KWOA 730 AM News Radio

JACKSON – A 32-year-old rural Jackson man was killed Monday when he crashed his motorcycle on CSAH 4 in Round Lake Township.

According to information released by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Jason Clair Libengood was operating a 600 Yamaha on CSAH 4 near the intersection of State Highway 264 at approximately 10:30 p.m. Monday when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. He entered the south ditch, struck a sign and was thrown from the motorcycle.

Libengood was transported to Sanford Worthington Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

On Monday, Worthington Trojan Senior Jon Vorwald signed a letter of commitment to continue his basketball career at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Vorwald, who has played on the varsity level since his sophomore season and a 2-year starter for the Trojans, averaged 9.5 points and 4 assists and drew 11 charges in 18 games his senior season. He also earned All-Conference honors in the Southwest Conference this season.

MINNESOTA – In a 37-30 vote, the same-sex marriage bill was passed today by the Minnesota Senate after more than four hours of debate. District 22 Sen. Bill Weber voted against the bill. Gov. Mark Dayton has already vowed to sign the measure if it made it past both the House and Senate. The House passed the measure Thursday on a 75 to 59 vote.

In a unanimous ruling delivered today, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed its support for protecting U.S. innovations that are a critical part of supporting the world's growing needs. The case, Bowman v. Monsanto, centered on the protection of intellectual property and its outcome was crucial for innovations that deliver benefits to millions of Americans.

Man-made chemicals, from cocaine to DEET to pharmaceuticals, are finding their way into Minnesota lakes in ways that no one understands, according to an analysis released today from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Fifty lakes analyzed last year by state scientists contained at least some of 125 different chemicals. DEET, the insect repellent, was the most common, found in 76 percent of them.

Only three of the 50 lakes were chemical-free.

Former Southwestern United Baseball standout Kirk McBreen, now a senior second baseman for the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers, has been named to the 2013 Great Plains Athletic Conference's All-Conference honorable mention baseball team.

McBreen, a Heron Lake native and 2009 graduate from Southwest Star Concept high school in Okabena, started all 49 games this season for the Tigers, hitting for a .289 batting average with 5 doubles and 16 RBI's. He also led the team in stolen bases with 14 and had a stellar fielding percentage of .950

Ahead of Tuesday's scheduled markup, the Senate Ag Committee has released a draft of its proposed farm bill. American Soybean Association President Danny Murphy welcomed the draft, saying, "Importantly, the draft released by the Committee would protect and strengthen crop insurance as well as ensure that a target price program to protect growers from low prices remains decoupled from current planting decisions, thus avoiding the possibility of production distortions.

The Minnesota House has passed a measure to legalize same-sex marriage. The vote was 75 to 59.

The measure now goes to the Senate, which will take up the issue Monday.

Debate in the House got underway in the early afternoon, as thousands of supporters and opponents gathered outside the chamber. House Democratic leaders and the bill's supporters were confident it would pass. If it passes Monday in the Senate, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton could be signing it into law by early next week and make Minnesota the 12th U.S. state to legalize gay marriage.

Senator Chuck Grassley is pressing the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to engage U.S. trading partners in high-level discussions on breaking down barriers to biotechnology. Grassley is the former Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade policy.

Former Worthington Trojan baseball stanout Steven Kremer, now a sophomore at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, was named to the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's second team this week.

Kremer, a native of Wilmont, played in 35 games with 29 starts and finished second on the team with a .374 batting average and second with 13 doubles. He also ranked second in slugging percentage (.566) and fourth in RBIs (22).