COLORADO
Inmate releases could hurt town economies
PUEBLO — Commissioners of three southern Colorado counties say the early release of about 6,000 prison inmates could hurt the economies of small communities where private prisons operate.
Colorado officials want to release the inmates early to help cut $320 million from the state budget.
Bent County Commissioner Bill Long said Wednesday most of the inmates who may be released early are in private prisons in Bent, Crowley and Huerfano counties.
Long said Bent and Crowley counties would feel the negative effects more than Huerfano, whose private prison houses mostly inmates from Arizona.
The prisons are operated by the Corrections Corporation of America.
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ILLINOIS
'Nail-painting' driver surrenders in fatality
WAUKEGAN — Lake County authorities say a driver accused of painting her nails when she hit and killed a motorcyclist has turned herself in.
Prosecutors say 48-year-old Lora L. Hunt of Morris was indicted on six counts of reckless homicide by a Lake County grand jury on Wednesday. She surrendered Thursday and was released on $10,000 bail.
Police said Hunt told them shortly after the May 2 accident that she was applying red polish to her nails as she drove at about 50 mph toward an intersection and did not see motorcyclist Anita Zaffke until after she hit her.
The 56-year-old Zaffke, who lived in Lake Zurich, was stopped at a traffic signal when she was struck.
INDIANA
Notre Dame wants $29,000 'tip' returned
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman who worked catering events for the University of Notre Dame says it was her lucky day when the school tipped her $29,000 in her check. But now the university is suing to get back the money she says she's already spent.
Sara Gaspar of Granger said in court documents filed this week that she "thought finally something wonderful had happened" in her life when the school paid her $29,387 on April 17. She said in court documents that she called the school's catering department three times about the payment, but didn't hear back until she received a threatening call from the school in June.
Gaspar said by that point, she had spent the money.
Notre Dame contends Gaspar should have been paid only $29.87, but was overpaid because of a typing error. The school said in a lawsuit filed Aug. 27 that Gaspar did not notify the school about the error, and instead spent the money knowing it wasn't hers.
Notre Dame said it discovered the mistake in May and requested repayment, but Gaspar refused. The lawsuit accuses her of unjust enrichment, fraud and conversion.
IOWA
Regent suggests hike of 5%-6% for tuition
COUNCIL BLUFFS — A member of the Iowa Board of Regents would like to see a 5 percent or 6 percent tuition increase.
As part of a $767.6 million state appropriation request approved Thursday, regents will assume a base tuition increase of 2.7 percent for University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.
However, Craig Lang said students shouldn't think regents can't ask them to pay more than the 2.7 percent currently being suggested. He noted severe budget woes have led to layoffs and a salary freeze.
Lang said a 5 percent or 6 percent increase would amount to about an additional $300 per year.
Comprehensive discussions about setting tuition for next school year won't begin until a tuition plan is presented during a meeting next month.
KANSAS
County workers can't drive, use cell phones
WICHITA — Sedgwick County has banned its employees from using cell phones while driving on county business.
The new policy was approved Wednesday. It makes exceptions for first responders, such as sheriff's officers, emergency medical services and firefighters.
But for other employees, the ban covers the use of all cell phones — including hands-free models — and computers by anyone driving county or personal vehicles while working.
Mick McBride, risk management officer for Sedgwick County, said the new rules stem from a National Safety Council report that showed cell phone use contributes to about 636,000 wrecks, 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths a year.
MICHIGAN
Voters deadlock on road-repair initiative
MILFORD TOWNSHIP — One vote may not seem like a lot, but in one southeastern Michigan community, it's worth $670,000.
That's how much Milford residents were asked to approve for road repairs during Tuesday's election. But voters were deadlocked on whether to approve a proposal that would have cost the owner of a $200,000 home $50 a year.
Debby Frazer, Milford Township clerk, told The Detroit News the 427-427 vote is "unheard of" and "everybody is still in shock."
Council members in the 6,300-resident community 30 miles west-northwest of Detroit are expected to discuss their options Monday. They include a re-count, special election and placing the issue on the 2010 ballot.
The proposal is considered to have failed.
MINNESOTA
57 school districts to seek voters' help
ST. PAUL — At least 57 Minnesota school districts will ask voters in November to pass a tax levy for extra classroom dollars.
The Minnesota Department of Education provided a preliminary rundown Thursday of school districts with questions on the ballot.
Last year, there were 68 ballot questions seeking property tax levies for general classroom needs. Less than half were successful.
NEBRASKA
Natural gas customers could see some savings
OMAHA — Black Hills Energy will be passing along to customers some of its savings from lower prices for natural gas.
Black Hills Energy, based in Rapid City, S.D., has about 197,000 customers in 110 eastern Nebraska communities.
Compared with last winter, Black Hills projects a savings of about 25 percent on the gas usage portion of Nebraska bills.
But company spokesman Bob McKeon cautioned that Black Hills has bought only about 55 percent of what it will need this heating season, Nov. 1-March 31, and that prices could rise in the next few months.
NORTH DAKOTA
Web site has tips to help teen drivers
BISMARCK — North Dakota officials are launching a new Web site aimed at teen drivers, to try to keep them safe.
The site, www.ndteendrivers. com, offers driving quizzes and videos to help students with their permit tests.
North Dakota Transportation Director Francis Ziegler said the state has reported 99 traffic deaths so far this year, with 13 of the victims between the ages of 13 and 19. He said national statistics show that teens are four times more likely than other drivers to be involved in a crash.
OHIO
Car-related incidents make day a tough one
SANDUSKY — An Ohio man says it was a "wild" day when he and his wife were struck by a car while crossing a street and then had their own car stolen while they were in the hospital.
Gregory Moses of Sandusky suffered an injured knee when he and his wife were hit as they walked across an intersection in the northern Ohio city Monday afternoon. Judith Moses suffered a few bruises.
They still weren't home Tuesday morning when their son returned from an overnight work shift and discovered the couple's 2002 Buick LeSabre missing.
Authorities said the car was pulled over in Cleveland hours later and two Sandusky teens were arrested. An 18-year-old driver accused of striking the Moseses was cited for failure to yield to pedestrians.
SOUTH DAKOTA
New flights to link Sioux Falls, Chicago
SIOUX FALLS — A regional carrier for American Airlines plans to start service between Sioux Falls and Chicago.
The three American Eagle daily flights are expected to start between April and June, marking AMR Corp.'s return to the Sioux Falls market it left in 2004. AMR Corp. is the parent company for American Airlines and American Eagle.
WISCONSIN
Aug. attack on mayor to have lasting impact
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says doctors have told him he'll have permanent damage to his right hand from an attack last month.
Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he can eat an apple again after dental work that replaced two teeth and capped another. But he said doctors don't think he'll be able to make a fist. Barrett has 10 pins in his fractured index and middle fingers.
A 20-year-old man beat Barrett with a tire iron after the mayor intervened in a domestic dispute Aug. 15 after the mayor left the Wisconsin State Fair with his family. Anthony J. Peters of Milwaukee has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental defect in the incident.
CANADA
Body bag shipment said unrelated to flu
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Health officials ordered an investigation Thursday into why the Canadian government sent body bags to an Aboriginal reserve in Manitoba after community leaders requested assistance to deal with an expected outbreak of H1N1 flu.
The body bags were sent last week to a remote northern reserve that was hard hit by swine flu last spring. The bags were in a shipment of hand sanitizers and face masks.
Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said she found the action by Health Canada insensitive and offensive.
Jim Wolfe, regional director with the First Nations and Inuit branch of Health Canada, said the bags were part of a shipment intended for use over the winter and were not linked exclusively to swine flu.
"We really regret the alarm this incident has caused, and it was unintended," Wolfe said.
The Associated Press
