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ND, SD workers say roads could be icy for a while
• FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Highway officials in North and South Dakota say roads could remain icy for several days following the latest blast of winter weather.
• Although snow totals were less than expected in some areas, the storm was preceded by freezing rain and drizzle that put a coating of ice on roads. And frigid temperatures are forecast for the next several days.
• Bruce Nord, maintenance supervisor for the North Dakota Department of Transportation, says wind gusts make it difficult to keep sand and salt on the road.
• Nord and Fred Moninger, a highway maintenance worker in Rapid City, S.D., say that salt begins to lose its effectiveness in bitterly cold weather.
• Says Nord, "That ice is going to be there for a while."
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What to know in SD legislative session's 2nd week
CHET BROKAW,Associated Press
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Though the first week of South Dakota's 2013 legislative session started at a relaxed pace as committees had few bills to consider, things will pick up as the session progresses.
• Here are five things to know heading into the session's second week:
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• DON'T VISIT MONDAY
• Lawmakers will meet Tuesday through Friday this week. The Legislature in recent years has moved to mostly four-day work weeks to give lawmakers a chance to spend an extra day at home each week taking care of their farms, ranches, businesses and jobs. The schedule this year includes only one five-day work week, which is the first week of March. That's the final week of the main run of session, when the House and Senate traditionally deal with major issues and pass the state budget for the next year.
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• CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AGAIN TAKES CENTER STAGE
• A first committee hearing will be Tuesday on the plan to cut prison costs and improve the rehabilitation of criminal offenders by treating more of those convicted of nonviolent crimes outside prison walls. The Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee will get a briefing on the plan, including projected costs for the changes in probation, parole and special courts that treat offenders with drug and alcohol prob (Continued on page 22)
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