PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota Senate committee is looking at a bill that would end a faltering tax refund program for poor people so the money can instead be given to a nonprofit organization that provides food to low-income families across the state.

The bill would repeal a program started in 2004 that has given low-income families a refund of the sales tax they pay on food.  Because of rule changes, few families now qualify for the tax refund.  The measure would take the $838,000 remaining in the fund and give it to Feeding South Dakota, a nonprofit that provides food to
450 organizations that distribute food to families throughout the state.  The bill has already passed the House. The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on the measure Tuesday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

HURON, S.D. (AP) - The board of directors of the James River Water Development District has accepted the resignation of manager Darrell Raschke.  Board members spent about 45 minutes in executive session Monday before emerging to approve the resignation. It takes effect immediately.

Raschke has been in a lengthy dispute with Republican Sen. Al Novstrup of Aberdeen. Novstrup has said he would seek to pass legislation that would dissolve the James River Water Development District unless Raschke resigned.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

(Rock Rapids, IA) -- The Lyon County Sheriff's office is investigating a robbery that took place west of Larchwood, Iowa early Monday morning. 

The incident occurred around 1:25 a.m. on county road A-18 near Arthur Avenue.

According to the sheriff's office, a motorist was eastbound on A-18 when he approached a dark red Ford SUV with its hazard lights activated.  The SUV had no license plates, but did have a paper plate in the rear window.

A woman standing behind the SUV waved for the motorist to stop. The motorist did so and asked about the problem. A man then came from behind the victim's vehicle, approached the driver's window and took the victim's debit card.

The man and woman then entered the SUV and left the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lyon County Sheriff's Department. Officials especially encourage calls to local law enforcement in the event a vehicle alongside the road matches the description of the SUV.

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen is recovering after a heart procedure.  Levsen underwent an angioplasty on Monday. He experienced pain and shortness of breath following a Sunday workout and upon arriving at the emergency room at the hospital, doctors found a blockage in an artery in his heart. Levsen says he's feeling much better, though he will not attend Tuesday's City Council meeting.


(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota farmers are welcoming the rain and snow that fell in some parts of the state on Presidents Day.  Many areas got a couple of inches of snow or less Monday, though about 4 inches fell in the northern Black Hills and in the Mitchell area.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows much of South Dakota facing abnormally dry or drought conditions. Spink County farmer Jarrod Haven says farmers need more moisture before spring planting season.  The official precipitation totals in Sioux Falls Monday were 4 tenths of an inch of snow and a precipitation total of .47 inches.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Supreme Court has delayed the execution of one of the men sentenced to die for the killing of a State Penitentiary guard.

Forty-nine-year-old Eric Robert pleaded guilty to killing guard Ronald Johnson on April 12 during a botched escape. A judge sentenced Robert to die by lethal injection. His execution had been set for the week of May 13-19.

The South Dakota Supreme Court issued a ruling Wednesday that stays the execution so the court can fully review the case. A new date has not been set.

The review is part of a mandatory process. Robert has said he will not appeal the death sentence.

Two other inmates also have been sentenced in the case - one to death and the other to life in prison.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Legislature has given final approval to a bill that seeks to ban so-called synthetic marijuana and bath salt drugs.

The House voted 63-1 Wednesday to pass the bill, which has already been approved by the Senate. It will take effect as soon as Governor Dennis Daugaard signs it.

The measure adds some of the synthetic drugs to the list of banned substances in South Dakota. It makes it a felony to possess or sell the synthetic drugs.

Law officers say some of the drugs are sold openly in a few stores. They say many people have developed psychiatric and medical problems after taking some of the drugs.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A Senate panel has killed a bill that would have increased legislative term limits after the House sponsor requested Senators not push it forward.

The House Joint Resolution to amend South Dakota's constitution would mean legislators in the House and Senate could serve up to six consecutive two-year terms.

Currently, lawmakers can serve a maximum of four consecutive two-year terms, or eight consecutive years.

Representative Jim Bolin asked the Senate State Affairs Committee to kill it on Wednesday though it had passed the House last month.

Bolin tells the Associated Press he can "lose everything" by trying to do too much and would rather support another measure that has a better chance of passing.

He says he's not sure if he'll introduce it in the next session.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota House committee has endorsed a plan to prevent death-row inmates from using repeated appeals to delay their executions.

The bill would apply to all people convicted of serious crimes, but South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says the limits are particularly needed in cases where murderers have been sentenced to death. He says two men sentenced to death nearly two decades ago have avoided execution because they have appeals that are still proceeding through the courts.

South Dakotans convicted of crimes can file a direct appeal to the Supreme Court. They then can file secondary appeals called habeus corpus petitions that argue their rights were violated. The bill would allow convicts to file only one habeus corpus petition, unless new evidence is discovered.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - A Sioux Falls man has been sentenced to prison for throwing urine at jailers while in the Brown County Jail.

The Aberdeen American-News reports that 26-year-old Carlos Green was sentenced on two charges of intentionally causing contact with bodily fluids. He was sentenced to two years in prison for each charge, to be served concurrently.

Green also allegedly clogged the toilet in his cell and used toilet paper to cover a video camera during the March 2011 incident.

In addition to the prison time, Green must pay more than $1,000 in restitution and court fees.

Green was earlier sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated assault and eluding law enforcement officers.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)