Sioux Falls man pleads guilty to manslaughter
• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A Sioux Falls man accused of driving drunk and killing a woman on a motorcycle has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and second-offense drunken driving.
• Forty-one-year-old Darren Boomgarden told the judge during his hearing Tuesday that he had been drinking alcohol and had taken a prescription sleep aid before driving to a fast food restaurant on July 28. Authorities say his vehicle struck a motorcycle, injuring the driver and killing 36-year-old passenger Tracy Handel.
• Boomgarden was arrested at his home after the crash. He told the judge Tuesday that he doesn't remember much about the night.
• He is to be sentenced Jan. 25. His plea deal with prosecutors calls for a sentence of no more than 30 years in prison.
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Sioux Falls casino robbed by male with weapon
• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Sioux Falls police are investigating an armed robbery at a local casino.
• Authorities say a male entered the Dollar Bill's Casino about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, showed a weapon and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.
• Police did not say what the weapon was.
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SD receiving fewer heating assistance applications
DIRK LAMMERS,Associated Press
• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota has received slightly fewer applications from residents seeking help to pay heating bills than it did last year.
• The state's administrator of the federal program says it's likely the result of tightened eligibility requirements and mild fall weather.
• David Gall with the South Dakota Department of Social Services says cutbacks in federal funding over the past few years have left states trying to strike a balance between serving more households with smaller checks or fewer households with more assistance.
• This year, South Dakota households with income up to 175 percent of the federal poverty level can qualify for the program, which pays utility company for natural gas, (Continued on page 18)
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