The Daily News

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Supporters of the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname plan a final push for petition signatures.

When Janice and Gerald Illies discovered their car had been stolen from their Lidgerwood driveway Jan. 1, they thought they would never see it again.

Editor’s Note: The following is the final part in a series of safety concerns on playground equipment.

The 26th District Democratic-NPL held its reorganizational meeting Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Springs Golf Course Clubhouse in Gwinner, N.D.

As part of 2012 Catholic Schools Week, eight U.S. Marines from the Military Police Detachment Unit in Wahpeton visited St. John's Catholic School Wednesday to conduct a flag-folding ceremony for students. During the ceremony, two Marines folded the flag while another talked about the significance of how the flag is folded. A question-and-answer session followed the event.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Democratic governor candidate Ryan Taylor said he's raised more than $46,000 for his campaign.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Officials say booth space for an annual conference in North Dakota oil country went quickly after registration opened Wednesday morning.

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (AP) — Amid a mild winter that's sparing Minnesota the need to spread as much road salt as it often does, experts and officials will be gathering in Chaska to learn about ways to reduce the impact of salt pollution.

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — Workers have ended informational pickets at North Dakota's lone oil refinery.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Work at North Dakota State University's Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute is getting a boost through two $3.5 million federal grants.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former St. Paul police clerk has been found civilly liable in the 1981 death of his girlfriend.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A musical drama about the last days of singer Judy Garland makes its U.S. premiere at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — The union representing locked-out employees at American Crystal Sugar. Co. plans to lobby against the sugar program in Congress, breaking a tradition of fighting for the program alongside farmers and the company.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair to "see" his shadow on Thursday, in the process predicting six more weeks of winter.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — A man is accused in federal court of smuggling cash into the United States at the border between North Dakota and Canada.

Breckenridge Police have arrested and charged a second suspect in connection with a kidnapping and robbery incident that took place last week. Aaron Jacob Marquez, 21, is scheduled to make his first appearance at the Wilkin County Courthouse Thursday morning. His brother, Miguel Angel Marquez Jr., 22, was arrested in Wahpeton Jan. 26 in connection with the same incident.

A fire late Tuesday afternoon caused extreme structural damage to a house in Foxhome, Minn., a release from Wilkin County Sheriff's office states.

A national telephone-based fraud scheme is targeting recipients of unemployment insurance benefits and several North Dakota residents have been on the receiving end of the calls.

A 22-year-old Wahpeton man has been charged with two felonies in Richland County in connection with an incident last week where a person was allegedly held at knife point while valuables were taken from their apartment.

A fire late Tuesday afternoon caused extreme structural damage to a house in Foxhome, Minn., a release from the Wilkin County Sheriff's office states.

Band and choir students at Wahpeton High School are holding a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Thursday to raise money for a scheduled trip to Colorado in April.

HAZEN, N.D. (AP) — One man was reported dead and another injured after a shooting in a Beulah apartment in Mercer County.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Sens. Kent Conrad and John Hoeven have collected on a friendly bet they made with Texas Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn on the outcome of the Football Championship Subdivision title game last month.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A big jump in a monthly survey index suggests more economic growth is ahead for nine Midwest and Plains states.

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — The city of Dickinson last year issued a record value of building permits for the second year in a row.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — United Tribes Technical College is getting a $750,000 matching grant to help complete a science and technology building on the Bismarck campus.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A pipeline company is asking state and federal regulators for permission to build an oil pipeline beneath North Dakota's Lake Sakakawea.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's revenue commissioner says additional research shows electronic pulltabs in bars and restaurants could generate $72 million annually for a new Vikings stadium.

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — No charges will be filed against a Minnesota state trooper who fatally shot a woman when she tried to flee a traffic stop last September.

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — The driver of a Zamboni at a peewee hockey game in Apple Valley was arrested for operating the ice resurfacing machine while drunk.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — For 684,000 North Dakotans, there are now 1 million vehicles.

MEDORA, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame has paid last year's overdue construction bond payment, making the extended deadline of Jan. 31.

Wyndmere Public School does an annual maintenance inspection of its playground equipment with many "spot checks" throughout the year.