Opinion

In his report to the Missouri River Commission for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1897, Captain Hiram Chittenden published a list of the loss of 295 steamboats on the Missouri River from the beginning of steam navigation to the date of his report. Twenty of those disasters occurred in South Dakota and four along the eastern border of Gregory County.

May 6th – 10th is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to celebrate our educators and thank them for everything they do for our students. But there’s an ongoing problem in South Dakota – teacher salaries have not kept up with increased funding to education.

DITOR Dear Editor: After reading the article on “We Import What” on 5-1-24, it really makes a person stop and think! One of the best things they have done over the years as far as I’m concerned is to require labels on food products as to country of origin. Speaking for myself, I’m definitely a red, white, and blue gal— always have been and don’t plan to change.

I recently read a lengthy political propaganda article by Dist. 21 Senator Erin Tobin. In this article she claimed to be for landowner rights and protections from false eminent domain takings of land by private pipeline companies like Summit Carbon Solutions.

Dear Editor, Remember, a hand count is the gold standard of vote tabulation. We have legitimate concerns and questions about our election system that demand answers. Stay tuned for more evidence in the coming weeks. Steve McCance Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that there is a misunderstanding in the public square about a discrepancy in the Tripp County November 2022 election. The human error was that 75 ballots were mistakenly sent to the wrong precinct by the auditor’s office. Since no district races were involved, no one noticed this. After the ballots were hand counted and returned to the court house, they were run through the ES&S tabulator. The tabulator then kicked out the 75 ballots mistakenly sent to the wrong precinct. This resulted in a 75 vote undercount by the machine because of a human error by the auditor’s office. The hand count was the correct reflection of the vote and was certified by the commissioners at canvass. Please note that even though there was an inconformity caused by human error, the hand count was still correct and there was a 75 vote under count by the machine. I am a Tripp County resident, I attended the canvassing meeting, and witnessed this first hand. Thank you, Robert Tate Clearfield, SD Dear Editor, I have been a trial attorney here in South Dakota for 25 years. During that time I have been fortunate to work for and against a wide variety of people, and I now consider myself a pretty good judge of character. This is my first letter of this nature but it is important to me to share what I believe.

The swift and turbulent character of the unruly Missouri River led to numerous accounts by early explorers of the difficulty of navigating it. Such navigation was at first considered wholly out of the question except in the simplest craft.

With the stroke of a single pen, President Joe Biden has given mediocre men the right to steal opportunities from exceptional women. The landmark federal civil rights law known as Title IX is an over 50-year-old law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding.

M arriages Mary Ellen Vogt, 80 yrs., Gregory, SD, March 14, 2024. Rosie J.

Let’s start with a huge thumbs up to the Sicangu Oyate development project outlined in the April 3rd Todd County Tribune. This project revolves around the 1000 bison herd managed by the tribe on 28,000 acres on Rosebud. Project started in 2020 and now they are planning a Turtle Creek site (just west of Mission) housing project of 600 affordable homes to be purchased by residents. Building these homes will provide local employment using trade skills learned at the St. Francis trade skills school. The bison herd is projected to reach 6000 and the possible development of a local processing plant will also provide jobs. Electrical energy to make all this happen will require more wind turbines. What a great example of planning and growing into the future!

We do not know when the first white man entered the Missouri River, but it is probably between 1700 and 1705. Accounts of 1699 and 1705 are doubtful and not worthy of our trust. There can be no question; however, that about 1705 the lower part of the Missouri was explored by the French as far up as the mouth of the Kansas River, also known as the “Kaw River.”