Category Archives: State

Humor is tricky and fickle. Stories we find hilarious don’t always resonate with our South Dakota Magazine readers. But we’ve had good luck with a regular feature we call “Too Long in the Sun,” maybe because it’s mostly stories submitted by our readers.

In fact, it’s such a hit that it has survived for 100 issues, dating back to 1999. Let’s celebrate the birthday with a few favorites.

One of our most popular “Too Longs” was by Terry Williams on the Gettysburg turkey giveaway in the 1940s. The town’s business group heard of a popular promotion in another state where turkeys were given away from an airplane flying over town. So the Gettysburg businessmen bought six live Easter turkeys and arranged for a pilot to fly over main street at an advertised time. But when volunteers in the plane threw out the turkeys they didn’t fly or even float. They dropped like rocks. One hit the bank roof and five splatted on the pavement. Nobody was hurt but one lady was drenched in blood and turkey parts. The confused businessmen contacted the community that had successfully pulled off the turkey promotion.

“You don’t drop turkeys!” was the answer. “You drop ping pong balls and whoever catches the ball gets a turkey!”

We’ve learned that our best “Too Longs” are a bit zany, but as true stories of life in South Dakota they help to show who we are as South Dakotans (the Gettysburg turkey incident notwithstanding). One of my favorites in that regard was an excerpt from an autobiography by Allen “Jack” Kleinsasser titled Dakota Jack. Kleinsasser worked for decades with the Rapid City water department. One of his jobs was to collect from delinquent customers. Art’s Café in Rapid City was a regular stop on his list of late payers. Strangely enough, Art was always happy to see him and would immediately write a check for the bill and offer him coffee.

Kleinsasser was confused why Art wouldn’t just pay the bill on time, and he finally asked. Art’s answer? “Back in the ‘30s, when times were hard and there were a lot of people unemployed, my mother forgot to pay a utility bill and this guy came to collect or shut off service. The collector told her ‘thank you’ and said without people not paying on time, he wouldn’t have a job.” From then Art’s mother never paid a bill on time, viewing it not as an act of rebellion but as job creation. Art was simply following his mother’s philosophy. “Besides,” Art told Kleinsasser, “I like to visit with you once in a while.”

Kleinsasser noticed that Art was generous with the needy folks of Rapid City, often serving free hamburgers and fries, and a glass of Kleinsasser’s city water.

Other memorable “Too Longs” have recalled Claremont baseball champ Bill Prunty playing dead after being hit by a wild pitch and rodeo star Casey Tibbs proving his skeptics wrong at the twilight of his career. Then there was the veterinarian at the Sioux Falls stockyards who was asked how long pigs can live.

“I know some pigs that have now lived for 27 years,” he said. “I vaccinated them and the farmer told me he’d pay me when he sold them. That was 27 years ago.”

The Mount Rushmore State. The Sunshine State. The Swinged Cat State.

Of all the nicknames for South Dakota, perhaps none is more unusual than” The Swinged Cat State.” This nickname originated from remarks made by South Dakota’s first governor, Arthur C. Mellette, according to an article from the South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives.

In 1890, South Dakota was in the midst of a drought. Mellette was doing everything in his power to help settlers and keep them from leaving the state. On a trip to Chicago for aid, Mellette was met by Moses P. Handy, a friend and newspaperman. Handy asked Mellette, “Well, governor, how is South Dakota?” Mellette replied, “Oh, South Dakota is a swinged cat, better than she looks.” By swinged, Mellette meant “burnt” or “singed,” according to the article. The next day, the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper had a story about Mellette, governor of the “swinged cat State.”

“Coyote State” might have been its first nickname, and while most people probably assume the nickname was inspired by the state animal, it may actually have been inspired by a horse.

According to Volume IX of South Dakota Historical Collections Compiled by the State Department of History, a race took place in October 1863 at Fort Randall between horses owned by two soldiers from Company A Dakota Cavalry and a major from the 6th Iowa Cavalry. The major’s horse was badly beaten. A soldier from the Iowa infantry remarked “that the Dakota horse ran like a coyote.” The owners immediately gave their horse that name, which became applied to the entire Dakota Company and to all residents of the state. With a nod to the number of artesian wells in the state, another South Dakota nickname is “The Artesian State.” With plains, hills, mountains, cities, towns, farmland, pasture, lakes, rivers, hot weather and freezing cold, South Dakota has also been called “The Land of Infinite Variety” and “The Land of Plenty.”

Weather is a factor in two of South Dakota’s nicknames. As “The Blizzard State,” it shares a nickname with Texas because of both states being subject to frequent storms. And while “The Sunshine State” is Florida’s official nickname, it was also South Dakota’s slogan for decades.

In 1992, the sun set on “The Sunshine State” as South Dakota’s official nickname. State Rep. Chuck Mateer, a Republican from Belle Fourche, introduced legislation that year to change the state’s nickname from “The Sunshine State” to “The Mount Rushmore State.” “Everybody’s got a lot of sunshine, but we’re the only ones who’ve got Mount Rushmore,” he was quoted as saying in an article in the Jan. 26, 1992, Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Getting the bill passed wasn’t all sunshine for supporters. Opponents argued that dropping the nickname “The Sunshine State” would cause people to think the state was in a “frozen tundra,” according to Republican Rep. Mary Edelen of Vermillion in the Feb. 1, 1992, Argus Leader. Others in favor of keeping the sun shining on South Dakota said that the state’s American Indian population did not want South Dakota to be known as “The Mount Rushmore State.”

The legislation did pass and was signed into law by Gov. George S. Mickelson, who favored the new nickname. Who knows what the future will hold for South Dakota’s nicknames? While “The Mount Rushmore State” might seem set in stone, clearly nicknames come and go.

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.

By Dana Hess
For South Dakota Newspaper Association

PIERRE—The South Dakota High School Activities Association has received 17 applications for the position of executive director. Current executive director Wayne Carney is retiring.

According to board member Brian Maher of Sioux Falls, they would meet in executive session at its Nov. 2 meeting to vet the applications. Interviews would likely take place in January or March to coincide with SDHSAA board meetings.

To determine the characteristics and qualities of the next executive director, SDHSAA surveyed state groups representing school superintendents, athletic directors and high school principals.

At its meeting, the board heard from Lynn Vlasman, superintendent of the Lyman School and president of the South Dakota School Superintendents Association. He presented the SDHSAA board his organization’s four recommendations for qualities needed in the next executive director:

Leadership and a broad sense of the importance of athletics and fine arts in the development of young people.

A commitment to expanded use of technology to enhance communication, transparency and accountability.

A broad sense of school finance and how mandated expenditures in one budget area can negatively impact financial priorities in other ares of a district budget.

The ability to follow through on initiatives that represent the will of the majority of the association’s member districts even if they conflict with the director’s personal vision.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation reminds the public that political campaign and ballot-issue signs cannot be placed on state highway rights of way.

“With the general election coming up, election signs are showing up along the state’s roadways,” says Kristi Sandal, public information officer. “We’re asking everyone to pay attention to where they put the signs and make sure they are outside of the rights of way and in locations that will not create safety hazards or distract motorists.”

The use of right of way is reserved for official highway signage. All signs in the right of way that are not required for traffic control, as authorized by law (SDCL 31-28-14), are prohibited and will be removed. That includes both candidate and ballot-issue signs.

Municipal ordinances regulating placement and removal of campaign signs within towns and cities do not have precedence over state jurisdiction and supervision of state highway rights of way within municipalities.

Attorney General Marty Jackley and Mellette County States Attorney Zach Pahlke announce that Kimberly K. Dewes, 47, White River, was sentenced to 12 months, with 6 months suspended, in the Winner Jail on one count of accessory to a felony.

Dewes, who was employed as a jailer at the Mellette County jail, allowed a 24/7 Sobriety Program participant to submit a “clean” urine sample instead of urinating into a specimen container provided by the jail. Dewes was terminated from her position as jailer. “The entire concept of the 24/7 Sobriety Program relies on the integrity of the participants and the testing facilities and Dewes, with her actions, directly violated the public’s trust in the program,” said Jackley.

This case was investigated by the Mellette County Sheriff’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Mellette County States Attorney and the Attorney General’s Office.

Picture perfect weather drew near-record crowds for the 51st Annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival at Custer State Park.

Last year during the 50th Anniversary, attendance reached nearly 22,000 spectators. This year’s attendance was close to 21,000, almost matching last year’s record-setting numbers.

Custer State Park also hosted its three-day arts festival in conjunction with the Buffalo Roundup. Good crowds gathered throughout the three-day celebration to enjoy entertainment, educational programs, the buffalo chip flip as well as the Buffalo Wallow Chili Cook-off and Buffalo Art Stampede Arts Auction.

“All in all it was a fantastic three days in Custer State Park with the Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival,” said park superintendent Matt Snyder. “We’re already planning for next year’s event which will be held Sept. 28-30.”

The annual Roundup serves as a tool to help manage the park’s buffalo herd. About 200 buffalo will be sold at the park’s annual auction on Saturday, Nov. 19. For additional information on the auction, contact the park at 605.255.4515 or email CusterStatePark@state.sd.us.

Upcoming Buffalo Roundups will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, and Friday, Sept. 28, 2018.

Dorothy Marion (Osterman) Brown was born November 12, 1923 to Albert and Mary (Mauch) Osterman at Mariville NE in Rock County. Brother Lavern welcomed her with loving arms. In the coming years sisters Virginia, Patty and Maxine would complete the family. Dorothy walked all 8 years to Rock Creek School not far from their home. Dorothy waited 1 year for Virginia to finish grade school than they both went to Rock County High School at Basset, NE. They stayed with grandma Mauch while attending their 1 year of high school. Their brother was very ill with a heart problem caused by rheumatic fever and passed at the age of 20. He was in the hospital so long the folks couldn’t afford to send them to high school. Dorothy worked out in Ainsworth, Bassett and for several neighbors. Dorothy had to learn to make the weekly supply of bread and rolls at a very early age for her family. She loved to go hunting and fishing with her brother till he passed away. She met a fellow, Udell Brown, dated and married him on March 15, 1943. They had one daughter Julia. Dorothy was Udell’s right hand helper. She milked cows, raised a big garden, raised chickens and worked in the fields learning to drive all the tractors and mastered handling 3 dump rakes. She joined the Cowbells and was a Cowbell for several years. Then she took on a job of selling Tupperware and sold that for 10 years. She met lots of lovely people and excelled at this job. Dorothy and Udell went to Mesa, Arizona for 12 winters and there they did lots of dancing, playing cards and working on crafts. Udell would cut out wood items and Dorothy would paint them along with her favorite crafts.

Udell had a stroke in 1992. In 1997 they sold the ranch, built their house in Gregory and made the hard move to town. She was very strong willed and granted both of their wishes by caring for Udell for 9 years around the clock till he passed away in 2001. She took care of her yard and had a lot of flowers while living in town. Her daughter gave her 2 granddaughters and they gave her 6 great grandchildren. Now she has 2 great great grandchildren.

Dorothy was able to stay in her own home till August, 2016 then she had to go into the Gregory Hospital and from there to the Lake Andes Senior Living Center. On September, 21, 2016 at the age of 92 years Dorothy peacefully passed away.

The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline remained relatively stable over the past week, settling at today’s price of $2.21 per gallon. Drivers are paying the same price per gallon month-over-month, and 8 cents less per gallon year-over-year. Although today’s average remains flat compared to one week ago, pump prices have been pressured higher in some regions due to disruptions on the Colonial Pipeline.

South Dakota’s price average today for self-serve regular gasoline has also held steady over the last week at $2.261 per gallon, according to GasPrices.AAA.com. One year ago gas prices were 12 cents higher in the state.

This fall 236 South Dakota FFA members from 52 chapters earned their own FFA jacket through the FFA Foundation Blue Jackets Bright Futures FFA jacket program.

Winner students receiving FFA jackets were Jaynee Gregg, Abigal Pajl, Heather Rowe, Casey Stickland and Jalen King.

Jackets are sponsored by various individuals through the South Dakoa FFA Foundation program.

By Maricarrol Kueter For S.D. Newspaper Association

Crime victims would be told when perpetrators appear in court or get out of jail under proposed Constitutional Amendment S on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Proponents say the measure, known as Marsy’s Law, is needed to protect crime victims and to allow them to participate in the judicial process.

But opponents say the victims-right measure is too expansive and would drain county budgets while stressing prosecutors.

The measure is named for Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas, a California university student who was stalked and killed by an ex-boyfriend. Her family members saw the accused man in a store a week later. They did not know he had been released from jail.

Nicholas’ brother pushed for the bill’s passage in California. Illinois also has approved
it and it has been proposed in seven states in addition to South Dakota.

Proponents say the amendment offers crime victims constitutional protections already afforded to accused offenders. “No rapist should have stronger rights than their victim,” said Jason Glodt, the state director of Marsy’s Law for South Dakota in an email.

In addition to requiring notifications, the proposed amendment would guarantee victims input into the prosecution of their cases and would allow them to confer with prosecutors before any plea agreement was finalized.

The South Dakota State’s Attorneys Association and State Bar of South Dakota have opposed the measure.

Representatives of those organizations say its requirement for prosecutors to notify and involve crime victims in all cases will be time-consuming and could potentially interfere with prosecutors’ ability to spend time on the most serious crimes. And, says Ryan Kolbeck, a Sioux Falls lawyer, the extensive notice requirements will cost budget-strapped county governments money they don’t have. “The counties are broke,” Kolbeck, president of the South Dakota Association of Criminal Defense lawyers, said in an email. “If this passes, the counties will bear the responsibility of the majority of the costs of enforcing.”

Kolbeck said expensive enhancements would need to be made to the statewide computer court records system in order to provide the required notice and to allow more expansive tracking of court cases. Opponents say state law currently provides rights to victims of violent crime. Any possible expansions would be better made through the legislative process, not through constitutional amendment. In addition, they say some of the proposed law’s provisions could conflict with the rights of the accused. But Glodt said existing crime victim protections currently apply only to those who are victims of certain serious crimes. Victims of arson, simple assault and hate crimes, for example, are not included in the protections.

South Dakota is “one of the last remaining states to pass constitutional rights for crime victims.” Glodt said. Thirty-two states have at least some protections for victims written into their constitutions.

AMENDMENT R – New governance for technical institutes

South Dakota’s four technical institutes are essential players in the state’s continuing efforts to develop and attract workers.

Constitutional Amendment R would put into the state constitution a new governing structure for those schools. Supporters of the amendment say the current system of oversight for Lake Area Technical Institute, Mitchell Technical Institute, Southeast Technical Institute and Western Dakota Technical Institute doesn’t allow them to be focused exclusively on workforce training needs.

Amendment R would shift responsibility for that oversight from local K-12 school boards to a new governing board determined by the legislature. The new board would not be under the South Dakota Board of Regents, which has oversight of the state’s public universities. Tech schools have a different mission than the degree-granting universities, supporters say. Proponents say the change would help the technical institutes be more responsive in developing skills training as needed to meet the state’s workforce needs.

Rep. Mark Mickelson, Sioux Falls, said in an email that the amendment would provide for “dedicated decision making” for technical education issues.

Such a change would necessitate the establishment of a new, unelected governing board that would be heavily influenced by lobbyists and favored industries, according to Rep. Elizabeth May, of Kyle, who opposes the change. She also pointed to concerns that other laws ultimately might shift the cost of technical schools from the state budget onto local governments.Mickelson said details on the governing board structure are yet to be decided, but it “would likely consist of a citizen board” with some employer representation. The technical schools and the Board of Regents as well as state business and industry representatives support the proposed changes.

Ten questions are on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. You can learn more about the various ballot questions at the S.D. Secretary of State’s website