Category Archives: State

A tornado which nearly hit her family’s Twin Cities home, left its mark on nine-year-old Laura Edwards and fueled an interest in weather and climate which has not subsided.

Since 2011, Edwards has served South Dakotans as the SDSU Extension Climate Field Specialist. She was recently named the new SDSU Extension State Climatologist, a position previously held by Dennis Todey.

“Laura is well equipped for this new role,” said Alvaro Garcia, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director & Professor. “The weather impacts so many aspects of our lives. For several years now, South Dakotans have come to rely on Laura’s climate insights and interpretation to better understand how current climate trends and predictions may impact their crops, livestock and other aspects of their lives.”

In addition to evaluating climate and providing information on its impact on South Dakotans lives and livelihoods, as the SDSU Extension State Climatologist, Edwards will also interface with federal, state, and tribal agencies to develop strategies to help communities prepare for the impacts of climate extremes and disasters.

“With agriculture as our state’s number one industry, climate definitely has an impact on our economy,” Edwards said. “I hope the information I provide helps producers and communities to be better prepared and gives them time to consider climate in developing plans for managing their farms and ranches.”

In her new role, Edwards plans to develop more user-friendly tools crop and livestock producers can use when making management decisions based on weather and climate.
Following the tornado which hit Edwards’ community, a meteorologist visited her fourth-grade classroom. “I was hooked and became a climate nerd after that,” she says of the infatuation with the weather which led her to write the American Meteorological Society asking them what she needed to do to become a meteorologist. “Science impacts everyone – we just need to make that connection with citizens and youth. The impact this classroom visit had on me and my future career is one of many reasons why I am a firm believer in outreach and the mission of SDSU Extension.”

They replied to Edwards with a letter that included a list of colleges which offered Meteorology degrees.

Edwards received degrees in Physics and French from the University of Minnesota, and in 2003 she received a master’s in Meteorology from the University of Maryland.

Prior to joining the SDSU Extension team in 2011, Edwards worked as an Assistant Research Climatologist for the Western Regional Climate Center at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada; served as an Instructor at the University of Nevada and worked as the Assistant State Climatologist in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Gold Card photo by Argus Leader

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association confirm the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has determined that South Dakota’s Gold Card Concealed Pistol Permit and Enhanced Permit to Carry a Concealed Pistol qualify as alternatives to the background check requirement for firearm purchases. Only those Gold Card Concealed Pistol Permits and Enhanced Permits to Carry a Concealed Pistol issued on or after January 1, 2017, qualify as alternatives to the background check. “I want to applaud our Sheriffs, Secretary of State Krebs, and our federal partners for their efforts in implementing this important opportunity for gun owners in South Dakota,” said Jackley.

Legislation was passed in 2016 creating a Gold Card concealed pistol permit. The legislation allowed for those carrying a gold card to buy a gun, without going through the federal National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS). This legislation went into effect on January 1, 2017, but was delayed until qualifications were met by the ATF. The preprinted fingerprint cards provided by the FBI are anticipated to be distributed to the Sheriff’s Offices by next week. The preprinted cards will allow for a quick and easy processing of the Gold Cards. The Attorney General’s Office will issue a notice to the media once the preprinted fingerprint cards are available.

The Public Safety Improvement Act Oversight Council has released its annual report on progress made under Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s criminal justice reforms. The Governor announced the release of the report at his legislative press conference Feb. 16 and noted the passage of Senate Bill 117 by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“This report demonstrates the successes we are seeing from the 2013 criminal justice reforms,” Gov. Daugaard said. “We have shifted the focus on offenders who pose a threat to the public and we are allowing nonviolent offenders to receive treatment and remain in their communities where they can work to support themselves and their families.”

According to the report, South Dakota is saving money thanks to the reforms. The report indicates there are 278 fewer inmates within the state prison system today than there would have been without the Public Safety Improvement Act. The average cost for incarceration is almost $60 a day and $22,000 per year. Additionally, without the law, state officials say a new women’s prison would have been needed last year at the cost of $36 million.

The state’s investment in programs to help offenders who have drug and alcohol problems is also noted in the report. The number of individuals served by Drug or DUI Court has nearly tripled since the passage of the reforms. So far, 88 percent of those who have completed substance abuse treatment have not recidivated within a year of their release.

The bill passed by Senate Judiciary on Feb. 16 makes adjustments to the Public Safety Improvement Act to address the uptick in meth-related arrests. SB 117 incentivizes the successful completion of treatment, increases training for prosecutors and focuses supervision resources on high risk offenders.

“We knew it was likely that we would need to make some adjustments to the comprehensive reforms passed in 2013,” Gov. Daugaard said. “At the time, we did not foresee the increase in meth trafficking. The proposals I brought forward this year will ameliorate the problem by stopping meth from coming into our state, helping those who are addicted, and convincing citizens to stay away from meth.”

South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Lori S. Wilbur announced Feb. 15 that she will retire from the Court in June of this year. She has served on the Supreme Court since August of 2011, when she was appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard. She was also retained by the voters in the 2014 general election.

In announcing her retirement, Justice Wilbur stated: “Serving as a member of the Supreme Court and as part of our Unified Judicial System for almost 25 years has been an honor and a great privilege. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to perform this meaningful work and for the relationships I have gained while working with the dedicated people of the court system.”

By Katie Hunhoff

South Dakota was the first state to allow voters to enact or block laws through the initiative and referendum process. Since then, we the people have passed laws on corporate farms, Right to Work, term limits, Daylight Savings Time, the minimum wage, nuclear waste and even dove hunting.

Our process of voter-enacted laws and referendums is getting a lot of attention in this year’s legislative session in Pierre. Depending on your point of view, you can credit or blame a Catholic priest from Aberdeen for all the fuss. Father Robert Haire is known as the father of the initiative and referendum. Born in Michigan in 1845, he grew up in an Irish Presbyterian family. He taught school as a young man and boarded with an Irish Catholic family who inspired him to convert in 1865. He eventually entered the seminary, became a priest and then headed west to Brown County, Dakota Territory with several of his parishioners, arriving on June 26, 1880. The next day he said his first Mass in a sod shanty, and began to plan for Brown County’s first Catholic Church.

He founded a school, Presentation Academy, in 1888. And he became the state leader of the Knights of Labor, as well as the group’s newspaper editor. From there his political involvement blossomed. He was active in the Dakota Farmers Alliance, a group created to protect farmers’ interests from politicians, corporations and railroads. Haire directed the Alliance’s political wing, which later become the Populist Party. He advocated the idea of the initiative and referendum for years before it became a part of the Populists’ platform.
Haire distrusted politicians and felt strongly that citizens should also have the ability and right to propose laws without having to go through elected representatives. In an 1891 issue of the Dakota Ruralist he wrote: “These men make the laws to suit themselves — are a law to themselves. The people seldom get any law passed they want.”

South Dakota became the first state to adopt the initiative and referendum process in 1898, passing easily on the same ballot that re-elected South Dakota’s Populist Governor Andrew E. Lee. Twenty-six states now allow some variation of the initiative and referendum.
Father Haire left other notable legacies in Aberdeen, including the creation of Northern State University, originally Northern Normal and Industrial School, in 1901. Today a memorial to Father Haire stands on campus.

As a political and religious leader during tumultuous times in our state’s history, Haire made friends and enemies. He spoke his mind even when he knew it might antagonize Bishop Martin Marty or his own parishioners. He eventually was dismissed by Marty for his radical views. He remained a priest but could not practice. Later, Bishop O’Gorman reinstated him and appointed him chaplain to the Presentation Sisters, a role he served for the remainder of his life. After Haire’s death in 1916, O’Gorman wrote this epitaph: “He had been in earlier years, when the State was still in the pioneer stage, a most zealous missionary. I believe that the last ten peaceful years of his life and his happy death were rewards of the good and fruitful work of the early years.”

Katie Hunhoff is the editor of South Dakota Magazine, a bi-monthly print publication featuring the people and culture of our great state. A feature story on Father Haire by Patrick Gallagher originally appeared in the September/October 2009 issue of South Dakota Magazine. For more information or for contact information, visit www.SouthDakotaMagazine.com

Attorney General Marty Jackley and Gregory County States Attorney Amy Bartling announce that Jerry Roach, 57, pled guilty to his 6th felony yesterday in Sixth Circuit Court. He pled to 3rd degree burglary, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/ or $20,000 fine.

Roach decision to plead guilty, cut short his trial in Burke, which was scheduled for Feb. 8-10th of this week. Roach pled guilty to 3rd degree burglary of the Gregory Lanes Bowling Alley. Roach admitted using forced entry to get into the bowling alley, after business hours, and stealing money out of the video lottery machine and ATM machine.

A sentencing date has been scheduled for April 19, 2017 at 1 p.m. (CST). This case was investigated by the Gregory Police Department and the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Gregory County States Attorney and the Attorney General’s Office.

The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline remained relatively stable over the past week, settling at today’s price of $2.27 per gallon. Although today’s average remains flat compared to one week ago, drivers are paying ten cents less per gallon month-over-month, and 52 cents more per gallon year-over-year. Pump prices have been pressured higher overall due to cuts in oil production globally, but increased U.S. production and low demand has led to a leveling out of prices over the last couple of weeks. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest weekly estimates of U.S. gasoline demand show that January 2017 figures are down 6 percent from January 2016 and are at their lowest standing for the first month of the year since 2012.

Current Price Averages per Gallon of Regular Gasoline

· Sioux Falls – $2.24, down 10 cents since 1/6/17 … up 72 cents since 2/6/16
· Rapid City – $2.33, up 13 cents since 1/6/17 … up 46 cents since 2/6/16
· South Dakota – $2.32, down 2 cents since 1/6/17 … up 59 cents since 2/6/16
· U.S. – $2.27, down 9 cents since 1/6/17 … up 52 cents since 2/6/16

Quick Stats

The nation’s top five most expense markets are: Hawaii (3.11), California ($2.83), Washington ($2.73), Alaska ($2.72) and the District of Colombia ($2.55).

The nation’s top five least expensive markets are: South Carolina ($2.03), Alabama ($2.06), Tennessee ($2.06), Ohio ($2.07) and Mississippi ($2.07).

The top five markets with the most dramatic year-over-year increases in gas prices include: Minnesota (+71 cents), Michigan (+68 cents), New Jersey (+67 cents), Illinois (+67 cents) and Kansas (+66 cents).

In a joint statement, two organizations representing waterfowl hunters, the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and the South Dakota Waterfowl Association, condemn commercial operators who want to increase the number of nonresident waterfowl hunters at the expense of the state’s residents.

“Last year, in a move to expand their market, a small number of individuals ignored the will of the Game Fish and Parks Commission and pushed through legislation to increase the number of nonresident waterfowl hunters by over a 1,000,” says Chris Hesla, executive director of the wildlife federation. “This year commercial operators are taking the next step by seeking legislation that gives them their own waterfowl licenses so they can distribute those licenses to their clients. In addition, they are hoping to double the time nonresidents hunt in the state. Chasing profits, this group wants to put a dollar sign on every duck and goose that passes through the state,” Hesla said.

George Vandel, vice president of the waterfowl association, said the commercial effort is at the expense of both resident waterfowl hunters and South Dakota businesses, especially those in small towns. “When we increase the number of nonresident hunters, we slash the opportunities for resident hunters, and many give up hunting.” According to Vandel, it’s resident hunters who pour money into the economy. “Resident waterfowl hunters travel to hunt by the thousands. They stay in motels, eat in restaurants, drink in bars, buy gas and they do it for an entire season, not just a few days. Most nonresidents don’t buy their guns, waders and decoys in South Dakota; they bring their equipment with them, along with the ice in their coolers.”

According to Department of Game Fish and Parks statistics, the number of resident waterfowl hunters has plummeted from 43,500 in 2001 to 30,000 in 2015, a one third decline in the last 15 years. The most recent department survey showed that a primary reason for the rapid decline was a loss in the opportunity to hunt. “The numbers are clear,” says Vandel. “We are losing a great South Dakota waterfowl tradition for lack of opportunity, and our economy is paying a price just to benefit a few.”

Almost one-third of South Dakota’s kids and teens are overweight or obese, according to a new state health report.

The 2015-2016 School Height and Weight Report found 16.1 percent of South Dakota’s 5-19 year olds were obese and another 16 percent were overweight. That compares to 16.0 percent obese and 16.2 percent overweight in 2014-2015.

“It’s good news that the child obesity rate is no longer rising,” said Ashley Miller, chronic disease epidemiologist for the Department of Health. “But bringing the rate down won’t happen overnight, just as reaching these levels didn’t happen overnight. It’s going to take long-term effort from schools, communities and parents.”

A total of 172 schools submitted student height and weight data for this latest survey, accounting for 34.6 percent of students in the state. The survey defines obese as at or above the 95th percentile body mass index-for-age when compared to kids of the same age and gender; overweight is between the 85th and 94th percentiles.

The department’s goal is to reduce the percentage of students who are obese to 14 percent by the year 2020.

Miller said the department offers a variety of resources to help encourage healthy diets and increase physical activity for kids. The Munch Code (www.munchcode.org/) provides healthy concessions information for schools and youth activities and Harvest of the Month (www.sdharvestofthemonth.org/) combines lessons and produce sampling to get kids eating more vegetables and fruit.
The full student height weight report is available at http://doh.sd.gov/statistics/.

Improving child and adolescent health through reducing obesity is a key performance measure of the Department of Health’s 2015-2020 strategic plan, http://doh.sd.gov/strategicplan.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed the first bill of the 2017 Legislative Session into law on Feb. 1. The piece of legislation, House Bill 1006, clarifies the timeline for posting notices for public meetings.

In 2016, the Legislature passed a bill requiring notices to be posted two intervening days prior to a meeting. HB 1006 clarifies the language by requiring notices to be posted three days before a meeting. The bill sets the same deadline for the submission of comments on rules.

Also, the Governor signed two other bills into law: Senate Bill 8, an act to codify legislation enacted in 2016, and Senate Bill 16, an act to revise certain provisions regarding a violation for an escape from certain facilities, programs, or services located outside the penitentiary.