Great Plains News Digest
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IOWA
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US–Radioactive Waste-Landfill
Judge stops hazardous waste shipments to Michigan landfill from five states
SUMMARY: A judge is stopping government contractors in five states from sending hazardous waste to a Michigan landfill. The decision Tuesday follows a year of legal challenges by Detroit-area communities concerned about possible environmental damage. Judge Kevin Cox says the risk is “compelling” and outweighs the any financial harm to Wayne Disposal. The suburban Detroit landfill is operated by trash giant Republic Services. The court order bars the landfill from accepting waste from Ohio, Iowa, New Jersey, New York and St. Louis, all places where the government is cleaning up old weapon sites.
WORDS: 342 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 5:12 p.m. CDT
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KANSAS
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US–Education-Digital Surveillance
Students have been called to the office — and even arrested — for AI surveillance false alarms
SUMMARY: Surveillance systems in American schools increasingly monitor everything students write on school accounts and devices. Thousands of school districts across the country use software like Gaggle to track kids’ online activities, looking for signs they might hurt themselves or others. With the help of artificial intelligence, technology can dip into online conversations and immediately notify both school officials and law enforcement. Educators say the technology has saved lives. But it also brings risk that a thoughtless statement could upend a child’s life. In Tennessee, for example, an eighth-grade girl spent a night in jail for sending what her mother calls a stupid joke that was flagged by Gaggle without context.
WORDS: 1331 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 6:03 a.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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US–Trump-Census
Trump seeks to change how census collects data and wants to exclude immigrants in US illegally
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change how the Census Bureau collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants in the United States illegally. The Republican president said Thursday the census’ data collections will be based on “modern day facts and figures” and use information gained from the 2024 presidential election. It’s an indication Trump might try to inject his politics into a head count that determines political power and federal spending. Trump says people in the U.S. illegally would be excluded from census counts. Census changes could play into Trump’s efforts to urge Texas and other Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps. A census expert says Trump “cannot unilaterally order” a new one.
WORDS: 1001 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 7:02 a.m. CDT
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US–Trump-Census-Q&A
Q&A: Can Trump hold a census in the middle of a decade and exclude immigrants in the US illegally?
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to have the Census Bureau start work on a new census that would exclude immigrants who are in the United States illegally from the head count which determines political power and federal spending. Experts say it would be extremely difficult to do because a law would have to be changed. It would also require congressional approval and is logistically almost impossible to execute in a short period of time. A mid-decade census has never been conducted before. Federal law allows it, but it can’t be used for apportionment or redistricting and must be done in a year ending in 5.
WORDS: 1021 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 3:04 p.m. CDT
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US–Radioactive Waste-Landfill
Judge stops hazardous waste shipments to Michigan landfill from five states
SUMMARY: A judge is stopping government contractors in five states from sending hazardous waste to a Michigan landfill. The decision Tuesday follows a year of legal challenges by Detroit-area communities concerned about possible environmental damage. Judge Kevin Cox says the risk is “compelling” and outweighs the any financial harm to Wayne Disposal. The suburban Detroit landfill is operated by trash giant Republic Services. The court order bars the landfill from accepting waste from Ohio, Iowa, New Jersey, New York and St. Louis, all places where the government is cleaning up old weapon sites.
WORDS: 342 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 5:12 p.m. CDT
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US–Helicopter Crash
Two die when helicopter strikes powerlines and crashes into a barge on the Mississippi River
SUMMARY: A helicopter flying over the Mississippi River ran into a powerline then crashed into a barge and sparked a fire, killing two people. Cpl. Dallas Thompson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the two people who died Thursday were flying in the helicopter and there were no other reported injuries. Power company Ameren says the helicopter crew was repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on power lines. The crash happened on the Missouri side of the river near East Alton, Illinois, which is about 20 miles north of St. Louis. The state patrol says no one was on the barge and that the fire has been extinguished. The river has been closed to commercial traffic.
WORDS: 632 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 1:01 p.m. CDT
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US–Education-Endowment Tax
College endowment tax is leading to hiring freezes and could mean cuts in financial aid
SUMMARY: An increase in the tax on university endowments is creating financial challenges for the wealthiest U.S. colleges. Some, such as Yale and Stanford, have already laid off staff or implemented hiring freezes. The tax was signed into law by President Donald Trump and takes effect in 2026. Experts say it could lead to reduced financial aid. Colleges usually use most of their endowment proceeds for scholarships, but they’ll soon have to use some of the money to pay the higher tax. The new tiered system taxes college endowments at 8% if they have more than $2 million or more in assets per student. This applies only to private colleges with at least 3,000 students.
WORDS: 943 – MOVED: 08/08/2025 5:08 a.m. CDT
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US–Chimp Crazy Star-Sentenced
‘Chimp Crazy’ star sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for lying that primate had died
SUMMARY: A Missouri woman who starred in the HBO documentary series “Chimp Crazy” has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after she lied that a movie star primate that she was accused of mistreating had died. Fifty-six-year-old Tonia Haddix was sentenced Thursday to a 46-month prison sentence. Haddix ran a now-defunct primate facility in the St. Louis suburb of Festus. In 2021, instead of turning over one of her chimps named Tonka, she claimed Tonka had died. But Tonka was alive. In 2022, officials removed him from a cage in the basement of her home. Haddix pleaded guilty in March to multiple charges, including perjury.
WORDS: 490 – MOVED: 08/08/2025 12:35 p.m. CDT
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NEBRASKA
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US–Newspapers Closing
Closure of Midwest-based newspaper chain leaves dozens of communities without a news source
SUMMARY: News Media Corp., an Illinois-based publisher, has announced the abrupt closure of dozens of newspapers across five states due to financial problems. The company said Thursday that it will shut down 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota and one in Nebraska. This move affects small-town newspapers that were often the primary news source, worsening the issue of news deserts in rural areas. The closure comes amid a decades-long decline in local newspapers, with the U.S. losing over a third of its print newspapers since 2004. Employees expressed shock and disappointment at the sudden announcement.
WORDS: 722 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 4:18 p.m. CDT
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SOUTH DAKOTA
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US–Newspapers Closing
Closure of Midwest-based newspaper chain leaves dozens of communities without a news source
SUMMARY: News Media Corp., an Illinois-based publisher, has announced the abrupt closure of dozens of newspapers across five states due to financial problems. The company said Thursday that it will shut down 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota and one in Nebraska. This move affects small-town newspapers that were often the primary news source, worsening the issue of news deserts in rural areas. The closure comes amid a decades-long decline in local newspapers, with the U.S. losing over a third of its print newspapers since 2004. Employees expressed shock and disappointment at the sudden announcement.
WORDS: 722 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 4:18 p.m. CDT
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SPORTS
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MINNESOTA
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HKW–PWHL-Clark-Salary-Record
Ottawa’s Emily Clark sets PWHL record for highest single-season salary with new contract, AP sources
SUMMARY: Emily Clark has become the highest-paid player in the PWHL by signing a two-year contract extension with Ottawa Charge. The team announced the deal on Thursday, securing her through the 2027-28 season. Although the contract’s value wasn’t disclosed, sources confirmed her six-figure salary next season sets a league record. The PWHL’s collective bargaining agreement includes a minimum salary of $35,000, but no maximum. Clark, a two-time Canadian Olympian, was among the first players signed by the Charge. She led Ottawa in playoff scoring and plays a key defensive role. Clark expressed gratitude for her position and the growth of women’s hockey.
WORDS: 646 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 5:52 p.m. CDT
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OKLAHOMA
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BKN–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-Hometown
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receives key to hometown of Hamilton, Ontario
SUMMARY: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the key to the city of Hamilton from Mayor Andrea Horwath at a public rally Thursday at Hamilton Stadium. Horwath also announced the Oklahoma City star will have a street named after him after capping an epic season by leading Thunder to the NBA title. Said Gilgeous-Alexander to the raucous gathering after hoisting the NBA championship trophy over his head: “Growing up as I traveled across the world, to countless states, cities and countries people always asked where I was from. I took pride in letting everyone know I was from Hamilton.” Gilgeous-Alexander returned to the Stadium on Thursday night. He was honored to start the second quarter of the CFL game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the B.C. Lions.
WORDS: 223 – MOVED: 08/07/2025 7:45 p.m. CDT
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