Manager of gambling site arrested

FARGO (AP) - The manager of a betting site here was arrested after he confessed to stealing thousands of dollars from his business and then staging a burglary, police said.

Jeremy Paul Markey, 28, of Fargo, reported a break-in and theft of a safe at the Winner's Circle, about 12:40 a.m. Monday, Sgt. Joel Vettel said.

Officers investigated the report but grew suspicious when they didn't find evidence of a forced entry, Vettel said.

"It looked pretty fishy from the beginning," Vettel said. "Things seemed to be too staged."

The safe contained between $10,000 and $20,000, Vettel said.

Vettel said several of the gambling parlor's employees were interviewed, and that led police to determine that the theft was an inside job.

"We were able to interview several employees, and it was determined the burglary was actually an internal theft … that was reported to us by the individual who had stolen the money," Vettel said.

Markey initially tried to sound surprised that it was missing, but "it wasn't working too well for him," Vettel said.

He eventually confessed and brought officers to a trash bin where they found the safe, Vettel said. More than half of the cash was recovered, but investigators weren't releasing the amount still missing.

Markey was arrested on suspicion of theft of more than $10,000.

Money, liquor stolen from church

DWIGHT (AP) - A burglar broke into a church here and stole liquor bottles and cash, the Richland County Sheriffs Department said.

Someone broke into Faith Lutheran Church sometime during the overnight hours of Christmas Eve, authorities said.

An undetermined amount of cash was taken.

S.D. fall tourism was up

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The state Tourism Office said aggressive marketing contributed to an increase in tourism revenue in the so-called shoulder season of August through November.

Tourism tax deposits increased 7 percent over 2004, and visits to the tourism Web site were up 27 percent, it said.

"More marketing dollars were invested in more advertising media to get the South Dakota message in front of more consumers," said Billy Joe Waara, director of the office of tourism.

Tourism numbers for entire 2005 will be announced at a tourism conference in Pierre next month.

Venison donation program grows

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A program using donated venison to feed the needy is expected to more than double its contributions this year.

Official numbers won't be in until next year, but the Sportsmen Against Hunger program is likely to exceed the 2004-2005 total of 26,000 pounds.

"I think it's just going to be a banner year," said Jeff Olson, of Rapid City, president of the program.

Olson said the organization might even reach 100,000 pounds of donated venison. He said the increase is largely because of efforts to get more processors involved, especially East River.

Hunters who donate their deer to the program take it to a locker, which reduces its processing fee.

"We've got the deer, we've got the hungry people, we've just got to get the sportsmen involved," Olson said.

The Banquet, a Sioux Falls ministry that feeds the needy, has received between 800 and 1,000 pounds of venison this year, said Marvella Shatter, the food service director. Some came from Sportsmen Against Hunger, but some was just from individuals cleaning out their freezers before the fall deer season.

Hospital: If you have flu, stay home

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The flu season is off to a slow start in Rapid City, but hospital officials say they've been seeing a high incidence of another virus that can put young children in danger.

Rapid City Regional Hospital has identified just one confirmed case of influenza, said Dr. James Keegan, the hospital's medical director of infection control, but a quarter of the patients tested for viruses at the hospital are coming up positive for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

RSV can be serious in babies, leading to a hospital stay, respiratory failure or even death, Keegan said.

The hospital wants those with cold or flu symptoms to avoid visiting hospitalized friends and relatives. Staffers will ask those showing symptoms such as a cough or runny nose to wash their hands and wear a mask.