Gopher Season Ends

Michael Finke scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers to lead No. 12 seed Illinois past 13th-seeded Minnesota 85-52 on Wednesday in the Big Ten tournament’s opening round.

Twins Lose Spring Game

Catcher Cameron Rupp homered in his first two at-bats, leading a split squad of Philadelphia Phillies over the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Wednesday.

Vikings Add Lineman

A person with direct knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a four-year contract with former San Francisco 49ers left guard Alex Boone.

SDSU Golfers Earn Awards

South Dakota State’s Felipe Strobach was named Summit League Men’s Golfer of the Week, while SDSU’s Megan Mingo collected the women’s award for their performances March 2-8.

Iowa Boys Advance

First round competition for the Iowa 4A boys at the state basketball tourney was completed Wednesday.

Sioux City Library Dealing with Shelter Issues

The weather’s getting warmer, but homeless people who are seeking shelter during the remaining weeks of winter are creating a problem in the Siouxland area.

Nebraska Getting Federal Grant for Safe Rooms

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says communities are working with the federal government to secure grants so Nebraskans can have safe rooms built in their homes.

Alternate Water Quality Plan Introduced in the Iowa House

Two Democrats in the Iowa House are proposing a new way to raise money for water quality efforts in the state.

Another Profitable Quarter for Casey’s General Stores

The Ankeny Iowa-based Casey’s convenience store chain reports its gross profit for the third quarter was up more than 13 percent thanks to increased sales of its prepared food.

SD Senate Passes Final Piece of Teacher Pay Raise Plan

The last piece of the teacher pay plan went before South Dakota Senators Wednesday afternoon.