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ated the state Board of Geographic Names to handle it.
• Even though the federal board has agreed to rename some places in South Dakota, it deferred action on others, partly because it said the state had not sufficiently involved the public in renaming creeks, gulches and other offensively named places. Most places are so small they do not appear on most maps, officials have said.
• The state board's tentative plans for public input on the Meade County creek call for publishing a public notice early in July giving people 45 days to suggest a new name. The board then will hold a public hearing in late summer before recommending a new name to the federal board, which has the final say.
• Board members said after dealing with this creek, they will tackle a county that has several offensively named areas.
• The board also said that hearings eventually will be held on American Indian res

ervations.
• "I'm just glad we're moving forward," said J.R. LaPlante, board chairman and secretary of the state Department of Tribal Relations.
• Board members said they expect some people will resist efforts, because they want to preserve historical names.
• "I think there's going to be some difficult ones down the road," said board member Jay Vogt, director of the South Dakota State Historical Society.
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• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Crop development continues to be well ahead of averages, but severe storms caused crop damage in some parts of the state.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop and weather report that storms produced hail in some areas, damaging crops. Precipitation was generally less than an inch statewide. A few places recorded totals greater than an inch.
• Development advanced for all crops, but there were signs of stress from lack of moisture.
• Corn had an average height of 18 inches, ahead of the five year average of 10 inches, with 94 percent of the crop cultivated or sprayed once.
• Soybeans were at 97 percent emerged, ahead of the five year average of 73 percent.
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