Food complaint? Call 911 - not; breast milk regs; sex for cards

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — A grizzly bear exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo is temporarily closed after one of the bears picked up a basketball-sized rock and shattered a barrier.

Startled visitors stood on the other side as the bear repeatedly slammed the rock into a pane of glass Monday morning.

Zoo animal collections manager Tony Fisher tells the Star Tribune the five-layer pane stayed in place "like a windshield." No one was hurt.

The grizzlies were called back inside. The area remains closed until a temporary fix can be made ahead of a permanent pane being installed.

Fisher is not sure which of the three bears is responsible for busting one of pane's five layers. But he suspects it was Kenai, a nearly full-grown male who is "usually the clown out there."

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The construction of a portion of a major high-voltage power line connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin is on hold due to concerns about nesting by protected bird species.

A 3-mile stretch of the line in an area near Onalaska that's owned and managed by the Mississippi Valley Conservancy contains 11 species of concern, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Two of the bird species — Henslow's sparrow and Bell's vireo — are classified as threatened.

Abbie Church, conservation director of the La Crosse-based nonprofit, said she noticed last month that crews working in the area were ignoring a restriction on construction activities during nesting season, which typically runs from April through July.

"The unfortunate thing is that we worked so hard to ensure that the easement include provisions to account for the rare birds so they would not be disturbed," Church said Monday. "So it's very disappointing to see that a legal document such as that was just blatantly disregarded."

Xcel Energy mistakenly provided workers with the wrong information about which kinds of activities are prohibited in the area, according to project manager Grant Stevenson. The utility has checked construction activities in both states and confirmed no other instances of work taking place in areas containing protected species, he said.

"This is the first time in about 600 miles under construction or completed that we've had any kind of issue like this," said Tim Carlsgaard, an Xcel and CapX 2020 spokesman.

The Wisconsin portion of Xcel Energy's $500 million project, which links the La Crosse area and Rochester, Minnesota, is slated for completion in September. But the timeline may change, depending on whether the Wisconsin Public Service Commission approves the utility's request to resume the construction of a 2-mile stretch of the project where a wildlife biologist hired by Xcel found no evidence of protected birds.

The entire 345,000-volt power line project is expected to be complete next year.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 350-pound wheelchair belonging to a Vietnam veteran has been stolen from the front porch of his Hutchinson home.

The Hutchinson News reports Jerry Josephson, a Vietnam War veteran, had one leg amputated earlier this year. The $4,000 wheelchair he used to get around was stolen Friday off his porch, where he left it locked.

Josephson had recently been given the electric chair by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Josephson, a local barber, says he's waiting to see if the VA will replace the wheelchair or if his homeowners insurance will cover the loss. He also says he'd appreciate it if the thieves just brought the chair back in the same condition they found it.

LANSING, Mich. — Members of the Democratic minority in the Michigan Legislature have introduced bills setting out rules for sharing of human breast milk in the state.

Rep. Erika Geiss of Taylor has sponsored a measure to create standards for human milk banks in Michigan.

When she announced the legislation in March, Geiss said repeated research shows that feeding breast milk to premature infants has both short- and long-term benefits for the babies.

She says that's regardless of whether the milk comes from the mother or another woman.

Geiss says many women don't know that donated breast milk is an option.

Sen. David Knezek of Dearborn Heights has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

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CHICAGO — Illinois may not continue to pay state workers in full during an ongoing budget impasse, a Cook County judge ruled Tuesday.

In response to a request for a legal review by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Judge Diane Joan Larsen said Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger may pay only some workers who are covered under a federal law. Those workers would receive federal minimum wage plus overtime.

Munger's attorneys said it would take the state as long as a year to determine which employees would be paid under federal law and how much. That effectively means no workers will be paid until Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature approve a budget, the comptroller's attorneys said.

Lawmakers have been deadlocked over a budget for weeks. Rauner, a conservative businessman seeking pro-business reforms in Illinois, vetoed a spending plan passed by the Legislature that fell far short of available revenues. Democrats such as House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton are seeking increases in revenue to ensure the government continues to provide social services and other key operations.

Lisa Madigan, a Democrat and the speaker's daughter, had asked the judge to clarify what state government is obligated to pay without an approved budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.

Without appropriation power, the comptroller is likely limited to paying only crucial bills, such as debt service, federal-program participation fees and payments required by court orders.

Munger, a Republican, wanted the judge to rule that all state employees fit into that category based on a 2009 court order during another budget impasse. But Madigan, a Democrat, said that court order and an earlier one indicated that the only allowed pay was limited to federal minimum wage.

CINCINNATI  — Saturday night's scheduled concert by homegrown rapper Cal Scruby and the remainder of a summer series have been canceled in the aftermath of violence last weekend in downtown Cincinnati, organizers said Tuesday as city leaders readied preparations for hosting baseball's All-Star Game next week.

City officials have been offering assurances that downtown will be safe for the July 14 game and related events leading up to it that start this weekend. City Manager Harry Black on Tuesday said it will mean tens of millions of dollars in economic impact for Cincinnati, as well as the "opportunity to showcase our entire city."

Black said he thinks visitors and global TV audiences will be impressed, adding: "Yes, Cincinnati will be safe."

Mayor John Cranley blamed an "event-based problem" for Saturday night's melee in which two police officers were hurt, a civilian was beaten and some police wore riot gear while arresting seven people after a Fountain Square concert. Cranley said Monday that the show drew large groups of unchaperoned young people downtown late at night, without enough staffing and planning to cope with the crowds.

An email sent to Scruby's website contact requesting comment was not immediately returned.

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., a private city development organization that sponsored the concert series, said in a statement that it and the promoter don't believe the instigators of the trouble were associated with the concert. But it acknowledged "public safety implications that cannot be ignored," especially after police were put at risk.

"The Saturday night hip-hop concerts have grown such that they have become a capacity challenge that has raised concerns from civic leaders, public safety officials and surrounding businesses," the organization said.

The group known as 3CDC said a lineup of other music, viewing parties and activities will go on downtown as planned during the All-Star weekend.

City officials also expect tens of thousands of people for a Saturday night concert at Paul Brown Stadium headlined by pop star Ariana Grande. But they said they expect parents and other adults to attend that show with young fans.

There will be a large police presence, including undercover officers, in the city after many months of security planning for the All-Star Game, which has also involved the FBI, Coast Guard and other federal, state and local agencies, city leaders said.

Major League Baseball spokesman Matt Bourne said by email Monday that the league has been involved in the security planning for Cincinnati for more than a year and is keeping in communication on all aspects for "a safe All-Star experience for our fans."

COLUMBIA, Mo. — A Columbia man has been arrested on suspicion of choking and hitting girlfriend with a wooden banister.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports a 37-year-old man was arrested Sunday and faces several charges including two counts of second-degree domestic assault and possession of a controlled substance.

According to Officer Latisha Stroer, the victim told police her boyfriend assaulted her during an argument that night. The woman said the suspect struck her with a 4-foot-long wooden banister on the shoulder, pushed her to the ground and tried to strangle her.

Stroer said the woman told officers the suspect threw her cellphone, cracking the windshield of her vehicle.

The suspect is being held at the Boone County Jail on a bond of $10,500.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is allowing married gay and lesbian residents to change their names on driver's licenses and is having the health insurance plan for state workers offer coverage to their same-sex spouses, officials said Tuesday.

But the state has not yet altered other policies affecting gay and lesbian couples in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last month legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation.

Kansas banned same-sex marriage and did not recognize such marriages from other states, reinforcing those long-standing policies with an amendment to the state constitution overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2005. However, court clerks in all 105 counties were granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples as of last week.

The state employees' health plan began taking applications Tuesday from married gay and lesbian workers seeking coverage for their spouses, said Sara Belfry, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Environment. The agency administers the health plan, which will have a special, 31-day enrollment period for same-sex couples, she said.

State driver's license offices allowed married gay and lesbian couples to change their licenses as of Monday, said Jeannine Koranda, a spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback faced criticism last week from gay rights advocates because he said his administration was reviewing the ramifications of the Supreme Court's June 26 ruling. The conservative governor has been a vocal supporter of the state's policy against gay marriage.

"It's about time," said Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, the state's leading gay rights group. "It didn't feel fast to a lot of us who've been in this fight for years and years and years."

Belfry said the state employees' health plan covers about 104,000 people. She said the state doesn't have an estimate for how much the figure will grow because gay and lesbian workers' spouses can be covered.

However, the Department of Revenue is not yet allowing married same-sex couples to file joint income tax returns. The agency's stance prompted two gay couples married in other states to file a lawsuit in Shawnee County District Court in 2013, and the case is still pending.

Koranda said the department is reviewing all of its policies, and "there are a lot of moving parts."

"We're just trying to make sure we don't miss anything," she said.

Witt said the agency simply needs to accept joint returns from married gay couples.

"There's nothing to sort out," he said.

Also, the Department for Children and Families is reviewing its adoption policies, said spokeswoman Theresa Freed. Its policies allow gays and lesbians to adopt children in state custody as individuals, but not as couples.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — After escaping from an Iowa prison, an inmate walked along railroad tracks for miles before stealing an unlocked car that had its keys inside.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Sholl says Justin Kestner walked about five miles from Fort Madison to the rural town of Wever after escaping from the Iowa State Penitentiary early Sunday.

He says Kestner fled in a Pontiac Grand Prix, likely taking the opportunity to steal the first vehicle he saw "that had the keys in it."

That vehicle was reported abandoned hours later near Geneseo, Illinois. After learning that it was registered to an owner in Wever, Sholl says investigators searching for the inmate immediately suspected it was the car he'd stolen. An Illinois state trooper found Kestner walking along a nearby highway and arrested him.

ALLIANCE, Ohio — A northeast Ohio woman has been arrested after police say she called 911 to complain about an order of Chinese food.

Police say the 44-year-old Alliance woman purposely called 911 around 4:30 Monday afternoon, saying the Chinese food she'd ordered from a local restaurant was "not up to par for her liking."

After police determined the woman had no real emergency, she was arrested and charged with misuse of 911, a misdemeanor.

She's scheduled to appear in court later this week.

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa — An Iowa man accused of collecting and distributing child pornography using a public library's internet connection has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt said in a news release Monday that 37-year-old Corey Lee Steffen of Pleasant Hill was sentenced Wednesday. Steffen was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit the computer equipment he used.

Authorities said Steffen was caught in 2012 using the Internet connection at the Pleasant Hill Public Library to collect and distribute child porn on his laptop. According to the news release, Steffen recorded several sex acts he engaged in with a 14-year-old Minnesota girl in 2010 and distributed some of the videos to a friend in Nevada.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri is joining at least one other state in offering a tax exemption for stillbirths, after Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon signed a law allowing it starting this year.

The measure will allow a one-time exemption of $1,200 from a parent's income — the same amount taxpayers can claim for each dependent on tax returns. Arizona appears to be the only other state with a similar tax policy, although that's difficult to track.

Missouri state Sen. Ed Emery, who tacked the stillbirth tax exemption onto a broader tax bill, said women face expenses during pregnancy even when they don't give birth to a live baby. Under Missouri law, a parent can apply for a certificate of birth resulting in a stillbirth after 20 weeks of pregnancy or if the fetus reaches a certain weight. It's generally considered to be a miscarriage if the fetus dies before 20 weeks.

Emery, a Lamar Republican, said his wife had three miscarriages and that the death of a child can be difficult for parents "even if it's one that you've never been able to hold in your arms." He said the legislation could help relieve some stress by offsetting medical expenses.

"Obviously when you go through that, you have the family struggles within just because of the loss," Emery said. "At least this would be a minor part of relief on the financial side."

There were an average of 414 fetal deaths in Missouri per year between 2009 and 2013, according a fiscal report by legislative researchers. They used that to estimate that the provision will cost the state about $30,000 in lost revenue. With other provisions included, the bill could cost the state more than $200,000 in general revenue this fiscal year and more than $300,000 in other funds.

The measure passed overwhelmingly in the House and unanimously in the Senate, although a few Democrats have raised concerns that it could open the door to a broader definition of "personhood" in Missouri. Some abortion opponents hope to bestow personhood status on fertilized eggs and fetuses; supporters of abortion rights are concerned that would be used to restrict abortions.

Emery said that was not the intent of the legislation, although he said he would be pleased if the measure is used to promote personhood proposals.

Sen. Jill Schupp, a Democrat from the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, said she's concerned about that but still voted for the bill. She and Democratic Rep. Deb Lavender of Kirkwood said that despite their concerns, other aspects of the legislation swayed them.

For example, the measure gives incentives to the Missouri Department of Revenue to issue tax refunds more quickly by requiring the state to pay interest after 45 days instead of 90 days.

Other provisions include sales tax exemptions for graphing calculators worth less than $150 during a certain period and aircrafts sold to out-of-state residents or companies.

The law takes effect Aug. 28.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A western Michigan woman says she's no longer facing a misdemeanor charge after being arrested for failing to renew her dog's license.

Becky Rehr says she drove to the Kalamazoo County sheriff's office June 23 to prove she recently renewed the license for the family's 11-year-old dog, Dexter. The Kalamazoo Gazette says Rehr's 14-year-old daughter waited in the car as her mother was arrested, fingerprinted and held for three hours.

Rehr told the newspaper in an email the dismissal at the request of the prosecutor's office was approved Monday.

The prosecutor's office earlier said dismissal of the charge was typical in such cases once there's proof a dog license was obtained. County animal control says it gave the 47-year-old Cooper Township woman numerous notices before a warrant was issued.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man has been charged with trying to have sex with a girl in exchange for trading cards and a DVD player.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports 25-year-old Joshua D. Vrana was charged with attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child Monday. He is being held at the Lancaster County jail on $100,000 bond.

Authorities said a Nebraska State Patrol investigator received a tip about an exchange on an online dating site in which a user claimed to have a 25-year-old friend who wanted to have sex with a 16-year-old's younger sister. After identifying the user with a friend as Vrana, investigators contacted the suspect pretending to be the 16-year-old girl July 1.

According to authorities, they met that night at a public library, where Vrana was arrested.

Vrana has been appointed a public defender as his attorney.

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The City Council in Rapid City has denied a couple's appeal to keep two pygmy fainting goats as therapy animals.

KEVN-TV and KOTA-TV report the City Council voted Monday against keeping the goats in city limits. Justina and Scot Glassgow have had the goats named Athena and Venus at their Rapid City home since April.

The Rapid City Journal reports livestock are permitted in the city only under certain conditions. Justina Glassgow says the goats provide mental health therapy, and that she has a doctor's note recommending she keep them.

A neighbor had complained about the goats, and the council allowed a brief stay in code enforcement until it made a decision.

Justina Glassgow has said she would move the goats outside city limits and still visit them if their request was rejected.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Two Des Moines residents who grew up just blocks apart but met only last year at a housing facility for seniors have gotten married.

The Des Moines Register reports that 80-year-old Doris DeBolt and 84-year-old Ray Reierson were wed on Saturday by DeBolt's older brother in a ceremony at Fort Des Moines Senior Housing, an independent living facility. They'd met there last year, after Reierson's wife died. DeBolt has been single since divorcing after 25 years of marriage.

After DeBolt and Reierson met and began exchanging details about their lives, they discovered they'd lived a few blocks apart on Des Moines' Kirkwood Avenue for most of their childhoods.

DeBolt's granddaughter, Lindsay Hunerdosse, says, "It's so nice to know they have each other."

PORT HURON, Mich. — A former St. Clair County jail guard who admits having sex with an inmate while he was on work release has been sentenced to 10 months in jail, with four months of that suspended.

Twenty-seven-year-old Gemma Cowperthwaite pleaded guilty to a reduced criminal sexual conduct charge in May. Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly sentenced her Monday.

The inmate says he met the deputy while in jail in July 2014. He says he and Cowperthwaite had sex at her home this spring.

Before the sentencing, the ex-deputy said it was the "biggest mistake" of her life.

The judge says Cowperthwaite betrayed the trust of the sheriff and court system.

The Times Herald of Port Huron reports that Sheriff Tim Donnellon says his ex-deputy "deserves every minute of time she's been sentenced to."

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