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• The South Dakota Division of Insurance has certified Avera Health Plans, Sanford Health Plan and Dakotacare, which is associated with the South Dakota State Medical Association, to offer insurance plans in the state.
• State officials did not put any resources into marketing the health exchange, leaving that to private and nonprofit health organizations.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- About 549 full-time employees of the South Dakota National Guard have been furloughed because of the federal government shutdown.
• Guard spokesman Maj. Anthony Deiss says the South Dakota Guard has about 974 full-time employees, and 372 will remain on duty during the shutdown.
• Deiss says the temporary layoffs will hurt the National Guard's ability to maintain vehicles, aircraft and other equipment, and it could affect weekend training for regular guard members.
• But he says the National Guard can still be called to duty in the event of a state disaster or emergency.
• Deiss says the furloughs will hurt many employees financially. Some have already given up income because they had to take six days unpaid leave due to the automatic budget cuts.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A South Dakota panel has decided to propose legislation that would lower employers' taxes for unemployment insurance beginning in January of 2015.
• The Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council's recommendation will go Gov. Dennis Daugaard and the 2014 Legislature.
• The proposal would set the taxable wage base at $14,000, changing an existing law that would increase that wage base to $15,000 in 2015. Businesses pay unemployment taxes on workers' actual earnings up to the $14,000 wage base.
• The plan also would reduce the threshold for employers to achieve a lower tax rate.
• State Labor and Regulation Secretary Pam Roberts says all employers could potentially see a lower tax rate.
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• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- Law enforcement authorities were investigating after a

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