The South Dakota Board of Educational Standards will hold four public hearings on the state’s proposed new social studies standards. The board will hold the first hearing Sept.

At the end of July in this scary weather year is there anyone who honestly doubts that climate change isn’t happening? Wildfires all over N. America, flooding in China and Germany, record temps 121F in B.C., first 100F North of the Arctic Circle in Siberia, extreme drought across western N. America and in S. America. With the heat and high humidity and drought I know farmers who are spraying for both grasshoppers and fusarium (fungal) disease. There are unheard of prices $6 Cdn. barley and $15 And. durum. Here we have $6 corn, $14 soybean and a very valuable commodity hay. What I see from my travels is that this area is lucky, there will be a crop to harvest. But how about going forward? 1/3 of the produce consumed in N. America comes from Calf., where there is no water for irrigation. Low river levels and increasing water temperature are interfering with Salmon spawning and the Salmon fishery is a big industry. We will all be praying for snow.

A Florida woman is facing multiple charges after police say they took her off a plane at the Rapid City Regional Airport for exposing herself and becoming unruly. According to police, an officer at the airport was notified Friday night of a disruptive passenger who was exposing herself to others on the plane.

During the past calendar week, July 25-31, 52 new cases of COVID per day were reported to the South Dakota Department of Health. This is an increase of 68% from the 31 cases per day reported during the previous week.

The initial goal for the new proposed Gregory swimming pool is $1 million in order to start qualifying for grants. The plans have already been drawn up, so fundraising is the main barrier to making this a reality. How can you help?

The Black Hills of South Dakota roared with motorcycles and crowds Friday, August 5, as the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally kicked off, with mostly mask-less rallygoers packed shoulder-to-shoulder at bars and rock shows, despite a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.