Category Archives: State

South Dakota’s gas price average has stabilized at $2.36 per gallon which is the same as last week and one month ago. Although we’re 18 cents over last year, the highest 2017 gas price average in the state has been $2.40 on April 13.

Today’s national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.35 per gallon, which is four cents less than one week and one month ago, and 14 cents more than the same date last year. “AAA says the trending decline is due to an unseasonable glut of gasoline in the U.S. market, record high refinery production rates, moderate demand and a recent drop in crude oil prices,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota.

Last week according to GasPrices.AAA.com, 46 states saw prices drop – some by at least 9 cents – with prices remaining steady in other parts of the country.
Current Price Averages per Gallon of Regular Gasoline

Sioux Falls – $2.24, down 3 cents from one month ago … up 18 cents since 5/8/16
Rapid City – $2.42, up 3 cents from one month ago … up 23 cents since 5/8/16
South Dakota – $2.36, same as one month ago … up 18 cents since 5/8/16
U.S. – $2.35, down 4 cents from one month ago … up 14 cents since 5/8/16

South Dakotan Ernest Roth answered when President Woodrow Wilson called for volunteers.

The United States had declared war against Germany on April 6, 1917, committing the country to join the Allied Powers of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan in their efforts to defeat the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). The Great War had been raging since 1914.

Roth had been working as a carpenter and living with his uncle and aunt at Columbia when he decided to enlist. On April 25, 1917, he boarded the freight train for Aberdeen, where he went to the National Guard recruiting office and signed up. The next day, he was taken by train to Mobridge and transported to the headquarters of Company “L” of the 4th South Dakota infantry regiment. A total of 32,791 soldiers, sailors and marines from South Dakota served in the war, according to the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.

“In the forenoon of April 27, 1917, we were lined up and duly sworn in, thus making us full-fledged soldiers on paper although we were to learn the hard way that it required many, many months of intensive training and drilling on our part, much of it under a broiling sun, to become proficient at soldiering,” Roth wrote in his diary.

The World War I Reminiscence of Ernest Roth is kept in the South Dakota State Historical Society –State Archives manuscript collections. Find it online at www.history.sd.gov/Archives/, by clicking the Digital Archives icon, then selecting the Manuscript Collection and typing in “Ernest Roth.”
Two companies, both of the 4th South Dakota Infantry, were billeted in tents along a railroad siding about two miles northwest of Mobridge at Camp Pontis.

“When we arrived there the only buildings in evidence were the partly completed mess halls,” Roth wrote. “The company kitchens were set up in three or four old boxcars on railroad sidings. I was immediately set to work on the buildings under construction.”

Roth described infantry training at Camp Pontis as: reveille at 6 a.m. followed by calisthenics, breakfast, clean-up quarters, drill or hike (usually with full pack), lunch at noon, more drill, return to quarters for more clean-up, supper, and attend lectures and school.

Toward the end of September, rumors were rampant that the companies were going to be sent directly to the battlefields of Europe or to Mexico to prevent the Germans from coming over and entering the United States through Mexico.

“The facts were: the last two days of this month we loaded all the property of the Company as well as our own personal stuff into boxcars and on October 1, 1917, both companies from Camp Pontis entrained for a destination yet unknown,” Roth wrote.

Many people, some from Columbia, turned out to meet the train when it stopped at the Aberdeen depot. Crowds were always on hand to cheer on the troops whenever the train slowed to pass through a town, according to Roth.

The troops’ final destination was Camp Greene near Charlotte, N.C., where they were joined by other units comprising the entire 4th South Dakota regiment. Roth learned that the regiment was to be converted from infantry to machine gun battalions.

“The rank and file of the fellows were quite unhappy with the machine gun assignment as rumor had it that these units were always the first to be ordered into the front lines of combat in actual battle and were consequently referred to as ‘Suicide squads,’” Roth wrote.

Roth arrived at the battlefields in France in January 1918.

In his diary, Roth shared some of his combat experiences. He wrote about meeting a battalion coming from the trenches that had a captain and enlisted men killed, experiencing a chemical weapons attack, marching for hours, walking through knee-deep mud, and preparing to go to the front lines.

On Nov. 11, 1918, Roth’s diary entry read, “Hostilities ceased at 11 a.m. This means – the war is officially over.”

By the time World War I ended, more than 9 million soldiers had been killed and 21 million more were wounded. An estimated 10 million civilians had been killed. A total of 554 South Dakotans died overseas who were killed in action or died from wounds, disease or other causes.

Roth returned to the United States in January 1919. After being discharged from the service, he went to Cresco, Iowa, where his father and stepmother lived. He later returned to Columbia and served as postmaster for 23 years. He died in Walla Walla, Wash., on June 7, 1976.

This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to submit a story idea.

Each year, the South Dakota Advocacy Services presents a Legislative Advocacy Award. This award is in recognition of the role of the legislative process and an individual’s support for and participation in legislative activities that benefit the disability community within the larger community in South Dakota.

Receiving the award for 2017 is Senator Troy Heinert of Mission, District 26. Heinert was presented the award at the annual SD Advocacy Service Partners in Policymaking banquet held in Sioux Falls on April 22, 2017.

The Mission spring games of the Special Olympics of South Dakota will be held April 26 in Mission from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Mission area incudes athletes from Batesland, Gregory, Jones County, Mission, Pine Ridge, Rockyford, St. Francis, Winner and surrounding communities.

There will be approximately 105 participants at this event.

The state summer games will be in Spearfish May 18-20.

South Dakota’s average pump price has risen four cents over the week and dropped one cent from yesterday after rising for much of April, according to GasPrices.AAA.com.

“Between the first of April and April 14, the state average price for a gallon of regular rose 9 cents, coming in at $2.40 per gallon on April 14, the high for the year,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “We expect retail gas to trend upward as we approach the start of summer. How much they rise depends largely on market forces occurring on the other side of the globe.”

Current Price Averages per Gallon of Regular Gasoline

Sioux Falls – $2.33, up eleven cents from one month ago … up 27 cents since 4/17/16
Rapid City – $2.44, up 12 cents from one month ago … up 40 cents since 4/17/16
South Dakota – $2.40, up six cents from one month ago … up 30 cents since 4/17/16
U.S. – $2.41, up 12 cents from one month ago … up 30 cents since 4/17/16

Today’s national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is at its highest price this year and has now increased for 20 consecutive days. Pump prices in 43 states and Washington D.C. have moved higher over the last week. This increase was most prevalent in the East Coast region where refiners wrapped up seasonal turnaround resulting in significant prices increases last week.

By Dana Hess
For S.D. Newspaper Association

Brookings – To fight the notion that they offer “fake news,” media outlets need to do a better job of telling the public how they gather their facts.

That was one topic journalists agreed on during a panel discussion-“Fake News: Cutting Through the Noise”-held Monday night at the South Dakota Art Museum.

“Our profession needs to do a better job of telling people what good journalism is about,” said David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association.

Beth Jensen, news director at KELOLAND TV, agreed, noting more transparency is needed to teach the public about the news gathering process. “I do think transparency has to become a bigger part of our vocabulary.”

Moderator Jack Marsh, a retired journalist and former executive editor of the Argus Leader, asked panel members to discuss fake news-stories that are published even though they are false-and the propensity of people to label stories they don’t agree with as “fake.”

Fake news has a long history, according to Teri Finneman, assistant professor of journalism at South Dakota State University. The first known fake news story was written by Jonathan Swift in which he predicted the death of an astrologer.

Over time, fake news stories were written by Benjamin Franklin, Edgar Allen Poe and Mark Twain.

“They were trying to point out to the public-you are gullible,” Finneman said. “You have to stop believing everything you hear.”

One of the hallmarks of fake news stories in the past, according to Finneman, was that the public wasn’t concerned about the fact that they had read false stories.

“There is this long history of fake news being published without a lot of public backlash,” Finneman said.

Easy access to social media makes anyone a content provider, according to Cory Myers, news director of Argus Leader Media. The credibility of journalism has been hurt by “the ability of anyone to write content, take and manipulate photos,” Myers said.

Readers don’t want to or don’t have the time to vet all of the stories that they read, though there are says to check on accuracy, though panelists agreed there are ways to make those checks.

“That’s a lot of steps for people to go through,” Jensen said.

The credibility of main stream media outlets has been hurt by the 24-hour news cycle, according to Cara Hetland, radio news director at South Dakota Public Broadcasting. In addition to the need to fill the 24-hour news cycle, journalism has been hurt by cutbacks in staff.

“We have fallen so hard so fast,” Hetland said. “We, as journalists, got lazy.”

The stakes are high for keeping the public informed.

“Ultimately, democracy is at stake,” Bordewyk said.

When citizens lose interest in staying informed about their local government it will be time for “pitchforks and canned goods,” Myers said. “If that is in jeopardy, then we’ve got real problems.”

Panel members offered various solutions for solving journalism’s credibility problem in an age when the president of the United States calls reporters an “enemy of the people.”

Myers said the key was good work. “Our best weapon against this is the craft, good reporting.”

Finneman said events like the panel discussion or newspaper reader boards that allow citizens to see how a newsroom operates can help put a face on journalists and explain how they work.

Referencing the cutbacks in staff, Bordewyk said the news industry needs a new business model that would allow it to make more money off the Internet.

“We need to generate more revenue,” Bordewyk said, noting that the cutbacks in South Dakota journalism can been seen in the Capitol newsroom during the legislative session. In the past the newsroom was bustling with reporters and now some days there are only two or three reporters covering the session.

Myers said the irony in the current situation is that Internet has grown the Argus Leader’s readership, but cutbacks have provided the newsroom with fewer journalists to tell stories.

“We do not have an audience problem,” Myers said. “We have a money problem.”

For Hetland, the answer was having journalists be more aggressive about telling their story.

“We’re not marketing ourselves and what we do very well,” Hetland said.

The event, with more than 80 people in attendance, was sponsored by the S.D. Broadcasters Association, the S.D. Newspaper Association and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at SDSU.

Outdoor and wildlife-associated recreation contributes $1.3 billion annually to the South Dakota economy according to a recent report from the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).

“Large numbers of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts spend many days enjoying the great outdoors of South Dakota,” stated Kelly Hepler, GFP department secretary. “Hunting, fishing, camping and outdoor recreation have long been a fundamental part of the South Dakota experience. Those who participate in these activities create a significant economic engine, supporting thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in labor income and growth within our state’s economy.”

Both residents and non-residents who visited state parks in 2016, fished, hunted, trapped, boated or viewed wildlife in South Dakota recreated for a combined total of 18.6 million days. Participating in these activities typically involves spending money on travel, supplies and equipment. Collectively anglers, hunters, trappers, wildlife viewers, boaters, state park visitors and snowmobilers spend $1.3 billion in South Dakota annually in support of these activities.

The top three activities accounting for nearly 90 percent of the $1.3 billion are hunting ($683 million), fishing ($271 million) and state park visitation ($212 million), supporting an estimated 18,000 full- and part-time jobs which provide $520 million of income.

The Department estimates the total economic contributions to be nearly $1.9 billion.

Historically, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) has relied on estimates from national surveys to determine the economic effects of outdoor and wildlife-associated recreation. In 2016, GFP commissioned a study to specifically estimate the economic activity generated by hunting, fishing, state park visitation and other outdoor recreation activities in South Dakota.

When Jesus suffered and died on the cross and rose from a borrowed tomb, he proclaimed the dawn of a new world for mankind — one no longer ruled by the curse of sin.

By becoming sin for our sake, Jesus took away the punishment we deserved for our rebellion against God. In return, Jesus gave us His perfect righteousness and eternal life in relationship with the Father.

Easter isn’t meant to be a once-a-year celebration, but a daily reminder that, through our faith in Jesus, we each have access to His resurrection power in every ordinary moment of our lives.

When the challenges and troubles of this world bear down on us, Jesus is our example, our comfort, our hope and our peace.

18 ways you can experience the resurrection life right here, right now

1. Give your best at all times because God gave us Jesus, His one and only Son, His very best, as a sacrifice for our sin. (John 3:16)

2. Understand all your assignments are temporary and that the end of one assignment brings new life in another. (John 12:24)

3. When you experience failure, remember that Jesus was a failure in the eyes of the world, but He was more concerned about being a success in the eyes of his Father. (Hebrews 5:8)

4. Serve your co-workers instead of competing with them because Jesus did not win His victory through His power but through His sacrificial love. (Ephesians 5:2)

5. Assume the best about your co-workers because Jesus was crucified and died for those who assumed the worst about Him. (John 10:33.)

6. When you are tempted to cut corners for short-term gain, remember that Jesus didn’t take a shortcut to win the ultimate prize of the salvation of mankind. (Luke 22:42)

7. When it seems too painful to forgive, remember that Jesus suffered to the point of death to bring forgiveness to His enemies. (Luke 23:34)

8. When your kids are going their own way, remember that Jesus had to lay down his own life before he could win the stubborn and rebellious. (John 10:11.)

9. Put the needs of weak, needy and vulnerable above your own, because Jesus left heaven for earth and died so that the powerless could be lifted up to new life. (Luke 4:18)

10. When you feel crushed by your responsibilities, remind yourself that nothing, not even death itself, could hold Jesus down, and His power lives in you. (Acts 2:23-24)

11. Sacrifice for, cherish and nurture your spouse because Jesus suffered and died so His bride, the church, could be made beautiful in righteousness. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

12. When your friends fail you, remember that Jesus experienced the pain of distrust and betrayal from his friends. Jesus died and rose again to restore our broken relationship with the Father so we could be ambassadors of reconciliation to all. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

13. Don’t put money ahead of relationships, knowing the Savior of the World was betrayed and crucified for what only 30 pieces of silver could buy. (1 Timothy 6:10)

14. Don’t live for pleasure in this world, because Jesus suffered knowing that the greater joy was leading His people into eternal life with the Father. (Hebrews 12:2)

15. Stop judging yourself better than others because Jesus was put to death by those who thought themselves righteous. (Romans 10:3)

16. When you experience the pain of illness and disease, remember that your Spirit and body are meant for glory, not in this world but another. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

17. When you are fearful, remember Jesus sweat blood in fear of what was before Him, but He trusted His Father to carry Him through the darkness of suffering and crucifixion. (Matt 26:42)

18. When you are lacking hope, remember that Jesus believed His Father who promised the best was yet to come. (Hebrews 2:9)

Brand owners in South Dakota whose brand or brands were cancelled in May of 2015, have until May 1, 2017 to rerecord their brands.

The last renewal period was in 2015. Any brand registration in 2015 that was not renewed and paid for has been cancelled. The brand owner does have two years following the renewal period to rerecord their brand. The rerecord and registration fee of $125.00 must be paid by May 1, 2017.

The next brand renewal period is January 1 – May 1, 2020.

Brands can be registered for cattle, horses/ mules, sheep, and bison. Although brand inspection in South Dakota is on the western side of the Missouri River, brand registration is state wide.

Registration and renewal of livestock brands helps:
· prevent the theft of livestock
· return stolen or missing livestock
· investigate reports of both

In fiscal year 2016, brand inspectors in South Dakota traveled over 274,000 miles inspecting approximately 1.6 million head of livestock.

The South Dakota Brand Board currently has 25,825 registered brands. If someone would like to check their brand registration, they can call the Brand Board office at 605.773.3324 or check the online brand book at www.sdbrandboard.com.

By Katie Hunhoff

My dad likes to tell the story of a favorite teacher who told students that goldfish don’t mind living in small fish bowls because their brains are very small, and every time they swim around the bowl, it’s a new experience. “Don’t be like the goldfish,” the teacher preached.

I thought of the goldfish story when I heard about the latest plans from Washington to cut funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Without the valuable NEH and NEA programs, I believe we would be like goldfish — swimming at random without much memory of the past and far fewer tools and skills to guide us into the future.

The humanities have always been a part of my life. My parents started South Dakota Magazine in 1985, and after college I returned to help with the family business. We have collected and told thousands of South Dakota stories.

My dad admits he had no noble goal at first. “Along the way, however, I realized our stories have worth beyond entertainment,” he once wrote. “The stories tell us who we are as South Dakotans. Reading the magazine should be like seeing your reflection in the lake. The man grins and you grin. He squirms and so do you. He grows sad and you know why.”

It took him a while to understand that importance: “Not because I’m an idiot, but because I was focused on stories, ads and renewal checks so I wouldn’t have to find other work. But now I know how we are all connected.”

We are all connected geographically, culturally, and through celebration and tragedy. Like my dad, we are all focused on paying the bills. The humanities help us keep an eye on the bigger picture. What is the importance of the human experience? And how can we make it better?

When Governor Dennis Daugaard appointed me to the board of the SDHC, I realized what we were doing at the magazine — telling South Dakota’s unique stories — was an important part of the humanities. And therefore, we are preventing our human experience from being as mundane and pointless as a goldfish in a bowl. The humanities create a forum for us to learn from the past and prepare for the future.

The National Endowment for the Humanities receives only about $150 million (from a $1.1 trillion federal budget), but the programs it funds make a substantial impact. NEH goals include strengthening teaching and learning, facilitating research, and expanding access to cultural and educational resources. On the state level, the humanities council curates a diverse group of speakers on a variety of topics and runs the state book festival each fall. Visit wwww.sdhumanities.org to see more ways the humanities impacts our state.

Katie Hunhoff is the editor of South Dakota Magazine, a bi-monthly publication featuring the people and places of our great state, and a board member of the South Dakota Humanities Council and Arts South Dakota.