Tuesday,  April 1, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 257 • 23 of 36

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winter, so they're pretty well acclimated, have their heavy fur," she said. "Most are going to come through OK."

Sioux Falls homicide suspect held on $1M bond

• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A man accused of raping and strangling a 56-year-old Sioux Falls woman has made his initial court appearance.
• Forty-year-old Christopher Kryger went to court Monday. News outlets report that Kryger had to be told during the short hearing not to talk and family members of his alleged victim cursed at him.
• The 40-year-old man was arrested Friday on charges of murder, rape and burglary, and jailed on $1 million bond. His attorney didn't return a call seeking comment.
• Kari Anne Kirkegaard was found dead in her bathtub with the water running in mid-March. Authorities say she was strangled with such force that it broke her neck.
• Kryger has prior assault and arson convictions. He has spent much of his adult life in prison, and was paroled about four months ago.

Deadline arriving for health insurance sign-ups

• REGINA GARCIA CANO, Associated Press
• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Renewed computer glitches and a spring blizzard Monday threatened last-ditch efforts to sign up people in South Dakota for the new federal health law.
• The health care law backed by President Barack Obama requires nearly every American to have insurance coverage. The six-month open enrollment period is set to end at 11 p.m. CDT Monday, and meeting the deadline means avoiding financial penalties on 2014 federal taxes.
• Most of South Dakota was under weather advisories Monday, with forecasters predicting snowfall amounts of up to a foot in some areas. Travel was expected to be difficult if not impossible in some areas, which in turn, could prevent some residents from getting in-person help to sign up for health care coverage.
• The chief administrative officer of Avera Health Plans, Deb Muller, said people who can't make it to a center to get help navigating the health care exchange website www.healthcare.gov should call 800-318-2596 until they are prompted to leave their contact information.
• Anyone who leaves a message on the hotline will be contacted later and allowed to enroll, Muller said.

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