Category Archives: State

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced that the University of South Dakota (USD) has been selected to receive grant funds to connect the University of South Dakota campuses in Vermillion, Pierre, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota with 24 rural hospitals and clinics including one on Lake Traverse Indian Reservation. USD will receive $499,897 through USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program.

“The DLT program delivers medical and educational opportunities that are needed in rural areas,” said Bruce Jones, Acting State Director for USDA Rural Development. “These funds will ensure educational opportunities exist for residents of the state of South Dakota no matter where they live.”

USD is a public coeducational research university located in the community of Vermillion, South Dakota. USD was established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 37 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the oldest public university in the state.

The funds will be used to support this distance learning project. All hub and end-user sites have sufficient broadband networks in place to support it. USD Vermillion campus, the lead organization, will oversee this project towards its overall goal of preparing medical students and nursing students for careers in rural healthcare practice. This project will provide service to the South Dakota Counties of Minnehaha, Pennington, Hughes, Clay, Grant, Lawrence, Walworth, Tripp, Roberts, Brule, Spink, Moody, Custer, Day, Hutchinson, Hand, Gregory, Charles Mix, Jerauld, Bon Homme, Turner, Haakon, Faulk, Douglas, and Turner.

“This DLT program will benefit South Dakota by building stronger connections between rural healthcare facilities and the University of South Dakota’s state-of the-art simulation centers,” said Cheryl Tiahrt, Deputy Chief Information Officer at USD. “The funds will allow us to build a telehealth video network linking the University’s resources and educators to healthcare professionals and students across the state.”

The DLT Grant Program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas. USDA Rural Development has eight offices in the state that assist rural communities. Office locations include a state office in Huron, along with area offices in Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Yankton.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.

Area students were candidates for graduation from South Dakota State University following the fall session.
The graduates include: Morgan Hughes, Colome; Kirsten Jorgensen, Ideal; LaTora Becker, Hamill; Dane Driscoll and Justin Heubrock, both of Winner.

Two Winner students have been named to the fall semester dean’s list at the University of Sioux Falls.
Named to the list were Dayna Diez and Haley DeMers. Both are nursing students.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed Feb. 22-27, 2016, as Bald Eagle Awareness Week in South Dakota. Free events are scheduled across the state and interested individuals and students have a variety of opportunities to learn more about birds of prey.

On Feb. 25, the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls will host an open house with a free program beginning at 6:30 p.m. CST featuring live birds of prey. This free event is presented by educators from the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. Visit outdoorcampus.org or call 605.362.2777 to register.

On Feb. 27, the Pierre Ramkota, in conjunction with the KCCR Farm, Home and Sports Show, will host free programs featuring live birds of prey beginning at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. CST. These events are also presented by educators from the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.

Also on Feb. 27, the Outdoor Campus in Rapid City will host a free raptor-themed open house. The Black Hills Raptor Center will present at 1 p.m. No registration is required.

Bald Eagle Awareness Week is an annual event; sponsored by conservation and outdoor recreation organizations, merchants and conservation agencies to increase public involvement and awareness about bald eagles and other birds of prey.

by Katie Hunhoff

South Dakota Magazine writers explore our state’s culture, history and people in about 50 articles a year, printed in six issues. We put care and dedication into each magazine, but there is a lot more of South Dakota to explore, so several years ago we launched a new website, www.SouthDakotaMagazine.com. The content is completely different than what you find in your mailbox. We share ideas, stories and recipes and update every day — something you can’t do in print.

One web series that we are particularly proud of is our “66 County Tour.” Managing Editor John Andrews is doing a fun piece on each of our counties. Every article includes history, news, unique facts and interesting tidbits on the featured county. And each could be used as a unique road trip guide.

For example, spend a day in Bon Homme County and you could see the miniature Eiffel Tower in Tyndall, the county seat, and visit the resting place of six unknown soldiers from Custer’s Seventh Calvary at the Bon Homme Cemetery. We recommend stopping to taste a kolache — a traditional fruit-filled Czech dessert — at Tabor’s Czech Days or the bakery in Tyndall, and ending your trip with a stop in Scotland to see a new 5-by-10-foot mural that remembers a local veteran, painted by world renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris. The painting is in honor of Leon Woehl, who was aboard a B-17 that crashed in Germany in 1944. The mural shows the crash, and Nazi soldiers searching for Woehl and the other B-17 crew members who hid in the woods until their capture.

John has completed 18 of the 66 counties. All 18 are unique, and surprised us with little-known facts. Did you know that Sully County was once a refuge for African Americans fleeing from racial persecution? A man named Norvel Blair, a slave from Tennessee, created the Sully County Colored Colony in the 1880s. And did you know that a tiny town in Campbell County really wants you to move there? Herreid, pop. 43, offers $5,000 for families purchasing a home or building a new one in town.

Visit our online County Tour to learn other fun tidbits, like which county has buried treasure from Mexico, which county is known for its lawnmower races (mowers are divided into three classes: stock, modified and outlaw) and which is the home of the first Lakota to serve in Congress. Our website is also where we showcase some of our state’s finest photographers, share great ethnic recipes and local events.

Our print magazine is our baby, but we love staying in contact with our readers in between print editions. Stop by and say hello!

Gasoline prices have fallen for 18 consecutive weeks in South Dakota, tumbling to an average of $1.703 for a gallon of regular today, according to FuelGaugeReport.AAA.com.

The state price has dropped seven cents in the past week and is at its lowest point since before 2008 due to weak demand and crude oil inventories that are at their highest level for this time of year in nearly eight decades.

“To be honest, we’re just not sure if gas prices have hit rock-bottom yet,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “Gasoline demand typically begins to increase in February, reaching its peak in August. Plus, this month also marks the beginning of the spring refinery maintenance season. The combination of increased demand and reduced supply often leads to upward swings in the price at the pump. We’re watching for that to happen again this year.”

Today’s, Feb. 9, national average gas price of $1.73 per gallon is 45 cents below the price one year ago and $1.08 less than the 2015 peak price reached this past June. The U.S. pump price average has fallen six cents in the past week and 23 cents over the last four weeks.

Slower-than-expected growth in China, a strengthening U.S. dollar, and ongoing speculation about what, if any, deals the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may attempt to broker on production are all weighing on the global oil market. Market fundamentals remain skewed due to oversupply and geopolitical tensions, including those between OPEC member countries, have had little impact on price due to the market’s current supply/demand imbalance.

Skylar Forgey of Colome set a pair of records for the Dakota Wesleyan University track team at the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic Friday and Saturday in Brookings.

Forgey clocked a 1,000 meter time of 2 minutes, 57.56 seconds to finish third out of 51 runners and set the DWU record for the event on Friday.

On Saturday, Forgey finished 12th in the 800 meter run with a school record time of 2:17.02.
Forgey qualified for the NAIA national indoor track and field championships in both events.

Skylar Forgey of Colome, a member of the indoor track team at Dakota Wesleyan University, has qualified for the indoor national champions in the 800 and 1,000 meter runs. The championships are March 4-5 in Johnson City, Tenn.

Since World War 1 South Dakota has paid a bonus to residents, who served on active duty during a wartime period and this tradition continues today.

Veterans who served on active duty during Operation Desert
Shield/Storm and/or Operations Iraqi Freedom/ Enduring Freedom
may be eligible to receive a bonus from the State of South Dakota.

To qualify the veteran must:
Have been discharged honorably or under honorable conditions, and
Have been a legal resident of South Dakota at least six months immediately prior to entering into service, or
If not a resident of this state, must have been a member of a South Dakota National Guard or Reserve Unit that was called to active duty and served for a period called to active duty

The current bonus program authorizes payments of up to $500 to current or former members or the Armed Forces and who meet certain criteria during one or more of the following periods:
Between the dates of August 2, 1990 to March 3, 1991 and /or between the dates of September 11, 2001 to a date to be determined, all active duty qualifies
From march 4, 1991 to September 10, 2001 only service in an area qualifying for any United States campaign or service medal awarded for combat operations against hostile forces qualifies for payment.

Veterans with qualifying service before December 31, 1992 (Desert Storm) and after January 1, 1993 (OEF/OIF) may receive two separate bonuses of up to $500 each.

Kelly Kidwilier of Winner is one of 38 athletes who have signed letters of intent to play football at Dakota Wesleyan University in 2016.
Kidwilier, 6-2, 230 pounds, will play on the defensive line.
He comes to the Tiger football team from the University of South Dakota. He finished a successful prep career for the Winner Warriors.
He is a four year letter winner for the Warrior football team. He finished his senior season with a 9-2 record and a 10-1 record as a junior which earning one team championship.
He was named to the all-conference team. Also, was voted as the most outstanding lineman as a senior and most improved player his junior season.
Kidwilier was a member of the wrestling and track team. He earned three varsity letters in track and one in wrestling.
He is the son of Kevin Kidwiler and Lisa Faldalen.