near the Knutson Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation.
The DNR said it is working with property owners, local government and tribal officials to determine treatment options, as well as conducting further investigations to confirm the extent of the infestation in Cass Lake.
The third and fourth discoveries of the algae come after the DNR identified the second case earlier this month in Turtle Lake. The first case discovered in Minnesota was 185 miles south of Turtle Lake in Lake Koronis.
Starry stonewort, the DNR said, is an algae that can produce dense mats which can interfere with lake use. The algae may also choke out native plants. Typically, the species is spread by lake users who transport fragments of the plants from an infested body of water.
Because of the discovery, the DNR is reminding boaters of the following:
• Clean aquatic plants and animals from watercraft.
• Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keep drain plugs out while transporting watercraft.
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
"It is important that everyone who uses Minnesota lakes follows invasive species laws. Whether the lake they use is infested or not," said DNR Invasive Species Unit Supervisor Heidi Wolf in the release.

DNR discovers two more cases of invasive species in Beltrami County


LOS ANGELES - Darrell Ward, star of the History Channel's reality series "Ice Road Truckers," was killed in a plane crash in Missouri on Sunday. He was 52.
The news was announced in a press release via Ward's official Facebook page. According to the statement, Ward had just left the Great American Truck Show in Dallas and was heading to Missoula, Mont., to begin filming a new documentary series involving the recovery of plane crashes.
Missoula County Sheriff's Captain Bill Burt told FOX411 News that the pilot attempted to regain control by landing on a small airstrip when "something went drastically wrong." The plane then crashed onto the shoulder of the I-90 highway.
"In his free time, you could usually find Darrell giving back to the community any chance he got," the statement reads. " ... he had promoted the most recent food drive to help victims in the Louisiana Floods and was scheduled to appear as the grand marshal for the Truck Convoy for Special Olympics in Nova Scotia."
Funeral or memorial services have yet to be announced.

'Ice Road Truckers' star dies in plane crash, was to film crash documentary


Lorne Campbell, chief engineer for the western region of Prairie Public Radio in Bismarck, monitors the signal transmission on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. BISMARCK TRIBUNE PHOTO
BISMARCK—State agency heads see North Dakota returning to a new pre-boom normal following two rounds of budget cuts and further reductions being required for the 2017-19 biennium.
Following several years of record revenues flowing to the state's coffers, agencies realize they need to pull back and realign themselves to remain efficient while providing services residents have come to expect.
"Nothing was normal during those (previous) two bienniums," Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp said.
Generally funded agencies were required to cut 2.5 percent from budgets following a projected $310 million revenue shortfall unveiled last month. Rainy day funds and Bank of North Dakota profits were also used during a special session to plug the remainder of the gap.
The cuts follow a $1.074 billion shortfall in February plugged with rainy day funds, turnover dollars from the previous biennium and 4.05 percent in budget cuts.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple in May ordered agencies to deliver budget proposals at 90 percent levels of ongoing spending from the current biennium.
"They're going to need to cut deeper than this and they're going to have to assume that one-time expenses aren't going to happen unless they're absolutely critical," Sharp said.
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger said July revenue collections, the first reported since the new forecast, show general fund collections were nearly $1.7 million ahead of forecast.
The next revenue forecast in November will provide a clearer revenue picture for 2017-19 and will be what the governor's executive budget proposal is based off of.
Rauschenberger said a lot can still happen and revenues are being watched closely.
"These next three months, August, September, October will be very critical," Rauschenberger said.
Making cuts
For the tax department, nearly $355,000 in salaries and wages were cut. Unfilled positions as well as staff that retire before the end of the biennium won't be replaced; a total of eight positions will be impacted.
The tax department also will be cutting more than $422,000 in operating expenses, which will result in fewer mailings and a reduction in printing costs.
A $500,000 reduction in funds for the Homestead Tax Credit and nearly $192,000 for the Disabled Veteran Credit are also among the cuts.
In the past, the Homestead Tax Credit usually has a few million dollars left over at the end of the biennium, according to Rauschenberger. If there's a shortage in the veterans tax credit a deficiency appropriation could be made by the Legislature and shift money from the Homestead Tax Credit during the 2017 session, he said.
"We'd really been planning this all along," said Rauschenberger, adding earlier this year he'd figured a second round may be coming. "We kind of had a head start."
Sharp said OMB cuts total $1.1 million. No salaries or wages were cut in this round, but more than $349,000 for what was listed as capital assets, $200,000 in contingency fund dollars and $100,000 in funding for Prairie Public Broadcasting were cut.
In the previous round of budget cuts, four open positions were left vacant, which Sharp says might be eliminated in OMB's 2017-19 budget.
Public Service Commission members during their regular meeting earlier this week outlined $198,000 in cuts.
A total of $135,000 in funds for reclamation and grain warehouse insolvencies litigation will be cut. More than $47,000 in salaries and wages and $16,000 in operating expenses also received the axe.
For the 2017-19 budget, a restructuring of some PSC divisions and consolidation of a management position are among the items to be proposed to lawmakers to improve efficiencies.
"Probably the hardest thing I've ever been involved in. It was very challenging," Commissioner Brian Kalk said of the 2017-19 budget proposal.
Cuts to the North Dakota Department of Transportation total $16.4 million and largely will be dealt with through changes in scope to 2017 road construction projects, department spokeswoman Jamie Olson said.
"That doesn't really effect any of those (underway) right now," Olson said.
Cost reductions can come from using asphalt instead of concrete. More competitive bids also have been coming in for projects during the slowdown in oil activity.
"This does affect not only the state highway projects, but it does impact some dollars that are going to the counties," Olson said.
Nearly $13.1 million of the DOT cuts come from general fund transfers for statewide road projects. Another $2.8 million will come from a funding pool for non-oil producing county road projects.
State Auditor Robert Peterson's budget is largely salaries and wages, which led to cuts of more than $261,000.
"We actually had enough (room) left so it's not impacting anyone," Peterson said.
During the first round of budget cuts, two of six positions in the agency's North Dakota University System Performance Audit Division were left vacant that hadn't yet been filled. The six positions were authorized by the Legislature last session. For the 2017-19 budget, two more positions would be left open, though his office will submit a request for funding all six positions.
Peterson said tight budgets are nothing new to him.
"I remember coming in and having 97 percent budgets under Gov. Schafer," Peterson said. "I think we'll be OK."
Prairie Public looks to cut $100K
When every dollar counts, a cut of $100,000 in state funding as part of a round of budget cuts will create some pain that will have to be addressed, the head of Prairie Public Broadcasting said this week.
John Harris, president and CEO of Prairie Public, says the cuts in state funding will likely come from areas such as programming for television and radio as well as on educational workshops the organization puts on across the state.
"We haven't targeted anything specific yet. We should be able to tighten our belts," said Harris, adding that the annual budget is typically from $7.5 million to $8 million.
The $100,000 is a small part of the $1.1 million in cuts to the Office of Management and Budget this month as part of a 2.5 percent budget cut to generally funded agencies ordered by Gov. Jack Dalrymple.
Prairie Public has several public and private funding sources, including state and federal dollars, as well as grants and member dollars.
"It's tough, and you just have to make adjustments," said Harris, explaining that the most important assets are programming and staff.
The organization operates on a fiscal year that begins Oct. 1; he estimated about $25,000 of the cut will be for 2016 and the rest for fiscal year 2017.
Harris said decisions on cuts will be made in the fall.
"It's $100,000. It's tough. Any amount is to be honest," Harris said. "Every dollar counts."

Agencies see new normal coming for state funding


A 49-year-old Oklahoma woman has been charged with first-degree murder on suspicion of killing her daughter whom she thought was possessed by the devil by jamming a crucifix down her throat and beating her, court records released on Tuesday showed.
Juanita Gomez was booked last week in the death of Geneva Gomez, whose body was found in an Oklahoma City home with a large cross on her chest, a probable cause affidavit said.
Local media said the daughter was 33 years old.
No lawyer was listed for Gomez in online jail records.
Police said Gomez confessed to the crime, telling officers she forced a crucifix and religious medallion down her daughter's throat until blood came out.
"Juanita saw her daughter die and then placed her body in the shape of a cross," the affidavit said.
Gomez was being held without bond at the Oklahoma County jail.

Okla. mother charged with using crucifix to kill 'possessed' daughter


Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan (65) walks to the afternoon session of training camp at Minnesota State University earlier this month. Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.—After failing to find a trade partner, the Vikings on Tuesday released veteran center John Sullivan, one of 14 moves to get the roster down to the NFL-mandated 75 by 3 p.m.
Teams must be down to the regular-season limit of 53 by Saturday. The Vikings close the preseason Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings tried to deal Sullivan, 31, after he lost the starting center job to Joe Berger. Sullivan's salary cap hit is $5.833 million, but with his release, that has been reduced to $666,667.
A nine-year NFL veteran, Sullivan missed all of last season while having two surgeries on his back. He was replaced by Berger, who played well and beat Sullivan for the job in the preseason.
"Our entire organization appreciates everything that John Sullivan has done for this franchise,'' general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement. "Sullivan led our team, not only with how he played the game, but also with how he handled himself in our community. We wish John Sullivan and his family nothing but the best as they move forward."
Safety Antone Exum and defensive tackle Scott Crichton were placed on the waived/injured list, and tackle Mike Harris was put on the reserve/non-football illness list. Waived Tuesday were wide receivers Troy Stoudermire, a former Gopher, and Minnetonka native Terrell Sinkfield.
If Exum and Crichton clear waivers, they could end up on injured reserve for the Vikings and miss the season. The Vikings continue to hold the rights for Harris, who has an undisclosed illness.
Exum suffered a left knee injury in Sunday's 23-10 preseason win over San Diego.
The eight cuts reported Monday and made official Tuesday were defensive end Theiren Cockran, who played at the University of Minnesota; tight end Brian Leonhardt, who played at Spring Lake High School and Bemidji State; tackles Austin Shepherd and Sean Hickey; quarterback Brad Sorensen;; wide receiver Marken Michel; defensive tackle Claudell Louis; and linebacker Terrance Plummer.
Sinkfield played at Hopkins High School and Northern Iowa and spent the past two seasons in the Canadian Football League.
Sullivan, Exum and Crichton were not at practice Tuesday. Also not on hand was safety Michael Griffin, who suffered a back injury against the Chargers.
Injured players not practicing but present were tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Xavier Rhodes, wide receiver Charles Johnson and running back Jerick McKinnon.


North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley is given acres of space to make his strident points about the Standing Rock Sioux's protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The fear-factor rhetoric might have been learned from Donald Trump.
The Herald's editorial down the right-hand side is equally strident in suggesting the Sioux are in violation of the law, and that they essentially should cease protesting. The Sioux don't seem to be given much chance to plead their case that 400,000 barrels of crude oil a day crossing what was once their pristine land might imperil the environment they live in and further erode their quality of life, which seems to have diminished with progressive European in-migration and resource development.
Much of the rest of the country seems to be sympathetic to the Sioux. An Aug. 27 Los Angeles Times feature story describes sympathizers attracted to the protesters' encampment from all over the United States. "For weeks," it says, "they have been arriving from the scattered patches of the United States where the government put their ancestors to protest what they say is one indignity too many in a history that has included extermination and exploitation."
Although the conflict is relatively far to the west of Grand Forks, I think it reinforces that support for the Fighting Sioux at UND was almost wholly about having a cool shirt to wear to a hockey game or around campus. Those who continue to claim to be Sioux fans and to engage in identify theft of the artificial Sioux image are unlikely to show any support for what the real Sioux people now are fighting for.
Richard Shafer
Grand Forks

LETTER: Critics of protest talk at but don't listen to protesters


WEST FARGO—Two women who worked for the West Fargo Hockey Association's bingo operation at the M&J Saloon in West Fargo have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding the operation of more than $10,000.
Leah Willason, 39, of Fargo, and Amy Grieger, 41, of West Fargo, were arrested Thursday evening, Aug. 25, according to West Fargo police Detective Joe Birrenkott.
Birrenkott said one of the women worked as a caller for the bingo operation and the other was a floor walker.
He said they are suspected of having defrauded the hockey association of more than $10,000 since the first of the year.
The two women were being held in the Cass County Jail Friday morning, Aug. 26, pending possible theft charges involving an amount between $10,000 and $50,000, according to online jail records.

Two arrested on suspicion of swiping $10K from ND hockey club


AMATRICE, Italy—Rescuers believe they have found more bodies buried deep in the rubble of the ruined town of Amatrice, five days after a devastating earthquake struck central Italy, killing at least 290 people.
Residents of the hill town estimated that up to 10 people were still missing and emergency services said they had located three corpses in Amatrice's Hotel Roma, which, like much of the historic center, was wrecked by Wednesday's quake.
Deputy Mayor Gianluca Carloni said his uncle's body had still not been recovered from the hotel, which was particularly busy at this time of year because of a food festival.
"It is absolutely vital to finish as soon as possible this initial (search) phase to make sure that there are no more bodies under the rubble," he said.
Museums across Italy donated proceeds from their ticket sales on Sunday to help the rebuilding effort, while top flight soccer teams held a minute's silence before their weekend matches out of respect for the victims.
Pope Francis led prayers for the dead in his weekly address in St Peter's Square in Rome, saying he wanted to go to the earthquake zone to bring comfort to the survivors.
"Dear brothers and sisters, as soon as it is possible, I hope to come and visit you," he said.
Priests in the quake zone held their regular Sunday services in large tents. Amatrice's municipal website said the town had 100 churches, but every one was damaged by the disaster and many would have to be demolished.
FALLEN MASONRY
With aftershocks continuing to rattle the region, including a magnitude 4.4 quake centered on the nearby city of Ascoli Piceno, residents were still struggling to absorb the disaster.
"It took me 20 years to get my house, and then, in just 10 seconds, it was gone, like so many others," said Ascenzio Attenni, who lived in the hamlet of Sant'Angelo outside Amatrice, where eight people died.
"We have to thank God that we are alive," he said, before breaking down in tears.
Rescue operations in most of the area were halted two days ago, but teams were still combing Amatrice, which is 105 km (65 miles) east of Rome. The fire service said it was trying to remove some of the fallen masonry at the Hotel Roma and create a safe path to retrieve the three bodies as soon as possible.
The Civil Protection Department lowered the official death toll on Sunday to 290 from a previously given 291. A number of foreigners were among the dead, including 11 Romanians, the foreign ministry in Bucharest said.
Many Romanians work in Italy and Bucharest said 14 of its nationals were still unaccounted for.
Italy has promised to rebuild the shattered communities and has said it will learn from the mistakes following a similar earthquake in the nearby city of L'Aquila in 2009, where much of the center is still out of bounds.
The rebuilding effort was stalled following allegations that organised crime groups had muscled in to obtain lucrative contracts. Italy's anti-mafia chief Franco Roberti said the experience of L'Aquila would serve well this time around, but warned that the government could not lower its guard.
"The risks are there and it is pointless to pretend otherwise," he told la Repubblica newspaper. "Post-quake reconstruction is always very appetizing for criminal gangs and their business partners."

More bodies located beneath rubble in Italy quake zone


A coal-burning power plant can be seen behind a factory in the city of Baotou, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region October 31, 2010. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo
OSLO - Man-made greenhouse gases began to nudge up the Earth's temperatures almost 200 years ago as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace, far earlier than previously thought, scientists said on Wednesday, Aug. 24.
Greenhouse gas emissions from industry left their first traces in the temperatures of tropical oceans and the Arctic around 1830, they said, challenging widespread views that man-made climate change began only in the 20th century.
The Industrial Revolution began around 1750 in Britain, with a surge in the use of coal to power factories, ships and railways, and gradually spread around the world.
Greenhouse gases at the time were only a fraction of those now blamed for trapping excessive levels of the sun's heat in the atmosphere, stoking more droughts, floods, heat waves and rising sea levels.
"Our findings show that the climate can respond very quickly to changes in greenhouse gases," lead author Nerilie Abram, of the Australian National University, told Reuters of the findings published in the journal Nature.
The scientists detected a rise in temperatures in the 19th century by studying the growth of old trees, corals, the makeup of lake sediments and air trapped in ice cores in Antarctica.
Their computer models showed that natural factors - such as changes in the sun's energy output or the Earth's orbit - could not fully explain the warming trend.
The rising heat only made sense when factoring in an early dose of man-made greenhouse gases, they wrote.
Previously, many scientists have reckoned a small rise in 19th century temperatures was a rebound after a sun-dimming volcanic eruption of Tambora in Indonesia in 1815.
"This is further evidence that the climate has already changed significantly since the pre-industrial period," said Ed Hawkins, a climate scientists at Reading University who was not involved in the study.
Last year, almost 200 nations agreed at a Paris summit to shift from fossil fuels and set a goal of limiting rises in average surface temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, ideally below 1.5C.
The Paris deal does not define pre-industrial. Temperatures this year, likely to set new records, are just over 1C above levels in the 1880s, a widely used baseline in climate science.
Abram said using a baseline of 1800 would make the Paris Agreement harder to achieve by adding perhaps 0.2C.
"We are frighteningly close already to 1.5," she said.

Man-made warming dates back almost 200 years