News

By Melanie VanderPol-Bailey, CSW-PIP Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. It can feel so powerful: making people believe that life is not worth experiencing. When a person is living with depression, they often feel very alone. It can be difficult to share with others, and one can feel lost in the heaviness of his/her thoughts and moving through daily living tasks. The effects of depression can result in diminished interest or pleasure in most daily activities on most days and over a period of time.

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South Dakota’s top law enforcement officials welcomed Rapid City’s Wambli Ska Society to Pierre on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, for song and ceremonies to help launch the Attorney General’s new position for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons.

BankWest has joined the American Bankers Association (ABA) and banks across the U.S. for the #BanksNeverAskThat anti-phishing campaign, a coordinated, industry-wide effort to protect consumers during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Attorney General Mark Vargo recently applauded the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making $15 million available to state attorneys general to increase collaboration with USDA on antitrust enforcement. State attorneys general will be able to submit requests for funding and partner with USDA to secure America’s food systems through more rigorous enforcement of competition laws. This news follows a December 21, 2021 letter that the South Dakota attorney general, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 16 attorneys general, sent to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack with recommendations to improve competition in the livestock industry. One of the recommendations was to allow state attorneys general to seek some of the funds appropriated by Congress for food and agriculture supply-chain resilience toward supporting state antitrust enforcement efforts and toincrease partnership opportunities between state attorneys general and federal agencies.

South Dakota is playing catchup when it comes to stemming the so-called “brain drain” of college graduates leaving for careers in other states, with declining college enrollment related to the COVID-19 pandemic adding to the urgency.

The FFA motto all FFA members learn includes the words, “Living to Serve”, making service a core value taught to SD's over 10,000 high school agriculture education students through their FFA participation. With state educational budgets becoming tighter all the time, FFA chapters are forced to choose which worthwhile activities they can still participate in. Sometimes that means service projects do not happen.

Concern about being treated differently leads some people to avoid or delay seeking treatment for their mental health. Stigma causes people to feel ashamed for something that is out of their control, contributing to worsening symptoms, lower self-esteem, social isolation, and reduced hope. Stigma not only affects those with mental illness, but also the loved ones who support them.

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Winner Regional Health and Wellness Foundation (Foundation) announced that it was awarded a $20,000.00 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF). This past spring, the Foundation submitted a grant on behalf of the Driven to Serve Campaign, geared at raising $300,000.00 for the new 3D mammography. These funds helped secure the purchase of the new 3D mammography. On September 20th, Marilyn Grossenburg, board member for the South Community Foundation attended the donor appreciation event. This event afforded the Foundation the opportunity to extend their appreciation to the various donors, the SDCF, and to Marilyn for her support in helping bring the 3D mammography to Winner Regional Health. As noted previously, this was truly a community effort from foundations, businesses, and individual donors that made this a reality.