• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Firefighters quickly got a handle on several new wildfires in South Dakota as hot, dry weather continues.
• A blaze east of Pierre blackened about 200 acres on Monday. Rural Fire Chief Jason Roggow says it took crews about six hours to battle the blaze, and they were called out again Monday night to put out hot spots.
• Two homes and several other buildings near the Taylor Draw Fire were not threatened. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.
• In western South Dakota, a half-acre blaze along Interstate 90 east of Rapid City

was quickly extinguished, as were three small lightning-caused fires in the northern part of the Black Hills National Forest.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Japan's ambassador to the United States says he wants to see his nation conduct more business with South Dakota.
• Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki met Monday with South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard during a visit to Pierre.
• Fujisaki told KCCR Radio (http://bit.ly/e91M5B ) he encouraged Daugaard to send a trade delegation to Japan and also have the state join a Japanese business council that includes other Midwestern states.
• Fujisaki says South Dakota's tourism industry and agricultural products would be attractive to Japanese companies and tourists.
• Daugaard says some Japanese-owned businesses, such as Toshiba in Mitchell and Hematech of Sioux Falls, already are located in South Dakota.
• Fujisaki also is visiting North Dakota. He says he tries to visit several states each year to help promote his nation.
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• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A South Dakota judge is allowing three lawyers from Washington to help represent a Native American man who has filed a civil lawsuit claiming the letters KKK were carved into his stomach at a hospital.
• Court documents show that Judge Jeffrey Viken is allowing Gabriel Galanda, Anthony Broadman and Ryan Dreveskracht, all of Seattle, to take part in proceedings on behalf of Vern Traversie. The three men are admitted to practice in Washington but are not members of the South Dakota Bar.

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