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• Corn prices last year were a lot higher because a drought across much of the Corn Belt greatly reduced yields, though northeast South Dakota had a decent crop, Craig Haugaard, grain marketing manager at North Central Farmers Elevator in Ipswich, told the Aberdeen American News. This year, most corn-producing areas are recording above-average yields, so the lower corn prices reflect that larger supply, he said.
• The South Dakota corn crop is also coming out of the field with higher moisture than other years, so farmers will pay more to dry their crop so it doesn't spoil during storage, Mulder said.
• Other highlights from the South Dakota crop progress report for the week that ended Sunday:
• -- The soybean harvest was 87 percent complete, behind 100 percent last year but near the 84 percent average.
• -- Winter wheat seeding was 95 percent complete, near average.
• -- Sorghum at the mature stage was 96 percent, slightly behind average. The harvest was 53 percent complete, well behind 93 percent last year and 67 percent average.
• The sunflower harvest was 27 percent complete, well behind 89 percent last year and 50 percent average.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The Army Corps of Engineers says it expects higher-than-usual runoff in the Missouri River basin next year, but the system of dams along the river will still have minimum flows to recover from drought last year.
• The Capital Journal reports (http://bit.ly/16IEYqM ) that the corps says wet soil conditions from abnormally high precipitation in the upper basin this fall are expected to cause monthly runoff records for the Oahe (oh-AW'-hee) and Fort Randall areas this October. Total runoff for this year above Sioux City, Iowa, is expected to rank among the top five wettest years.
• But despite the wet conditions, reservoirs still are below desired levels due to the 2012 drought, and the system is still expected to support less than full-service navigation downstream next year.
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• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- The attorney representing a man accused of threaten

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