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• Over the next few days, "unfortunately little if any rain is expected to fall across the hard-hit drought areas in the eastern Dakotas, eastern Nebraska and the Upper Mississippi Valley/Upper Great Lakes region," Anthony Artusa of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center wrote in Thursday's update.
• The forecast rain will have no impact on the already-matured corn crop currently being harvested.
• As of Monday, 39 percent of that crop had been brought in from the fields -- three times more than by this date in the previous five years due to early planting, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. More than 54 percent of the corn crop in Illinois has been harvested, while Iowa has harvested 37 percent and Missouri 80 percent.
• About 51 percent of the U.S. corn crop is classified as being in poor or very poor shape, essentially unchanged from a week earlier, the USDA said. A year ago, 20 percent of corn in the fields was listed that way.
• Twenty-two percent of the U.S. soybean crops have been harvested, with 34 percent considered poor or very poor, the USDA said.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A manufacturing company based in Elko, Minn., has announced it will relocate to South Dakota.

• South Dakota economic development officials say American Engineered Products plans to hire 15 to 20 employees when it relocates to De Smet. The company makes telescoping flag poles and slot machine bases.
• Gov. Dennis Daugaard says the company's decision to move to South Dakota shows the state has a business-friendly environment. He says more businesses are realizing that South Dakota has quality workers and offers an impressive lifestyle.
• Audrey Saylor, the company's vice president of operations, says American Engineered Products wanted to move to a mid-sized community in South Dakota where it could cut its production costs. She says De Smet has an available building, and the company will begin operations there by Nov. 1.
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