South Dakota

Congressman reports to jail to begin sentence

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow reported to jail Saturday to start serving his 100-day sentence for a manslaughter conviction in a crash that killed a motorcyclist.

Accompanied by his son, Russ, and a longtime friend, Janklow smiled briefly, walked past a group of reporters and camera crews outside the Minnehaha County Public Safety Building, took a right turn and checked in.

The former four-term South Dakota governor was found guilty in December of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, speeding and running a stop sign for the collision that killed motorcyclist Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn.

“It’s just another chapter in a very tragic situation for everybody,” Russ Janklow said Saturday.

Florida

Mechanic held without bond in slaying of girl

The mechanic charged with kidnapping and killing an 11-year-old girl whose abduction was caught on a carwash surveillance camera was ordered held without bond Saturday as the community formed a makeshift memorial outside the victim’s home.

Joseph P. Smith, who has been arrested at least 13 times in Florida since 1993, waived his first court appearance in the slaying of Carlie Brucia.

Carlie’s slaying has prompted Florida’s attorney general to investigate stiffening penalties for offenders who violate the terms of their release. Smith had been free despite violating his probation, and Carlie’s family has called for an investigation of how his numerous past arrests were handled.

Washington, D.C.

Study finds Botox can help excessive sweating

Doctors have found a new use for Botox, the wrinkle-smoothing botulism toxin: It seems to curb excessive sweating.

People with a condition called hyperhidrosis produce four or five times the amount of sweat as is normal. Botox, a weakened form of the food-poisoning toxin botulism, already is widely used to treat wrinkles. It is being tried to treat excessive sweating because it seems to temporarily paralyze a nerve that stimulates sweat glands.

Researchers gave 322 patients underarm injections of either Botox or salt water.

A month later, 75 percent of the Botox users reported a significant decrease in sweating, compared with a quarter of the placebo patients, said lead investigator Dr. Dee Anna Glaser of St. Louis University.

Nebraska

Escaped convict caught after police gunfight

An escaped convict who overpowered two prison guards earlier this week exchanged gunfire with police on busy street before being captured at a coffeehouse Saturday, Omaha Police said. No one was hurt.

Police said they found Michael McGuire after getting a tip from a man who said the inmate had kept him trapped in his apartment for three days since his escape Tuesday.

Shots were exchanged in the street over about a block before McGuire ran into Mojo’s Coffeehouse, where police captured him, Police Capt. Michael Butera said.

McGuire, 54, who was serving time at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution on robbery, kidnapping and rape convictions, escaped Tuesday during a visit to a hospital.

San Antonio

Lawyers group deals with judges’ ethics

The American Bar Assn. is working on new conduct rules for judges, such as when they should withdraw from a case.

The issue has gained prominence with the disclosure that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia went on a hunting trip with Dick Cheney shortly after the high court agreed to hear a case involving the vice president.

A new commission discussed ethics rules over the weekend during the ABA’s midyear meeting in San Antonio.

The last major changes to the ethics code were approved by the 400,000-member lawyers’ group about 13 years ago.

The commission’s final plan eventually could affect thousands of judges. Members acknowledge it would have little impact on the nine Supreme Court justices, who have no written ethics rules.