Category Archives: State

The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) has selected Dakota State’s (S.D.) Sharee Galbraith of Winner as its first edition of Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Week.

Galbraith, 6-foot-1 center, posted a pair of double-doubles as the Lady T’s went 1-1 record for the week. She tallied 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds with four blocked shots after falling short to long-time rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 65-60 on Nov. 10

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Galbraith followed up with 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 79-61 road victory at Mount Marty (S.D.) on Nov. 14, ending DSU’s 14-game losing streak in the series meeting with the Lancers.

For the week, Galbraith averaged 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game for Dakota State. She was 14-of-26 shooting from the field (53.8 percent and converted 3-of-4 free-throws. She also had five blocked shots for the week.

According to the NAIA-DakStats statistical website as of Nov. 16, Galbraith leads the nation in total blocks with 23. She is second in the nation in blocks per game with an average of 3.3 blocks. She averages 8.9 defensive rebounds per game, which is ninth-best in the nation. She is 13th in total rebounds per game (11.4) and 34th in total scoring (86).

Sharee is the daughter of Todd and Carol Galbraith of Winner. She is a senior Elementary Education/Special Education major at Dakota State University.
Dakota State currently holds an overall record of 5-2, their best start since 2007-08 season when the Lady T’s started their first seven games with a 5-2 record.

Based on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center’s outlook released this week, a strong El Niño continues to affect the U.S. as warmer than average temperatures are forecast for South Dakota and the northern states this coming winter season (December 2015 through February 2016).

“The current observations in the Pacific Ocean rank the current El Niño as the second or third strongest since 1950, and this is projected to have impacts on our wintertime climate in the U.S.  El Niño is expected to reach its peak intensity in the next two to three months,” said Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension Climate Field Specialist.

Across northeastern South Dakota in December, Edwards said there is a 50 percent likelihood of above average temperatures, with 33 percent chance of near average and 17 percent chance of below average temperatures. “The rest of the state is favored to have warmer than average temperatures, with slightly less likelihood in the month ahead,” she said.

The precipitation forecast for December is leaning towards drier than average for the northern tier counties. The remainder of the state has equal chances of above, below or near average precipitation for the month.

Looking further ahead – through February – there continues to be an increased chance of warmer than average temperatures across all of the northern states, from coast to coast. “This is consistent with a strong El Niño climate pattern that we have seen in the past, and many of the long-range computer climate models are forecasting that the same will hold true in winter of 2015-16,” said Dennis Todey, South Dakota State Climatologist & SDSU Extension Climate Specialist.

The precipitation forecast for the three months ahead sets South Dakota in between an area that is favored to be drier to our north and west, and wetter to our south in Nebraska. “The last two winters with similar El Niño conditions were in 1982-83 and 1997-98.  In both of those years, South Dakota wintertime precipitation was near to slightly below average,” he said.

Todey added that it is possible that South Dakota could experience storm events which bring rain or snow to our state this winter. “Particularly if we get a surge of moisture from the south or southwest,” he said. “But it is also possible that many areas could have an open winter, with little to no snowcover for much of the season.”

The implications of an open winter are both good and bad, Edwards explained. “Less snow cover could make winter wheat more susceptible to frost and freeze damage,” she said. “The same situation could be positive for cattle and livestock operations who prefer drier conditions.”

Gov. Dennis Daugaard met with Sen. Deb Soholt and Rep. Jacqueline Sly Nov. 11 to receive the final report from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Teachers and Students.

“I thank the members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for all of their hard work. They put in a lot of time over the last few months in studying how we can improve education in our state,” said Gov. Daugaard. “I will take this report seriously and carefully review each of the recommendations.”

Sen. Soholt and Rep. Sly served as co-chairs of the task force that was established by the Governor earlier this year. The task force also included teachers and administrators, legislators, parents, businesspeople, and executive branch members.

“We are pleased to submit this report, on behalf of the task force, to the Governor and the Legislature,” said Sen. Soholt. “Now is the time to be bold and to find additional ongoing dollars to assure the success of South Dakota’s greatest asset: our kids.”

“The task force has identified the needs and recommended solutions for K-12 funding,” said Rep. Sly. “Solutions for funding education in South Dakota will be a step of courage amongst the public, the executive branch and the Legislature.”

Gov. Daugaard tasked the group with focusing on three goals: a quality system of schools focused on student achievement, a workforce of great educators, and an efficient and equitable funding system.

Last summer, the Blue Ribbon Task Force gathered public input from over 1,300 citizens in meetings throughout the state. The group then held five meetings in Pierre to consider public input, analyze data and discuss ideas for reform. The final report includes numerous recommendations to meet the task force’s goals, including a significant increase in teacher salaries.

Gov. Daugaard and legislators will consider this report as they prepare for the 2016 Legislative Session.

According to College Board, 2014-2015 tuition and fees for an in-state, public, 4-year college costs on average $9,139 per year.

In addition to tuition, room and board will cost another $9,804 per year.

These expenses – tuition, room and board – make up the majority of college costs but there are additional expenses such as books/supplies, personal, and transportation which total approximately $4,388.

In total, a 4-year education will run about $23,410. Costs are higher if the student attends an out-of-state, private, or for-profit institution.

Many families don’t realize that federal financial aid will not cover all of their child’s college education. Even families with a low Expected Family Contribution (EFC) need to be prepared to pay some expenses out-of-pocket or take out additional student loans at higher interest rates.

Below is an example of a possible federal financial aid package for a family (dependent student) of a first-year student with a zero EFC (2015-2016 amounts):

Pell Grant:  $5,775
Subsidized Direct Loan:  $3,500
Unsubsidized Direct Loan: $2,000
TOTAL: $11,275

As you can see, the first year alone, the student will be short $12,135. Some of the financial package already includes loans, so having them take an additional $12,000 in loans each year for four years will seriously impact their future financial lives.

Direct Loan limits for dependent students do increase every year the student is in school lowering the amount of non-federal funding needed:
* First-Year: $5,500 (no more than $3,500 in Subsidized);
* Second-Year: $6,500 (no more than $4,500 in Subsidized);
* Third-Year and Beyond: $7,500 (no more than $5,500 in Subsidized).

What are our options?
So, what are the options to fund the difference between federal aid and college sticker price?

College Savings: A 529 prepaid tuition plan, 529 savings plan, Coverdell Education Savings Account or Roth IRA are great places to put money aside for future students. Most even provide some tax benefits to the saver.

Each plan has different benefits and risks, it’s important for you to do your homework to see which one is best for your situation.

Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): PLUS Loans are federal loans for parents. These loans offer fixed interest rates (2015-2016 rates: 6.84 percent) and offer deferments while your student is in school at least half-time.

A few things to remember is that these loans are your loans (not in the student’s name) and cannot be transferred to them upon graduation.

These loans also carry an origination fee when the loan is disbursed (As of 10/1/2015: 4.272 percent). I have worked with families in the past who were able to take out a home equity line of credit at about half the interest rate.

One parent said that if she was going to take out a loan anyway, she might as well get the best rate she could even if that meant using her home as collateral.

Private/Non-Federal Student Loans: There are a lot of non-federal student loan options available to students. Most of these loans will require the student to have a cosigner and if the student does not make payments, that cosigner will be required to do so.

A few other things to think about when taking out a private student loan is that the interest rate will probably be variable and higher than the current federal student loan (up to 18 percent).

These loans are not available to flexible repayment plans as federal student loans are and they cannot be consolidated with federal student loans.

Part-Time Work: I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard someone say that if college students would just work, they wouldn’t be so far in debt. Students are working; A 2011 U.S. Census report determined that 71 percent of college undergraduates worked while in college.

The truth is, it isn’t possible for students to work a part-time job to cover their college costs like in the past.

If a student is only making minimum wage, they would have to work more than a full-time job to pay for their education.

This doesn’t mean student should not work. By working a part-time job they can pay for books, supplies, travel, personal, and other expenses.

Choose a Less Expensive School: Even by starting at a two-year community college to get some coursework done can save families thousands of dollars (as long as those credits transfer). Or, maybe the student wants to work in a field that only requires a technical degree instead of a traditional 4-year degree.

Or, check with your state to see if there are programs available for you high school students to earn duel (high school/college) credit at a reduced rate.

For example, in the state of South Dakota, high school students can enroll in college-level courses for $40 per credit hour and receive both high school and college credit.

By Rep. Kristi Noem

We have a fundamental responsibility to care for America’s veterans, but time and again, our efforts have fallen short. Recent years, in particular, have seen repeated instances of misunderstanding, mismanagement, and mistreatment when it comes to supporting our veteran community. Veteran suicides, for instance, occur at an average of about 22 per day. Tens of thousands remain homeless. In some areas, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has systematically ignored the urgent medical needs of our veterans.

And in South Dakota, we are caught in a years-long fight to keep the doors open at a Hot Springs VA hospital that veterans want and need. This is a facility that has served veterans for more than 100 years. Its position in the Black Hills provides a level of serenity that aids in the healing process – especially for those facing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and similar illnesses. Those who receive care there have lobbied hard to make sure it stays open, as has the community. Despite all this, the VA has incrementally depleted the number of services offered in Hot Springs and pushed forward a plan to close the facility altogether. This is not what our veterans want, nor what they deserve.

In late October, the VA released its draft environmental impact statement regarding the closure of the Hot Springs hospital. This is one of the final steps when looking to close a VA facility. The findings once again highlighted the dramatic impact a closure would have. The public now has at least 60 days to review and comment on the report before VA Secretary Robert McDonald issues a final decision. I’ve urged everyone who will be impacted to take part in this process.

George Washington said after the Revolutionary War had concluded that “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war … shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” Closing the hospital in Hot Springs – even reducing its services as the VA is already in the process of doing – does not leave a positive perception.

I’ve been focused on writing and supporting legislation that better serves our state’s veterans and their families. This includes provisions to stop the VA from closing the Hot Springs hospital as well as legislation to make it easier to fire VA employees who are failing to serve our veterans with integrity, efforts to improve mental health services for veterans, and bills to increase post-service job training.

There is a role each of us can play in our communities too. This Veterans Day, I encourage you to touch the life of someone who has served. Bring them and their family a meal. Volunteer at one of the many veterans-centered charities in South Dakota – whether that’s your local VFW, the American Legion, or another one. Attend a Veterans Day service. Or just tell them thank you. These women and men have put on our nation’s uniform and stepped into danger for the sake of our country and the values we stand for. It’s our responsibility to serve them when they return.

by Katie Hunhoff, South Dakota Mag

The massacre at Wounded Knee occurred when our state was just one year old, yet the effects of that cold winter day still reverberate throughout our state and our country. Dec. 29 marks the 125th anniversary of Wounded Knee. To remember, we dedicated much of our current issue of South Dakota Magazine to the tragedy.
We began by visiting Pine Ridge to find descendants of Wounded Knee survivors. We met Leonard Little Finger, who lives near Oglala. Both of Little Finger’s grandfathers, along with more extended family, were survivors of Wounded Knee. He is a direct descendant of Big Foot, whose band was decimated in the massacre. Little Finger had 39 relatives at Wounded Knee. Only seven survived.

Before the massacre, Big Foot and nearly 400 men, women and children were living on the Cheyenne River Reservation. Some were from Sitting Bull’s band, and had fled to Big Foot’s camp after Sitting Bull was killed farther north on the Standing Rock Reservation. Black Elk, in Black Elk Speaks, recounted that only about 100 of the almost 400 were warriors. The rest were women, children or elderly. But all were starving and cold. Big Foot was ill with pneumonia, but still decided to meet with Oglala Chief Red Cloud on the Pine Ridge Reservation to help work on a peace agreement with the federal government.

Soldiers had heard they were on the move and were on lookout. Big Foot’s band was known to have embraced the Ghost Dance, a new religious movement circulating among tribes. White soldiers saw it as a sign of disobedience and trouble because federal law prohibited any exhibitions of Native religion on reservations. But the weak, cold and hungry people that those soldiers met on Dec. 28 were not rebellious. Big Foot was taken by ambulance to the cavalry’s camp on Wounded Knee Creek, and his band was escorted to a nearby valley and instructed to set up camp.

Soldiers seized guns from the Lakota the following morning. The Lakota complied, but the cavalry believed that there were more guns that were being hidden and a search was ordered. Warriors gathered in the camp’s assembly area, and the soldiers began to individually search them. Although there are various stories on how the massacre began, our managing editor John Andrews writes that it is widely believed that it began when a young, deaf Lakota named Black Coyote held his gun over his head, proclaiming it had cost him money and he wasn’t going to give it up. As a soldier tried to seize the weapon, a bullet discharged. Both sides panicked, and the massacre began. It is generally believed that over 300 Lakota died. About 90 were men; the rest women and children. Most of the men were killed in the assembly area, but soldiers pursued the Lakota relentlessly as they tried to escape camp.

Little Finger believes it is a responsibility of tribal elders to pass on the traditional knowledge of what happened, and that the knowledge of each generation can formulate a response to the tragedy.

“Let’s say you look at time as a cloth,” Little Finger told us. “Then along comes some violence and tears it. You can stitch it, but you can never tear the threads that consist of that fabric. I come to that every day.”

It’s not easy to search for meaning in something like the Wounded Knee massacre, but it was in that spirit that we collected the stories for this issue. Besides seeking stories from descendants of Wounded Knee survivors, we also asked Native American leaders Elsie Meek and Craig Howe to discuss what Wounded Knee means today. We explore artistic interpretations of Wounded Knee and wrote a travel guide for our readers who might like to visit Pine Ridge. We also pored through photos of the massacre aftermath, debating which we should print and if they were too shocking. John Andrews studied the massacre from many sources and points of view to create the best accounts I have read of what happened on that terrible day.

In the end, I hope we did some justice to the Lakota experience and that we provide perspective on our state’s greatest tragedy.

by Dana Hess for S.D. Newspaper Association

PIERRE — At its meeting in January, the South Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors will vote on the first reading of a resolution asking member schools to consider not using stereotypical Indian imagery and Indian mascots.

The proposal comes from Roger Bordeaux of the Tiospa Zina Tribal School and the Native American at-large representative on the SDHSAA board.

Bordeaux sent a PowerPoint presentation to board members as well as all member schools detailing the negative impact that Indian mascots can have on Native American students.

The resolution cites examples of that harm from the American Psychological Association, the American Sociological Association and the White House Initiative on American Indian/Alaska Native Education.

The resolution concludes “it is very clear that Indian mascots, and any representation of stereotypical Indian imagery not only cause harm to American Indian youth, but moreover, such imagery is not suitable for educational settings which aim to foster healthy psychological development and/or student self-actualization.”

Throughout the discussion at their meeting Wednesday, board members emphasized that the resolution is in no way binding on school districts but is meant to start a discussion about the use of Native American school mascots.

“This is a very good discussion for us to be having,” said board chairman Jason Uttermark of Aberdeen.

Board member Steve Morford of Spearfish noted that a similar discussion had already taken place in the Winner School District where the school nickname was the Warriors. He said the school district kept the nickname but changed away from a Native American warrior as their symbol.

A search of South Dakota high schools found 16 with mascot names that might be considered offensive according to the SDHSAA resolution. Those schools include the Bennett County Warriors, the Britton-Hecla Braves, the Castlewood Warriors, the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves, the Crazy Horse Chiefs, the Crow Creek Chieftains, the Estelline Redmen, the Iroquois Chiefs, the Lower Brule Sioux, the Marty Indian School Braves, the St. Francis Indian School Warriors, the Sisseton Redmen, the Wakpala Sioux, the Sioux Falls Washington Warriors, the Watertown Arrows and the Woonsocket Redmen.

The first reading of the resolution will be on the SDHSAA Board’s Jan. 13, 2016, agenda.

Dakota Wesleyan University freshman Kelsey Bertram of Winner found her way on the court in the Nov. 3 Tigers opener.
Bertram recorded 11 points in her first college game against Oglala Lakota College in Kyle.
Bertram will look to expand her role on the court when DWU visited Dakota State in Madison.

Skylar Forgey of Colome led the Dakota Wesleyan University women runners at the GPAC championships.
Forgey placed 51st in 20:29.78.

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the which stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA’s General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee’s chairman.
The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.