Opinion

I love South Dakota. I love our natural beauty – from the rolling plains to the incredible Black Hills, from the Mighty Missouri to the peaceful prairie lakes. I love our people – they’re the hardest working around with common sense American values and strong family morals. I love everything about our state (except for maybe the January weather).

The routine of activities at the Whetstone Agency during the winter months of 1869 – 1870 was occasionally relieved by the arrival of some distinguished chiefs and a portion of their tribe. They had passed the summer and fall in the raiding of stock from the early settlers to the south toward the Platte River or out on the Rosebud.

Just a few days ago, America went to the polls to vote. People in counties, towns & cities, and states across the nation made decisions about what they want their communities to look like moving forward.

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that the amount individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2025 has increased to $23,500, up from $23,000 for 2024. The IRS today also issued technical guidance regarding all cost‑of‑living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2025 in Notice 2024-80, posted today on IRS.gov.

Long before the arrival of Europeans, American Natives were the first to experience the thrill of discovering ancient bones which had been buried for thousands of years. This resulted in fossil collectors taking specimens from the tribal lands since Western scientists discovered them in the United States in the mid-1800s.

Dear Editor and Readers, I have been studying the seven ballot proposals on which we the voters of SD will be approving or rejecting - on 5 November and have concluded that I will “Vote YES on F and NO on the rest”. Why? Let’s take each measure in turn... Amendment E would “update gender references to certain office holders”. Do we really need to waste time and money removing male gender pronouns from our state Constitution? No, and I will vote “No”. Amendment F would “allow the state to consider requiring certain adults, eligible for expanded Medicaid, who are working-age and able-bodied, to seek work or training, rather than stay on gov’t assistance programs long term”. Basically, means-testing. Good idea - I will vote “Yes”.

The we s twa rd mig ration from the Atlantic Coast resulted in the establishment of numerous trails which became the interstate highways of the 18th and 19th centuries. A combination of factors, including the terrain and location of waterways, the attraction of the desired destination, along with the location of America’s first inhabitants, helped the earliest explorers and adventurers determine a route west.

Next year, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – America’s 250th birthday! When our Founding Fathers wrote that incredible document, they were in a war for their Freedom against Great Britain, the strongest military in the world at the time. They didn’t know that they would win – in fact, they knew that they might lose.

The arrival of cattle from Texas to the Whetstone Agency was always of great interest to those Indians who were located at the mouth of Whetstone Creek and the surrounding area. The cattle were kept at the agency and released to the Natives as needed by Captain Poole, the Indian Agent assigned to the Whetstone Agency.

Dear Friends of Life, We have a very important job to do on November 5th. There is an Amendment G on our ballots that will take away all the hard work you have done to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Please show diligence in finding out all you can about this Amendment. In this week’s paper there is an ad giving you all the information you will need to understand what this Amendment will do if it passes. If it passes, it will be written into our Constitution. The ad is sponsored by Life Defense Fund. I encourage you to go to the ad on page 4 in this issue and read it. It is truthful and will help you realize you must VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT G.