David Jachowski sprays insecticide dust into a prairie dog burrow in South Dakota's Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. The spires of Badlands National Park are in the background. The spraying targets fleas that have spread the plague to prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. Story, Page A16.

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor Rod Blagojevich is proposing banning political contributions from any government employee — state or local.

Blagojevich used his amendatory veto power on legislation to bar contributions from public employees to any candidate for statewide office or the General Assembly.

Many statewide officers already refuse contributions from their own employees. Blagojevich's change — to a bill that was a much narrower campaign finance reform — would bar cash gifts from those who work at the local parks department as well as a state agency.

Blagojevich last week promised campaign finance reforms when he trumped a long-negotiated deal by lawmakers to ban contributions from contractors with contracts of $50,000 or more to the officeholder awarding the contract.

INDIANAPOLIS — A state program requiring salvage yards to pull mercury-filled switches from junked cars collected 77 pounds of the toxic metal in its first year, with junkyards earning a "bounty" for each switch they retrieved.

So far, 402 businesses that handle discarded cars are taking part in the program mandated under a law passed in 2006 by the General Assembly. It targets mercury-filled switches used in antilock brakes and convenience trunk lights in cars built as late as the 2002 model year.

Each gravity-operated switch holds about four grams of mercury, a potent neurotoxin that enters the food chain when cars are crushed or melted at steel mills. Mercury can lower the intelligence of children whose mothers eat tainted fish during pregnancy.

Indiana's program targets only a fraction of the mercury that enters the state's air, land and water from Hoosier industries. For example, coal-fired power plants alone spewed about 600 pounds of mercury into the state's air in 2006.

DES MOINES — An Iowan, who climbed to the top of Mount Everest five years ago, fell short in his bid for a rare adventure sports double when he failed in his attempt to cross the English Channel.

According to his blog posted on The Des Moines Register's Web site, Charlie Wittmack of Des Moines became hypothermic and had to be pulled from the water.

Wittmack, who had climbed Everest in 2003, had hoped to become only the fourth person ever, and the first American, to accomplish both feats.

In comments posted on his blog, Wittmack said he swam for 6.5 hours on Friday, covering about 15 miles.

"My physician and father-in-law decided that I should be pulled from the water," Wittmack wrote.

TOPEKA — Brig. Gen. Jonathan Small has witnessed the changing role of the Kansas National Guard in defending the nation and serving state residents.

As he retired Friday after 30 years in uniform, Small said the one thing that remained the same was the level of commitment by men and women who answer the call.

He spent the last day saying his goodbyes and thank-yous to staff at the State Defense Building in Topeka.

"The Guard in Kansas has been blessed to tap into some caring individuals who have given quite a lot," said Small, who is an attorney and lobbyist in Topeka.

Small, 61, said the nature of National Guard service had changed dramatically. No longer is it only one weekend a month and 15 days of annual training each summer. The guard is less of a strategic reserve force for national defense and is a key element of the U.S. operational force, along with responsibilities to state missions, he said.

"The people who join now understand that there is a commitment to deploy," Small said. "There is a higher chance that within five years that they will deploy."

GRAND HAVEN — A Grand Haven produce broker will give away tons of potatoes and cabbage next month to food pantries, families and whoever else wants them.

Don Armstrong says he has arranged for deliveries of about 40,000 pounds of potatoes and 30,000 pounds of cabbage to Harbor Island, where they will be given away on Sept. 20.

The 140-acre island is in the Grand River near the Grand Haven drawbridge on U.S. 31.

Volunteers will help bag and distribute the produce.

Several food pantries will be taking some of the vegetables, but organizers tell the Grand Haven Tribune that plenty should be left over for the general public.

Armstrong says he's trying to give something back to the community.

ST. LOUIS — One of St. Louis' oldest street festivals, which celebrated the city's German heritage, is calling it quits.

Organizers say that after 36 years, Bevo Day will not be celebrated this Labor Day.

As descendants of the neighborhood's early German immigrants moved to the suburbs, the street festival suffered from dwindling crowds. Bosnian refugees who have moved to the area have their own festival.

The neighborhood is in the shadow of The Bevo Mill restaurant and windmill. The eatery once served as August A. Busch, Sr.'s private dining room.

A 1972 St. Louis Post-Dispatch account of the first festival says visitors consumed thousands of pounds of sauerbraten, bratwurst and knockwurst, and 300 half-barrels of beer.

LINCOLN — The total number of human West Nile virus cases in Nebraska this year has reached 13 after the confirmation of three new cases.

The Department of Health and Human Services says the new cases are in Butler, Douglas and Morrill counties.

That brings Douglas County's total to two, matching Adams County. Previously, one case had been confirmed in each of the following counties: Cass, Dodge, Keith, Merrick, Platte, Sanders and York.

Late August is the peak transmission time for West Nile. Case reports are expected to increase, with the highest number occurring the first or second week in September.

West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.

HAMILTON — A southwest Ohio county that had voting problems in the March primary will join Ohio's lawsuit against the voting machines' maker.

Butler County's elections board voted Thursday to join the state's countersuit against Premier Election Solutions Inc. of Allen, Texas. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner recently counter sued the company after Premier sought a judgment stating it delivered on its contract to provide machines to 44 Ohio counties.

Brunner has criticized the touch-screen systems' reliability. Her counterclaim seeks damages for malfunctions the state said caused problems in Butler and 10 other counties in the March 4 primary.

Butler County says a glitch caused at least 105 votes to go missing. The votes were later accounted for.

Premier recently notified customers in 34 states about a programming error that occurs when multiple memory cards are uploaded simultaneously.

BISMARCK — The North Dakota National Guard has honored the last serving state Army National Guard pilot to have flown in the Vietnam War.

Col. Gerald Heinle of Bismarck has served more than 35 years in the military after enlisting in 1969.

The Guard says Heinle spent a year in Vietnam, piloting almost daily missions from a gunship with the 135th Assault Helicopter Company, and logged more than 1,000 hours of flight time.

He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and a medal for valor. North Dakota Guard officials say he's the only serving state Guard member authorized to wear such honors.

"Col. Heinle's record speaks for itself," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the Guard's commander. "He has been a top-notch soldier since the day he enlisted in the military, piloting helicopters during intense combat missions … his experience in aviation has benefited all of us."

"I've really, truly enjoyed my time in the Guard," Heinle said. "When I retire it will be an end of an era."

Officials said only a few Vietnam veterans remain in the North Dakota National Guard.

SIOUX FALLS — A salmon- spawning station on Lake Oahe will be back in operation after being idled the past four years because of low lake levels.

State fisheries crews at the Whitlocks Bay spawning station collect salmon eggs that are sent to fish hatcheries in Rapid City and Spearfish. The nearly hatched chinook salmon are then stocked back into Oahe, where there is no natural salmon reproduction.

The station, opened in 1984 and located 18 miles west of Gettysburg, was last used in 2003. It has a fish ladder, four concrete holding ponds, raceways, a spawning building and a water supply system.

Lake water is pumped into the station and released back into the lake in the concrete ladder. The spawning urge of the adult salmon drives them up the rushing water into the holding ponds. Crews then collect eggs from females and milt from the males.

EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man who damaged city property has a couple options for making amends.

An Eau Claire County judge says Shane McQuillan can spend 20 days in jail, or he can wear a sign for a day that reads "I was stupid."

The 22-year-old McQuillan pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property after driving into the front gate of the Eau Claire wastewater treatment plant last March after he had been drinking.

Judge Paul Lenz says McQuillan would be required to stand in front of the plant wearing the sign for an entire day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A criminal complaint says McQuillan told the officer that arrested him near the treatment plant that he had been drinking and "was just being stupid."

There's no immediate word on which option McQuillan will choose.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — A Manitoba member of Parliament says foreign workers are being flown in to do basic construction work on one of Winnipeg's biggest projects at the expense of local tradesmen.

Pat Martin of the NDP is filing complaints with both the federal ministries of human resources and immigration.

He says the foreign workers should be sent home so Manitobans can build the Winnipeg airport and keep the benefits in the province.

But Raid Raphael Kassis, president of Reemaco, says he went through the proper government channels.

He says he has approval for 36 foreign workers to be on the Winnipeg airport site, though only 23 are currently working.

He wouldn't say where the workers came from but says they are skilled carpenters.

Ian McKie, operations manager with Ellis Don in Ottawa, the construction company that sub-contracted the work to Reemaco, said they wouldn't have brought Reemaco in on the job if it didn't have the required work permits.

Martin said the workers are from Russia, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine.