It’s Wednesday, August 18 as I write this, and I see that we added 348 more COVID cases yesterday in South Dakota. This virus sneaks up on us and has the creative ability to mutate and thus remain difficult to thoroughly defeat. And frankly, it is taking a toll on us psychologically and relationally in ways we could not have anticipated or imagined just 18 months ago. It clearly has the upper hand.

A federal judge ruled on Friday, August 20, against South Dakota’s attempt to lift a decadeold injunction that nullified part of a state law requiring women to consult with a crisis pregnancy center before having an abortion.

An economic development group has concerns about the water supply in the Sioux Falls area as demand increases. The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance serves 13 municipalities along with Lincoln and Minnehaha counties.

It may not surprise many here at home, but South Dakota is leading the nation in recovery. Moody’s Analytics and CNN track how far along the nation’s economy is at getting “Back to Normal,” and they say that the US is only 92 percent recovered. But South Dakota is the top-ranked state in this metric at 113 percent, meaning we’ve more than recovered and are growing substantially. Secondplace Idaho is far behind us at just 103 percent. Obviously, CNN is no friend to me or my policies, but even they can admit that South Dakota’s economy is thriving.

A special meeting of the Gregory County Board of Commissioners was held at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, August 19, 2021, at the Gregory County Courthouse. The board went into executive session shortly after the meeting began to discuss personnel.

In 1859 the question of securing a political organization for the Territory of Dakota was uppermost on the minds of the settlers in the region. They realized that there would be little incentive for the establishment of business and homes until the settlers were secure in some form of government that would protect them.