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• It likely won't keep farmers out of the fields, though. Agriculture giant Monsanto tested a drought-resistant variety of corn last year, and DuPont Pioneer and Syngenta are also marketing similar varieties.
• Southwest Kansas farmer Clay Scott said he was one of 250 to test Monsanto's during last year's drought and said it yielded more bushels per gallon of water than his fully irrigated corn. He plans to plant about 10 percent of the drought-resistant corn this year, noting that things are again looking extremely dry.
• "The countryside's hurting every time the wind blows," he said. "It's really starting to be an issue with blowing dirt," he said.
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SD closes the books on 3 natural disasters in 2008
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota's Office of Emergency Management said Thursday it has completed the paperwork and closed the books on the state's three presidentially declared natural disasters in 2008.
• A winter storm with record snowfall happened in early May 2008. A severe storm caused widespread flooding in June of that year. Another record winter storm hit five months later in early November.
• The trio of disasters affected dozens of counties and thousands of people, and caused a total of nearly $25 million in damages, State Public Assistance Officer Jack Dokken said.
• "While the immediate response to most disasters is over rather quickly, the process of recovery can take several years," he said in a statement Thursday. "Our staff is committed to working closely with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and local officials to make sure public assistance program funds are made available to rebuild or repair roads, bridges, power lines and other public infrastructure damaged during the disasters."
• The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management continues to manage nine other presidential disasters in South Dakota dating back to 2009.
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Gas leak prompts some evacuations in Rapid Valley
• RAPID VALLEY, S.D. (AP) -- Residents of about half a dozen homes in Rapid Valley are back home after a gas leak prompted their evacuation.
• Authorities say a construction crew ruptured a natural gas line on Wednesday afternoon. They say they did not have to evacuate more homes because the leak was quickly repaired and gusty winds dissipated the gas that had escaped.
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