Saturday,  August 25, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 042 • 23 of 34 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 22)

Rapid City mayor vetoes property tax increase

• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker (KWAY'-kur) has vetoed the city council's decision to raise city property taxes next year.
• The city council voted 6-4 earlier in the week to increase property taxes by the rate of inflation, an adjustment done to offset rising costs.
• KOTA-TV reports (http://bit.ly/P8M0B4 ) that Kooiker says the property tax is not needed. The mayor says city sales tax collections are rising more than had been expected and eight tax increment financing districts are expiring.

• The inflationary increase in the property tax would bring in an extra $402,000 in revenue to the city.

Eric Robert to be executed in mid-October

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says Judge Bradley Zell has approved his request to schedule a mid-October execution for a State Penitentiary inmate who killed a prison guard.
• Fifty-year-old Eric Robert is to be put to death by lethal injection the week of Oct. 14. The exact date and time will be chosen by the prison warden.
• Robert pleaded guilty to killing guard Ron Johnson during a failed escape attempt last year and asked to be put to death. The Supreme Court last week unanimously upheld his death sentence.
• A second inmate involved in the escape attempt also has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to death, but is appealing. A third inmate was given life in prison.

Deadwood table game revenue soars in July

• DEADWOOD, S.D. (AP) -- Gambling revenues were up in Deadwood during the first month of an increased betting limit.
• A state law took effect July 1 increasing table betting limits from $100 to $1,000. The Rapid City Journal reports that table game revenue for the month was up 20 percent over the year.
• Deadwood Gaming Association President Tom Nelson says the increase is directly related to the increased betting limit. Deadwood Mountain Grand General Manager Brad Hemmah tells KOTA-TV that the higher limit has been well-received

(Continued on page 24)

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