Wednesday,  April 30, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 286 • 21 of 31

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• Daugaard says the decision will allow insurers to renew existing "non-compliant" insurance plans on or before Oct. 1, 2016, for individuals and for groups with 51 to 100 employees.
• The State Division of Insurance estimates that the move will affect more than 83,000 people and will save South Dakotans more than $70 million over the next two years.
• Daugaard says the federal Affordable Care Act is forcing millions of Americans to change health insurance plans, and in some cases it adds expensive and unnecessary new coverages.

NTSB to focus on why SD plane was flying so low
CARSON WALKER, Associated Press
DIRK LAMMERS, Associated Press

• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A federal investigator will focus on why a small aircraft was flying so low when it crashed into a wind turbine in South Dakota, killing all four people onboard.
• Possible factors include trouble with the pilot or plane, and the weather.
• The Piper crashed Sunday evening 10 miles south of Highmore, killing the pilot, Donald J. "D.J." Fischer, and three passengers.
• National Transportation Safety Board investigator Jennifer Rodi (ROH'-dee) says it doesn't appear the pilot filed a flight plan or was communicating with air traffic controllers, so it's unclear if he refueled before leaving Hereford, Texas.
• Fischer, of Gettysburg, owned the plane. Cattlemen Brent Beitelspacher, of Bowdle, and Logan Rau, of Java, were also killed. A funeral home Tuesday identified the fourth victim as 33-year-old Nick Reiman, of Ree Heights.

Corn, spring wheat seeding progress in SD

• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Seeding of corn and spring wheat has progressed in South Dakota thanks to a week of favorable weather.
• The federal Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop and weather report that about six days were suitable for field work.
• The spring wheat crop is now 42 percent planted, ahead of 12 percent last year but slightly behind the long-term average of 46 percent.
• Corn planting is 11 percent complete, near the average of 10 percent. Last year, no corn was in the ground in South Dakota at this time.
• The report says the calving season in South Dakota is three-fourths complete.

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