REGINA GARCIA CANO, Associated Press

CORSICA, S.D. (AP) — Federal grant money has long been available for doctors, nurses and dentists willing to relocate to rural areas. Now a South Dakota program is offering a similar incentive for lawyers.

It provides an annual subsidy of $12,000 for attorneys who live and practice law in sparsely populated communities. Jake Fischer is the first of up to 16 attorneys accepted into the program, which is funded by the state’s judicial system, bar association and counties.

The 30-year-old left his job at a Minneapolis nonprofit this past spring to move to a new office in Corsica, South Dakota. He’ll be the only full-time attorney in the town of 600 and one of just two in a county of 3,000.

Nebraska and Arkansas are soon launching their own incentive programs for rural lawyers.

ATLANTA (AP) — FedEx, UPS and online retailers are working to avoid a repeat of the problems that occurred at the end of last year’s holiday shopping season, when severe winter weather and a surge in late orders from shoppers caused delivery delays.

UPS has spent $500 million this year upgrading its systems and processes and boosting the number of seasonal workers it’s hired. The company expects today to be its busiest day ever, delivering more than 34 million packages. As of midday, UPS says air and ground operations are operating smoothly.

In addition to adding 50,000 seasonal workers, FedEx invested in a new software system that helps supervisors anticipate fluctuations in package arrivals hours before an airplane carrying cargo lands.

Package carriers say they have been working closely with e-commerce retailers to help avoid problems as the retailers push shipping deadlines later and extend free shipping offers.

FedEx says so far, the planning has paid off.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say a new virus has been discovered following the death of a southeast Kansas resident this summer and they believe it is carried by ticks or other insects.

The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control confirmed the presence of what’s now called the Bourbon virus. It’s named for Bourbon County, where the victim lived.

KDHE spokeswoman Aimee Rosenow said it’s the only confirmed case of the virus.

Rosenow said it’s not clear exactly how the virus contributed to the patient’s death. The department declined to identify the Kansas resident who died, saying it wanted to protect the patient and family members.

The department said the patient’s symptoms resembled those from other tick-carried diseases.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s largest electric company said Monday that it plans to invest $135 million in energy efficiency programs for customers over a three-year period.

Ameren Missouri said its costs for the energy efficiency initiative would be recouped through charges on customer bills, but it said consumers ultimately should save money because the reduced energy use would decrease the need to build expensive new power plants.

The St. Louis-based utility serves about 1.2 million electric customers, mostly in the St. Louis region or eastern and central Missouri. It already offers energy efficiency incentives to customers, which it says have totaled about $155 million since 2009.
Its proposal, which was filed Monday with the Missouri Public Service Commission, outlines an initiative that would run from 2016 through 2018. It includes incentives for retailers to increase sales of energy-efficient light bulbs and for residential customers to install high-efficiency air conditioners and appliances.

Businesses also would receive incentives to implement energy-efficient measures.

Ameren’s costs for the energy efficiency programs would be recouped from customers through a line-item on their monthly bills. Despite that surcharge, customers could save money in the long run because the energy efficiency steps should reduce the need for additional power generation, said Warren Wood, Ameren Missouri’s s vice president of external affairs and communications.

LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fate of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl now rests with a top U.S. general in North Carolina who will decide if the soldier should be charged with desertion after he left his Afghanistan post in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban.

The charge of desertion during wartime carries a maximum penalty of death. The Army says the case was forwarded to Army Gen. Mark Milley, head of U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Milley will determine the appropriate action, which could range from no charges to convening a court martial.

Senior Army and Pentagon leaders were briefed on the investigation last week. Bergdahl reportedly walked away from his post on June 30, 2009. He was held by the Taliban for five years.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback wants state legislators to rewrite an obscure law that required him to fill two newly created seats on the Saline County Commission and have voters fill similar vacancies in the future.

A local lawmaker promised Monday to pursue the issue.

The Republican governor faced criticism over the Saline County appointments because his office refused to release candidates’ names before announcing his choices last week.

The dispute also highlighted how the governor fills the vacancies when local voters expand their county governing boards. Saline County enlarged its commission in November from three to five members.

Brownback said local voters should fill the new seats. State Rep. and Salina Republican J.R. Claeys said he will work with Brownback on a bill during the legislative session opening Jan. 12.