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The University of Sioux Falls recently announced that more that 550 students made the fall 2022 dean’s list. Local students amongst the 550 were Bethany Swift of Burke, SD; Christian Spann, Gregory, SD; and Emma Thomas of Gregory, SD..

Applications for the Billie Sutton Leadership Institute's 2023 Sutton Leaders and Rural POWER programs officially opened January 1, 2023. Since its launch, the Sutton Leadership Institute has trained and mentored fifty-six talented next-generation leaders from across the state who have given back to their communities through public service projects.

We are at the beginning of another year, and that always brings thoughts of starting fresh and having hope for the future. Most of us have watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve which officially declares, “out with the old and in with the new.” At midnight, people from all over the world celebrated the turning of the next page of their lives. Over the years, the “time-ball” has undergone several changes in design, and the most recently, it was created for the millennial celebration in the year 2000 by Waterford Crystal. It’s a geodesic sphere, six feet in diameter, weighing approximately 1,070 pounds. It’s covered with a total of 504 crystal triangles that vary in size and each piece has a special designation: Hope for love, peace, wisdom, unity, courage, healing, etc. The name of the ball itself? “The Star of Hope.”

The early historic wagon trails across the Dakota Territory left their deep-rutted imprints on the prairie where countless oxen and other livestock moved supplies, equipment, and citizens into the sunset. Now obliterated by time, only scattered traces of these trails are visible today.

oem The men and women in our National Guard serve with excellence. They take their job seriously, so I take my responsibility to them as their commander in chief very seriously.