The South Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that if an employer provides an underage employee with unfettered access to alcoholic beverages, that employer is liable for any damage that occurs as a result. The Court made that ruling in Catherine Rose McGuire v. Dean J. Curry and Park Jefferson Speedway Inc. v. Christopher Eric Mollet, a case that involved an underage employee who got drunk at work and later caused a vehicular accident.

In Montana, if the employer had knowledge of and failed to attempt to stop the employee’s use of alcohol or drugs, the employee may receive benefits even though he was intoxicated at the time of his accident. Case name: Heth v. Montana State Fund, No. DA 08-0285 (Mont. 05/05/09).

A Jefferson County Circuit Court jury has ruled paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams Co. was liable for the illnesses of a Mississippi boy who ate lead-contaminated paint chips. The jury awarded $7 million in damages in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Trellvion Gaines and his mother, Shermeker Pollard of Fayette.

NOAA and NASA officials announced a new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), launched tonight, successfully reached orbit, joining three other GOES spacecraft that help NOAA forecasters track life-threatening weather and solar storms.

A jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cellular phone is in place in 6 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia. Utah has named the offense careless driving. Under the Utah law, no one commits an offense when speaking on a cellphone unless they are also committing some other moving violation other than speeding.