Opinion

Soldiers going back and forth on the Military road running to Fort Thompson and points farther upstream on the east side of the Missouri River contributed to the high volume of traffic along the river in the last half of the 1800s. Mule trains hauling supplies for the forts, ox teams with freight for mining camps and settlements, adventurers and home seekers, all added to the travel over this trail.

On September 23, 2025, at a special legislative session, we will be asked to entrust $650 million to the Secretary of the Department of Corrections within the Rhoden Administration. We do not have trust in the leadership of Rhoden’s Department of Corrections. We are renewing the call for Governor Rhoden to clean up his Department of Corrections before the special session vote on the new prison in Sioux Falls.

Growing up on the ranch, you learn that results matter. No matter how much you wish it might rain or wish it wouldn’t hail, the only thing that matters is whether it did—the actual result. And it doesn’t matter whether you planned to do a task—what matters is whether you got it accomplished— the actual result.

Bijou Hills, at an elevation of about 1,980 feet, is a prominent upland hilly area with a valley between the two primary peaks near the southern border of Brule County on the east side of the Missouri River. They were first visited on August 25, 1801 by Perrin du Lac, who planted a cedar post 20 inches square upon which he engraved his name, the date, and the words “Sitis Cognoscendi” and “Deo Nuturea.”

The South Dakota State Fair is something to celebrate. Once a year for a few days, it seems like the whole state is in Huron, and everyone has a smile on their face.

To the Editor, I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who attended the special city council meeting on Monday night. The unwavering and positive support for both the Gregory/Dallas Chamber and the Gregory Economic Development (GED) Group was truly inspiring.

Up to about the time Fort Randall was established, no white men had made this area their home except a few fur traders who had Indian wives. In the 1850’s, steamers began to ply the river between places east and the forts upstream, and the wood yard business sprang up.

The timing was coincidental, though certainly noteworthy. As members from my administration met with industry leaders to discuss how to strengthen our state’s critical infrastructure, we were experiencing our own significant infrastructure challenges. The first meeting of my newly appointed GRIT task force was taking place at the same time as a major technology service disruption that impacted critical functions of all branches of state government.

In December of 1910, the following headline was found on page one of many weekly papers in South Dakota: “HORSE THIEVES TO PENITENTARY – Organized Gang Thought to Have Been Working in Stanley County.”

I can’t sit still for long. Maybe it’s because I grew up on a ranch, where there was always something that needed doing. I’m at my most relaxed when I’m doing work with my hands, and it’s helped me out in public service. Sometimes, you just need to be willing to take action.