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nomic development office will, for the time being, handle what the regional center did. He declined comment on details of the "for cause" in the termination letter.
• Daugaard acknowledged Wednesday an investigation was underway into GOED involving possible financial misconduct prior to his administration. Daugaard said there has also been a federal investigation, but declined to provide details of either.
• Northern Beef Packers' former loan monitor, Richard Benda, was found dead with a gunshot wound on Oct. 22 near Lake Andes, and his funeral happened a day before Daugaard put out his statement. Benda had also served as secretary of the department that handles tourism and economic development from 2006 to 2010 under former Gov. Michael Rounds.
• The death remains under investigation, according to the South Dakota attorney general's office.
• Northern Beef Packers opened its $109 million state-of-the-art facility on a limited basis in 2012 after years of delays. Its owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July, saying they did not have enough money to buy cattle for slaughter.
• Once a locally owned project, Northern Beef Packers is 41 percent owned by businessman Oshik Song with 69 Korean investors who each gave at least $500,000 under EB-5.
• Dennis Hellwig, who stepped down as Northern Beef Packers' general partner more than four years ago, and Bob Breukelman, the plant's former construction engineer, told the AP on Thursday they've been questioned by federal investigators about the plant's finances and how the EB-5 funds were used.
• The EB-5 government program allows foreigners to get visas if they invest $500,000 to $1 million in projects or businesses that create jobs for U.S. citizens. The amount of the investment required depends on the type of project. Investors who are approved for the program can become legal permanent residents after two years and can later be eligible to become citizens.
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