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LaVonne PolzienSIOUX FALLS — LaVonne K.

Polzien, 72, died June 21, 2012 atthe Sanford USD Medical Centerin Sioux Falls, SD.

A memorialservice will be2:00 p.m. Saturday,June 23, 2012 atMiller FuneralHome, 507 S. MainAve., Sioux Falls.

LaVonne KayPoulsen, thedaughter of Peterand Etta (Millard)Poulsen was born September 25,1939 in Yankton, SD. She gradu-ated from Yankton High School in1957 and went on to attend Au-gustana College in Sioux Falls.

On September 8, 1962,LaVonne was united in marriagewith William “Bill” Polzien at ZionLutheran Church in Sioux Falls.LaVonne worked as a secretaryfor the National Bank of South

Dakota (now U.S. Bank). She wasthen employed for over 30 yearsas a legal secretary for the Dav-enport Law Firm before her re-tirement.

LaVonne was a member ofHope Lutheran Church and a pastmember of the Beta Sigma PhiSorority. She enjoyed playingMah-Jong, but especially lovedboating and camping at Lewisand Clark Lake in Yankton, SD.

LaVonne is survived by herhusband, Bill Polzien of SiouxFalls; a son, Tom (Judi) Polzien ofSioux Falls; a daughter, SusanWarwick of Omaha, NE; fourgrandchildren, Alicia, Ashley,Amber (fiancé: Jesse), and An-drew (significant other: Nichole);one great-grandson, Braiden; anda sister, Ginette (Bill) Grosz ofPeoria, AZ. She was preceded indeath by her parents, and a sis-ter, Maxine Poulsen.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

June 22, 2012Audrey MobleyADA, Okla. — Audrey Mobley,

79, of Ada, Okla., died Tuesday,June 19, 2012, at her home. Noservices are planned at this time.

She was born October 5, 1932in Wagner, South Dakota toEverette Provost and EvelynLeClaire Provost. She came tothis area fifteen years ago fromCalifornia.

She married Kenneth Mobleyin Livermore, California. Mrs.Mobley was a tax preparer.

Survivors include her husbandKenneth Mobley, eight children;Kathy Ellis, Raymond Stevens,

Karen Dunn, Robert Mobley,William Mobley, Frank Mobley,John Mobley and Maryanne Mob-ley, eight grandchildren; AnnaKussmaul, Michael Bauer, DaniellePaulsen, Autumn Dunn, CurtisDunn, Linda Dunn, Leslie Dunnand Nicole Stevens, and eightgreat-grandchildren.

The family says those whowish may make memorials to:American Cancer Society, P. O.Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK73123-1718.

Obituaries may be viewed andonline condolences sent tocriswellfh.com.

Criswell Funeral Home, Ada, isin charge of arrangements.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

June 22, 2012

Nancy BurgessNancy Burgess, 80, of Yankton

died Thursday, June 21, 2012, atthe Avera Yankton Care Center,Yankton.

Mass of Christian Burial is at 3p.m. Monday at St. BenedictCatholic Church, Yankton, withthe Rev. Ken Lulf officiating. Bur-ial will be in the Sacred HeartCemetery, Yankton.

Visitations begin at 4 p.m.Sunday at Opsahl-Kostel FuneralHome & Crematory, Yankton,with a Scripture service at 7 p.m.Visitations will resume one hourprior to the service at thechurch.

Delphine MilletteVERMILLION — Delphine

“Del” Millette, 94, of Vermilliondied Wednesday, June 20, 2012,at Sanford Vermillion Hospital.

Funeral arrangements arepending with Kober FuneralHome, Vermillion.

Friday, 6.22.12ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net

NEWS DEPARTMENT: news@yankton.net 3APRESS DAKOTANthe world

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IN REMEMBRANCE Jeffrey Leo Potts

10:30 AM, Friday St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

Fordyce

I want to thank all my dear friends and relatives for all the cards and best wishes, and coming to my 85th birthday party. It was

great and so much fun getting so many together. I want to especially thank Morey and my family-

Steve and Yavonne Slowey, Tim and Dawn Slowey and Patrick and Camille Slowey for putting all of this together.

Kathleen Slowey Ekeren

Blossom MayerBlossom McShannon Mayer,

age 90 of Yankton, SD died onTuesday, June 19, 2012 at theYankton Care Center in Yankton,SD.

Memorial services will be onSaturday, June 23, 2012 at 1:00p.m. at the Wintz Funeral Home inCrofton with Pastor Les Parmenterofficiating. Inurnment will be atthe Bloomfield Cemetery inBloomfield, NE. Visitation will beon Friday from 6-8:00 p.m. at theWintz Funeral Home in Crofton.

Blossom Marie was born onApril 21, 1922 in Crofton, Nebraskato Walter and Gale (Stocking) Hen-nings. She was the second oldestof five daughters. Her familymoved to Patricia, South Dakotawhen she was a young child. Blos-som had fond memories of livingin a one room sod house, search-ing for small ruby pebbles on

Ruby Hill and car-rying water fromthe creek. Her fam-ily moved back toCrofton, Nebraskawhere Blossomgraduated fromCrofton HighSchool in 1940.Blossom marriedNorman McShan-non on August 14,

1940. To this union three daugh-ters and one son were born: Phyl-lis, Joyce, Marcia and Mark.

Blossom and Norman farmedin the Crofton-Bloomfield area for34 years until Norman passedaway in 1975. Blossom married Al-fred (Tuck) Engstedt in 1977 andworked with him in his Croftongrocery store. Alfred died in 1984.In 1989 she married Dwight (Biz)Rissler. They enjoyed trips toWashington DC and wintered inMission, Texas for several years.

Biz died in 1995. Blossom thenmarried Vern Mayer in 2000. Theyenjoyed playing cards, going outfor Friday fish frys and raisingJack Russell Terriers.

Blossom was active in theCrofton U.C.C. CongregationalChurch, the Order of the EasternStar, the Crofton Senior Center andthe NFO Farm Organization. In hersenior years she enjoyed caringfor her parakeets and fish aquar-ium, wearing her beautiful jewelry,playing cards with her friends atAutumn Winds, playing bingo atthe Yankton Care Center and lov-ing her family. She enjoyed her un-usual name Blossom and thecomments she received from oth-ers.

She leaves to mourn her fourchildren and their spouses, Phyllis(Alan) Dingman of Yankton, SD;Joyce (Chuck) Eckhardt ofCrofton, NE; Mark (Shelley) Mc-Shannon of McKenzie Bridge, OR;

Marcia (David) Jones of Milford,NE; 9 grandchildren; 8 great grand-children, 2 step-grandchildren, 2step-great grandchildren and a sis-ter Peggy Carrico of Conroe, TX.

Blossom was preceded indeath by her parents, husbands;three sisters Opal Shalberg, VioletMeyer, Jean Swensen; infantbrother Wallace Dale; son-in-lawRay Pool; and one step-greatgrandson Michael Stevens.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

June 22, 2012

Mayer

Polzien

BY JIM KUHNHENN AND JENNIFER AGIESTAAssociated Press

WASHINGTON — Fighting a swell of eco-nomic anxiety, President Barack Obama has lostmuch of the narrow lead he held just a monthago over Mitt Romney and the two now arelocked in a virtually even race for the WhiteHouse, according to a new Associated Press-GfKpoll. The survey also found a majority of Ameri-cans disapproving of how the Democratic presi-dent is handling a national economy that fewerpeople think is improving.

Less than five months before the election, 47percent say they will vote for the president and44 percent for Romney, a difference that is notstatistically significant. The poll also shows thatRomney has recovered from a bruising Republi-can primary, with more of his supporters sayingthey are certain to vote for him now.

The economy remains Obama’s top liability.Only 3 out of 10 adults say the country isheaded in the right direction and 55 percent dis-approve of his handling of the economy, thehighest level detected in AP-GfK polls this year.

“I’m not going to vote for Obama,” said Ray-mond Back, a 60-year-old manufacturing plantmanager from North Olmsted, Ohio, one of themost competitive states in this election. “It’sjust the wrong thing to do. I don’t know whatRomney is going to do, but this isn’t the rightway.”

Yet, in a measure of Romney’s own vulnera-bilities, even some voters who say they supportRomney believe the president will still be re-elected. Of all adults polled, 56 percent believeObama will win a second term. And despitethree months of declining job creation thathave left the public increasingly glum, Romneyhas not managed to seize the economic issuefrom the president, with registered voters splitvirtually evenly on whether Romney or Obamawould do a better job improving it.

The polling numbers come as no surprise toeither camp. Both Romney and Obama advisershave anticipated a close contest that will bedriven largely by economic conditions. The

Obama camp is busy trying to define Romney,hoping it is reaching more independents likeDoss Comer, 58, of Jacksonville, N.C., who saidhe would vote for Obama again, despite the lag-ging economy.

“I think we are on the wrong track,” he said.“We’re not getting anywhere. We’re not growing.The unemployment rate just spiked up again.”But, he added: “I don’t trust Romney because ofwhat he’s doing. He’s telling his business expe-rience, that he was an investor in business. ... Idon’t think he has the right background anymore than Obama.”

With his Republican nomination now en-sured, Romney has succeeded in unifying theparty behind him and in maintaining a singularfocus on making the election a referendum onObama’s handling of the economy. Over time,polls that measure Obama’s standing have re-

flected fluctuations in the economy, which hasshown both strength and weakness since itbegan to recover from the recent recession. Thenew survey illustrates how an ideologically di-vided country and a stumbling recovery havedriven the two men into a tight match.

The poll results among voters who live instates decided by less than 10 percentagepoints in 2008 underscore Obama’s challenge.Among those voters in the new poll, Romneyhas an advantage, a shift from last month whenObama held that edge.

Still, Obama’s overall 49 percent approvalrating is not unlike the approval ratings GeorgeW. Bush faced in June 2004 during his re-elec-tion campaign, when he and his Democraticchallenger, John Kerry, were also locked in adead heat.

BY MARK SCOLFOROAND GENARO C. ARMASAssociated Press

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Jerry San-dusky was either a “predatory pe-dophile” who lured young boys toPenn State with gifts and accessto big-time football, or a victim ofnow-grown men who lied to get apayout, attorneys argued Thurs-day as the former coach’s childsex abuse case went to a jury.

As jurors deliberated into theevening, one of Sandusky’sadopted sons came forward forthe first time to say that his fatherhad abused him. Matt Sandusky,33, was prepared to testify forprosecutors at the trial, his attor-neys said in a statement. Thestatement didn’t specify what thealleged abuse was.

The elder Sandusky, who faceslife in prison if convicted of 48counts of abuse of 10 boys over15 years, was smiling and chuck-

ling to himself as prosecutorswrapped up closing arguments.His wife, Dottie, leaned forward inher seat with a concerned look,resting her chin in her hands.

The former assistant footballcoach was arrested last Novem-ber in a scandal that led to the fir-ing of beloved head coach JoePaterno, who died of cancer inJanuary, and the departure of theuniversity’s president.

Prosecutors said Sanduskywas “a serial, predatory pe-dophile” who used gifts and thepageantry of Penn State’s vauntedfootball program to attract andabuse vulnerable boys who camefrom troubled homes.

“What you should do is comeout and say to the defendant thathe molested and abused and givethem back their souls,” SeniorDeputy Attorney General JosephMcGettigan III told jurors. “I givethem to you. Acknowledge and

give them justice.” During his closing argument,

McGettigan put up smiling pic-tures of eight accusers when theywere children; all testified at trialthat Sandusky molested them.

Standing behind Sandusky,McGettigan implored the jury toconvict him.

“He molested and abused andhurt these children horribly,”McGettigan said. “He knows hedid it, and you know he did it.Find him guilty of everything.”

Defense attorney JosephAmendola argued that the 68-year-old Sandusky was targeted by in-vestigators who coachedaccusers into making false claimsabout a generous man whosecharity gave them much-neededlove.

“They went after him, and Isubmit to you they were going toget him hell or high water, even ifthey had to coach witnesses,”

Amendola said in a sometimesangry closing argument.

The closing arguments cameafter seven days of testimony,some of it graphically describingalleged abuse suffered at thehands of Sandusky, includingtouching in showers, fondling andin some cases forced oral or analsex. One alleged victim — a fosterchild at the time — testified thatSandusky threatened him, tellinghim he would never see his familyagain if he disclosed the assaults.

Prosecutors said Sanduskymet his victims through The Sec-ond Mile, a charity he founded forat-risk youth.

Eight young men testified thatthey were abused by Sandusky,and jurors also heard about twoother alleged victims throughother witnesses, including an-other former coach.

Sandusky has repeatedly de-nied the allegations, but he didn’ttestify during the trial.

Poll:

Romney Closes In On ObamaPile-Up Of Economic News Sends Stocks Lower

NEW YORK (AP) — Investors yanked money out of stocksThursday after new reports from the U.S. and China pointed to asharp slowdown in manufacturing.

The Dow Jones industrial plunged 251 points, the second-biggest drop this year.

Losses in energy and materials companies led a widespreadrout on the stock market. The Dow started sinking after 10 a.m.,when the Philadelphia branch of the Federal Reserve reported asharp contraction in manufacturing in the Northeast. The lossesaccelerated throughout the day.

“The news has been horrible out there,” said Uri Landesman,president of Platinum Partners. “The U.S. economy is slowingdown. And China’s growth is definitely under question.”

The bad news kept piling up as the day went on. Mining andother companies that made basic materials fell hard after pricesfor commodities such as copper and oil dropped. Goldman Sachsanalysts advised their clients to bet that stocks would fall, andspeculation swirled that Moody’s would cut the credit ratings of 17banks.

Court Sidesteps Issue Of Broadcast IndecencyWASHINGTON (AP) — Broadcasters anticipating a major consti-

tutional ruling on the government’s authority to regulate what canbe shown and said on the airwaves instead won only the smallestof Supreme Court victories Thursday.

The justices unanimously threw out fines and other penaltiesagainst Fox and ABC television stations that violated the FederalCommunications Commission policy regulating curse words andnudity on television airwaves.

Forgoing a broader constitutional ruling, however, the courtconcluded only that broadcasters could not have known in ad-vance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs onFox stations and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC’s“NYPD Blue” could give rise to penalties. ABC and 45 affiliates hadbeen hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.

Broadcasters had argued that the revolution in technology thathas brought the Internet, satellite television and cable has madethe rules themselves obsolete. The regulations apply only to broad-cast channels.

The justices said the FCC is free to revise its indecency policy,which is intended to keep the airwaves free of objectionable mate-rial during the hours when children are likely to be watching.

Video Shows Zimmerman’s Re-EnactmentORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman appears believable

when he re-enacts for police what he says led to the fatal shootingof Trayvon Martin, but some of his statements are questionable,lawyers who reviewed the footage said Thursday.

Even a detective who interrogated the neighborhood watchleader pointed out inconsistencies in his story, particularly Zim-merman’s claim that Martin punched him and slammed his headonto the ground when the teenager had no prior history ofviolence.

The video and audio tapes released by Zimmerman’s attorneygive Zimmerman’s most detailed account yet of what led to theFeb. 26 shooting, but it still leaves unanswered whether the shoot-ing was justified.

The evidence was released almost a week before Zimmerman’ssecond bond hearing on a second-degree murder charge, and onthe heels of unflattering telephone calls capturing Zimmerman andhis wife talking in code about using money collected for a defensefund to pay credit cards.

Syrian Pilot Lands Fighter Jet In JordanBEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian fighter pilot on a training mission flew

his MiG-21 warplane to neighboring Jordan, where he was givenasylum Thursday in a defection from the fiercely loyal air force thatsignals some of the most ironclad allegiances in Damascus couldbe fraying. Syria immediately denounced the pilot as a traitor.

The brazen move was a clear triumph for the rebels fighting tooverthrow President Bashar Assad and was the first defection byan air force officer with his plane since the uprising began in March2011.

The pilot, identified as Col. Hassan Hammadeh, removed his airforce tag and knelt on the tarmac in prayer after landing at KingHussein Air Base in Mafraq, Jordan, 45 miles (70 kilometers) northof Amman, a Jordanian security official said.

Hammadeh will be allowed to stay in Jordan on “humanitariangrounds,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity be-cause of the sensitivity of the matter.

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCTGOP presidential contender Mitt Romney greets attendees of the National Association of LatinoElected and Appointed Officials conference, Thursday, June 21, 2012, at the Contemporary Resortat Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Penn State Child Sex Abuse Case Goes To Jury