Tuesday,  Dec. 31, 2013 • Vol. 16--No. 168 • 19 of 28

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the gifts to Vastenhout's hospital room, decorated it for the holiday and celebrated what would be their last Christmas together.
• Menning said her mother, though weak and in a lot of pain, was able to take part.
• "She wanted to see them open their Christmas presents one more time," Menning said of her two children, who were her mother's only grandchildren. "She wanted to be there for her family, so she would never give up."
• On Monday, she was helping to plan the funeral, which was to take place Tuesday in Leota.
• "People need to realize that time is valuable and they should hold their loved ones close while they still can," Menning said.
• KSFY-TV first reported the story.

Rapid City mayor says developers want him gagged

• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- Developers of a planned $50 million downtown revitalization project in Rapid City want the mayor to stop talking to potential funding sources.
• Representatives of the President's Plaza sent a letter to the city attorney demanding that Mayor Sam Kooiker stop asking about the project's financial ventures.
• The City Council's legal and finance committee plans to review the letter on Tuesday.
• Kooiker says the request amounts to a gag order. He says he supports the plan but thinks transparency is also important.
• The letter was made public when it was added to the committee agenda.

Police arrest 1 but look for another in stabbing

• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Sioux Falls police arrested one suspect but are looking for a second person in connection with a non-fatal stabbing.
• Authorities say 24-year-old Derek Jordan Arapahoe is charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest. It's not clear if he has an attorney.
• Police say he swung a large knife during an argument at an apartment complex on Friday that struck a 21-year-old man in the head. The injury was not life-threatening.
• Investigators say they're still looking for another person who was present when it happened.


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