Opinion

I was born and raised in West River, and that part of the state reflects the great American West in a lot of ways. The hill crests and valleys are a bit sharper, the prairies have more cows and grass than corn and soybeans, and the Black Hills are similar to the Rockies (though far more beautiful).

Construction season is here and safety is the number one priority when it comes to digging, excavating, and locating utility lines. Just one strike of a gas line, electrical cable or a water pipeline can have catastrophic consequences for workers and residents.

On the night of February 26, 1866, James Hogan was lynched at Vermillion. It was one of those cases where the people of the community felt that their personal safety demanded that the desperado should be put out of the way of doing violence to others. However, after he had been hung it was said that this act was the most barbarous thing to do and not altogether necessary.

On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Governor Larry Rhoden and United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced that the State of South Dakota and the United States Department of the Interior are moving forward with planning for the Mount Rushmore Fireworks celebration to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday. Governor Rhoden and Secretary Burgum signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to move forward with planning.

Here in South Dakota, we’re blessed to have some of the best healthcare in the country. In fact, a recent ranking by WalletHub rated South Dakota 3rd overall for the best health care. Unfortunately, more than half of the state’s residents will pay more for worse health care if a new tax on health insurance passes in Congress.

Dear editor, I am writing this for the readers of my Canadian Perspective Byline articles, which are published in the Gregory, Winner, and Todd County newspapers. I like to use my byline because it gives me more space beyond the 500-word letter to the editor limit.

At the start of fall, many high school graduates embark on a new journey at vocational schools, community colleges, or four-year universities. But a unique group of exceptional individuals begin their college experience in June at our military service academies. After receiving nominations from my office, eight strong young men and women accepted appointments to attend all five U.S. service academies.

Ag is king in South Dakota, plain and simple. This past week, we hosted the annual Governor’s Ag Summit in historic Deadwood. In my first year as Governor, it was pretty special to have the summit in my back yard!

Silt caused great difficulties for navigators. The sediment that collected on sandbars forced the main channel to change its location or diverted the current through many small channels. Vessels passing over these bars between deep-water pools frequently ran aground. The channel changes caused by the bars increased erosion, added more silt to the river, and caused the silt to accumulate on the downstream bars. These changes occurred in continuous cycles.

The Colome School District is holding an election June 24, 2025, on a general fund opt-out resolution of $400,000 for the next five years to address the increasing financial pressures on the district. This move comes as a response to rising costs, insufficient state funding, and mandated salary requirements that have significantly strained the district’s General Fund.