Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota • Page 1

Cutting the fat Suspension leaves Indiana shorthanded tonight against Bulls Sports 1C Real-life lessons: Middle school students raise money to help needy Sioux Empire 1D yr Flank offers healthier choice Today Partly cloudy High 82 Low 55 Full report, 2A. in steaks Life 1 Est? ILcBSidkBir bp 27, 1998 SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA www.argusleader.com 50 CENTS mmmm wmm Democratic gubernatorial candidate expected to make announcement today WEDNESDAY, MAY By DAVID KRANZ Argus Leader Staff Bernie Hunhoff will announce today that he has chosen an American Indian woman from Interior as his running mate. Hunhoff, Democratic candidate for governor, will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. today to introduce Elsie Meeks. He is running against Gov.

Bill Janklow, a Republican. Meeks, 45, is the former director of the Lakota Fund, good." Barry LeBeau, acting director of American Indian Services in Sioux Falls, applauded the choice, saying she did an excellent job with the Lakota Fund. "And she is a pretty nice lady, too," he said. Meeks, 45, is the mother of three children and four stepchildren. Luke Meeks, her 16- Today's focus: Countdown to June 2 election 3 in GOP vie for shot at Daschle City to pay $300,000 to add hockey to Arena USHL franchise to get interest-free loan, Hanson says 1 By WADE MERRY and DAVID KRANZ Argus Leader staff Sioux Falls will pay $300,000 to upgrade the Arena for a United States Hockey League franchise and give the team an interest-free loan of $500,000 to $600,000 for the project, Mayor Gary Hanson announced Tuesday.

The franchise will pay $100,000. The loan will be repaid over 10 years. "We are excited," Hanson told a press conference at tlje Sioux Falls Arena and Con Jy i vention Center. This IS a Val Hoeppner Argus Leader 'continuing effort to Gasparini, commissioner of the United States quality entertainment and Hockey League, applauds Mayor Gary Hanson on sports entertainment to the Tuesday for Hanson's work In helping bring a USHL citizens of Sioux Falls." team to Sioux Falls. Hunhoff would not confirm Tuesday that Meeks was his choice.

"She is someone who has been number one on my list for a long time," he said. "I never seriously considered someone from elective office. This person will be a fresh new leader for the state." American Indians greeted Hunhoff's selection with enthusiasm. Frustration drew Sanders into politics By DAVID KRANZ Argus Leader Staff John Sanders is an accidental politician, and he likes it. "I'm a guy who got mad at the system, had enough.

We were being ignored in Washington, so I threw my hat in the ring," he said. John Sanders Sanders, 43, of Rapid City, is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. He is a mechanical engineer, but finds his peace on a cattle and buffalo ranch he co-owns. When he decided to enter Sanders See 3A year-old son, was happy for his mom.

"I think it's pretty cool. She'll be good. She knows what she is working for," he said. The Kadoka High School sophomore says he found out a week ago that his mother was Hunhoff choice. "Bernie called mom.

She asked us what we thought about it. Should she do it? I Ticket information The Sioux Falls hockey franchise has set up a telephone line fans may call for ticket and advertising information or to offer suggestions for the new team's name. The fan whose nickname is selected will win two season tickets. The number is 605-336060. The USHL is a junior 'A' league made up of unpaid players ages 17 to 21.

Its goal of the youth program, in which nearly 300 kids participated last year, he said. "We think with a successfully run junior 'A' program, our participation will increase. We are very optimistic our numbers will grow and that this is going to be excellent for our program," he said. Some backers also hope the presence of the team will provide an impetus for year-round ice. "That's the one thing we really need," said 26-year-old Chris Gotziaman, who played college hockey at the University of North Dakota and competed professionally in the minor leagues for several years before retiring to Sioux Falls last year.

"I know Brookings is going to have ice the whole month AGrcatWditiv" 7 Ken Klotzbach Argus Leader Republican senatorial candidates Alan Aker (left) and Ron Schmidt debate on WSN radio's morning talk show earlier this month. John Sanders, who didn't participate in the debate, also is a candidate for the GOP Senate nomination. The deal came as part of the city's drive to lure a hockey team to Sioux Falls. The cost of renovating the Arena to make it suitable for ice hockey is between $900,000 and $1 million, Hanson said. Central Ventures, Inc.

of St. Joseph, will finance and operate the franchise, which has not yet named its team. CVI is a firm that acquires and invests in select business ventures in the said she should go for it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance." There was no need to offer his mom advice. "She knows how to handle it," he says.

Tending to family and business are her priorities, her son says. "But she has a lot of pets, cats, dogs, horses." The announcement of Meeks may take some members of the inner-circle of the Democratic Party by surprise. Most surveyed Tuesday did not know her. is to help players, coaches and officials advance to collegiate or professional levels. Hanson defended offering the interest-free loan.

"The participation by the hockey league is significant compared to previous sports ventures with the city," the mayor said. "For example, the original owners of the Canaries and Skyforce were not asked to participate anywhere near this amount." Hockey See 4A of August, and that puts our youth at a disadvantage." Jackie Kunzweiler, 31, grew up in Yankton and became interested in hockey in 1980 when the men's U.S. Olympic team won the gold medal. Her interest was heightened last year when the U.S. women won the gold.

She'll attend a few games each year. The team would charge from $6 to $14 for tickets to home games, which will be played at the Arena if the City Council backs a renovation project to make the building better suited for hockey. "I like the action of it, and I actually like the fights once in a while, too," Kunzweiler said. the chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee plans to do with part of the unexpected federal windfall. Ways and Means Chairman William Archer, R-Texas, said the surplus now projected at $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years "is surging out of control.

The taxpayers deserve a refund." Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, agreed the growing surplus projections may allow Congress to do both this year. "Boy, that is a wise choice because among Lakota people she is very respected," said Shirley Sneve, Sioux Falls Civic Fine Arts director. "She is a business woman and has the traditional cultural values that make the culture great. She is really determined and has the best interest of people at heart. And she rides horses pretty Schmidt vows to speak for S.D.

families By DAVID KRANZ Argus Leader Staff Don't try to put labels on Ron Schmidt. He would rather voters saw him just the way he views himself. "I am a pragmatic, common-sense person. I'm not Bob Dole. I'm not Pat Buchanan," said Schmidt, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S.

Senate. Born in Turtle Lake, N.D., Schmidt's family farmed. An only child, Schmidt said he learned a work ethic from his parents. He eventually ended up in Pierre, where he first went to work with the Legislative Research Council in 1970. He and his wife, Pris-Schmidt See 3A the 70th percentile in reading on the Stanford Nine achievement test by spring 2002.

The district will rank in the 70th percentile in math on the Stanford Nine achievement test by spring 2001. The district dropout rate will be 4 percent or less by June 2000. Theresa Frank, a mother of two, said without benchmarks the district and parents will never know the kind of job they are doing. But she doesn't want standards so high that children will never Benchmarks See 3A a community development loan fund for the Pine Ridge Reservation. She and her husband, Jim, own the Long Creek Store in Wanblee, and the Broken Arrow Rodeo Co.

She was Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year in 1994 and has been honored on many occasions for her work as an advocate of minority businesses. Aker once wanted to be a Democrat By DAVID KRANZ Argus Leader Staff Alan Aker once wanted to be a journalist and a Democrat. But somewhere along the line, he says he thought better of both. Today, the 34-year-old Rapid City area logging contractor is happy about the choices he has made.

A state senator from Rapid City, Aker now wants the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. He wants to earn a head-to-head match-up with U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, Aker has no time for Daschle.

But to face off against the two-term senator, he must first defeat Ron Schmidt, a Pierre lawyer, and John Sanders, a me-Aker See 3A Keegan said the goals are ambitious and will require each school to look for new ways to help children do better. Teachers and administrators might have to re-examine how topics are taught and how schools operate, he said. Candy VanDam, the city PTA president and a parent, approves of benchmarks because they will require parents and students to be more accountable. "PTA has a stated priority on student achievement and students need to be held accountable for what they Team will benefit city, hockey fans say To our readers South Dakota voters will select party candidates for the November ballot in a primary election on June 2. Today we begin a series of stories profiling the primary races, introducing the candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S.

Senate. Tomorrow: Profiles of the Democratic candidates for U.S. House and a list of county and state races. Sunday: A closer look at candidates for Minnehaha and Lincoln County Commissions. The editors Election facts Who can vote? Registered Democrats and Republicans, 1 8 years old and older.

Independents and those affiliated with other parties cannot vote. How does the primary work? Registered Democrats vote only for Democratic candidates. Registered Republicans vote only for Republican candidates. By BOB KEYES Argus Leader Staff The city's youth hockey program would benefit and sports fans would have more winter options if a proposed expansion of the United States Hockey League comes to Sioux Falls. Marin Huber plans to be first in line when tickets go on sale for the 28-game home schedule.

"We're behind them 100 percent, and all of us hockey fans need to pull together to support this team," she said Tuesday, reacting to news that the league wants to put a team in Sioux Falls in 1999. Patrick Penney, president of the Sioux Falls Youth Hockey Association, backs the league's expansion to the city as well. A Junior 'A' team would boost the profile INDEX 40 pages Ann Landers 3B Bridge column 7C Business 8D Classified 5-8B; ads 6-1 2C Lottery resultsl Movies 9A National 5-9A Obituaries 3D Opinions 11-12A Sioux Empire Comics 3B Crossword 7C Sports Jumble 5C Television 4B Life World 7-8A 1998 Gannett Inc. 40901 08S76 A Printed on recycled paper rJv with soybean-based Zr) ink. For S.D.

mcycting cooler nearest you call 1-600-438-3367. School board OKs new standards for students Clinton says surpluses won't be used for tax cut know," she said. Students don't meet any of the standards currently. But VanDam said that doesn't mean the new standards are too high. "I don't think they're out of reach," she said.

"I think it gives parents an idea of where the children are and where they need to be." Among the benchmarks approved Monday are: Forty percent of students should score a 4 (good) or higher (excellent) on the district writing assessment by fall 2001. The district will rank in By CORRINE OLSON Argus Leader Staff Sioux Falls school children may have to work a little harder if they are to meet a new set of benchmarks adopted by the school board Monday night. The benchmarks, which call for higher test scores in reading, writing and math and a reduction in the high school dropout rate, received unanimous approval from the board. Neither board members nor members of the public discussed the benchmarks at the meeting. Superintendent Jack By Gannett News Service WASHINGTON Drawing the lines for what could be a decisive issue in November's elections.

President Clinton vowed Tuesday to oppose any tax cut that jeopardizes projected budget surpluses of $39 billion this year and $54.2 billion in 1999. Clinton avoided the word "veto," but made it clear Republicans considering a budget for the 1999 fiscal year starting Oct. 1 better not rely on the surplus for their tax cuts. But that is exactly what idBHkHHaBftaajflHHBMMBVHMaVaiai i.