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In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a sluice channel, right, of the Tangjiashan quake lake in in operation and another one is in progress Sunday, June 8, 2008 in Tangjiashan, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The water level in the quake lake stood at 741.82 meters above sea level at midday on Sunday, still 1.45 meters higher than the sluice, and the lake's volume exceeded 240 million cubic meters, Xinhua said. The drainage plus natural leakage of the lake is about 25 cubic meters per second, while the inflow is 4.6 times the drainage, a hydro expert said on Sunday, according to the news agency. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Li Gang)
By AUDRA ANG – 4 hours ago
HONGYE VILLAGE, China (AP) — A quake-formed lake continued to swell Monday even though soldiers used dynamite and anti-tank weapons to blow up boulders in a diversion channel to try to speed its drainage.
Authorities remained on alert after yet another aftershock jarred the Tangjiashan lake, which could flood more than 1.3 million people downstream if the water flow is not controlled.
But the official Xinhua News Agency sounded a hopeful note Tuesday, reporting that the lake’s water level was expected to fall later in the day as debris was cleared from the spillway.
Military engineers fired ammunition at massive rocks in the manmade channel, and soldiers have used three tons of dynamite over the past couple of days to blow up boulders and double the width of the channel to 33 feet, Xinhua reported.
The flow in the channel increased after more than 10 explosions, but it was still not keeping up with the water gushing into the lake from the blocked river behind the dam.
On Monday, about 120 People’s Liberation Army troops were sent to reinforce the operation to drain the lake, which formed when a landslide set off by the powerful May 12 earthquake blocked the flow of the Tongkou River. Crews were deepening the diversion channel and digging a second spillway, Xinhua said.

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Eyewitness News Everywhere received the following news release on Tuesday, April 15, 2008:
Tax day has come and gone for most people, but your dealings with taxes may not be over yet. IRS spokesman Dan Boone offers these tips for handling some typical after-tax-day issues:
Didn’t file by April 15? If you failed to file a 2007 tax return by the deadline, it’s not too late but it will delay your stimulus payment (see #3). If you owe taxes with your return, it’s likely you’ll be charged interest and penalties on anything not paid by April 15, along with a late-filing penalty. It’s too late to request an extension of time to file, so the important thing is to file your return as soon as possible. To reduce the penalties and interest, pay as much as you can with the return. If you’re due a refund and file late, you probably won’t be penalized, but you could lose the refund if you don’t claim it within 3 years.
Want to check the status of your refund? Visit IRS.gov and click on “Where’s My Refund?”. You’ll need to input the primary Social Security Number on your return, your filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, etc.) and the amount of refund you expect. If you don’t have Internet access, call 1-800-829-1954 to check on your refund.
Hoping to get an economic stimulus payment? The payments will be distributed beginning May 2. If your 2007 tax return was processed by April 15 and you are eligible for a payment, the distribution schedule posted at IRS.gov should apply to you. You can use the Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator at IRS.gov to see if you’re eligible and to calculate the amount to expect, but you’ll need information off your completed 2007 tax return to use the online calculator. IMPORTANT: You must file a 2007 tax return by Oct. 15, 2008 if you want to get a stimulus payment in 2008. For assistance with stimulus payment questions, visit IRS.gov or call the IRS toll-free at 1-866-234-2942.

myeyewitnessnews.com

In Today’s Hotline:
SIERRE LEONE: SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT MALARIA
Henrietta Emmanuel has a big job - getting the word out about malaria throughout Sierre Leone, West Africa. She travels to several schools and villages as part of the Community-Based Malaria Control Program at Kissy United Methodist Hospital. In addition to teaching people about the importance of preventing malaria, she has developed a series of educational materials that explains malaria, its causes, symptoms, and treatments in simple, basic terms.
Public health posters decorate the walls at Taiama Clinic, one of the six clinics Kissy Hospital works with throughout Sierra Leone. Each poster displays prevention methods and treatment of malaria and illustrates how much medicine to administer a child. Patients are also encouraged to use treated bed nets.
Malaria kills one of five children in Africa. The Malaria Program however, is generating optimistic results with Kissy Hospital and a clinic in Manjama seeing a decrease in the number of patients that have malaria. Help programs like these continue by sending your gifts to Malaria Control, UMCOR Advance #982009.
*Mark, an asylee from Haiti, was separated from his family for two long years due to his immigration status. With guided counsel and support from UMCOR’s Justice for Our Neighbors program (JFON), Mark completed the lengthy paperwork process and secured his legal status. Now that he has a green-card, his wife and two children have been able to join him in the US.
JFON works with entire families to help reunite family members. They help families stay in the US and make them aware of all the benefits and opportunities that are available to them. The program provides free, professional legal services to immigrants in monthly clinics and helps asylum seekers and immigrants navigate the rules and laws that affect their lives here in the US.

alertnet.org

Dana College Weekly Recap for April 15th
Dana softballers split with Doane
The Viking softball team hosted Doane College this past Wednesday. Dana took the first game 5-1, before falling 3-0 in the nightcap.
Paige Brune went a perfect three for three in game-one with three runs batted in and scored two runs. She also hit her first two career home runs. TJ Beeman went one for two with a run scored and an RBI. Cassie pitched a complete game, three-hitter. Lager struck out eight batters in the win.
Game two saw the Viking bats go silent in a 3-0 nightcap loss. Dana managed just six hits, and left eight runners on base. Maggie Downs led Dana with a two-for-four effort. Mindy Schoop pitched five and a third innings and suffered the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs.
“I was very pleased with how our team played on Wednesday,” commented Coach Marcy Roff. “We did not come away with two wins, but we certainly did everything in our power to make that attempt. Doane is a good team and we have to tip our hats to them because they simply beat us the second game. Great things are to come out of this team!”
The Vikings currently sit in sixth place in the GPAC standings with a 7-5 record, 12-11 overall. The games against Dakota Wesleyan on April 12th were postponed due to snow in Mitchell, S.D. The makeup date will be Sunday, April 27th at 1:00 in Mitchell.
Vikings fall to nationally-ranked Bruins
The Dana College baseball team travelled south on Wednesday for a non-conference game against Bellevue University in Omaha. The 18th-ranked Bruins dealt the Vikings a 13-6 defeat.
Dana starting pitcher Robert Riggs and reliever Charlie Kimble combined to pitch the first four innings, allowing a combined 10 runs on 11 hits.

enterprisepub.com