Opinion

The Omaha Daily Bee reported on May 21, 1885 that: “The American buffalo is virtually an extinct animal. There are few to be found now where millions roamed and grazed ten years ago. In 1815 the buffalo ranges extended as far east as Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa; in short, the Mississippi River marked the eastern boundary of their grazing grounds.”

Looking forward to legislative session As we close in on the start of legislative session, I have been meeting with my team to discuss how we can deliver the best possible results for the people of South Dakota during those weeks. I am also working on my budget.

M arriages Michael John Gregerson, 33, Gregory, SD, to Barbra Jane Kalenda, 39, Gregory, SD, October 14, 2023, Gregory, SD. Kurt Kendall Braun, 26, Gregory, SD, to Lauren Lee Svatos, 25, Gregory, SD, October 14, 2023, Gregory, SD.

The word anxiety and how people view it or understand it seems to have evolved throughout the past 10-15 years. It is not uncommon for someone to say that they have anxiety. What comes to mind when you hear that? Because of the increased awareness of mental health, one’s thoughts might jump to anxiety in its form of a diagnosis, but let’s consider the definition of anxiety.

The first effort at road building by white men in what would later become Dakota Territory was in 1857. One of the dreams of the pioneers at St. Paul, Minnesota, was that it should become the eastern terminus of a wagon road which took early settlers to the far west (Minnesota Territory was created in 1849 with St. Paul as its capital). It was planned that the road would go west by way of Fort Ridgely, to the South Pass which is a route across the Continental Divide in southwestern Wyoming.

To the Editor, I would like to share my thoughts and observations on the “Update on the State of Our Elections” presentation by the South Dakota Canvassing Group at God’s Country Campground west of Platte on October 16, 2023. I am the secretary of one of the sponsoring organizations – the Charles Mix County GOP Central Committee, but I am writing here for myself and not this organization. The other sponsoring organization was the South Central Republican Women.

South Dakota always seems to come alive in autumn. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves on the trees change to create a colorful masterpiece, and our farmers are preparing to harvest their crops. But there is one particular part of fall in South Dakota that has always put our state on the map. It’s an iconic South Dakota tradition that we’re known for worldwide: pheasant hunting.

ERSPECTIVE On October 3, 2023, Wab Kinew, 41, and his political party won the provincial election in Manitoba with 34/57 seats in the provincial legislative assembly. He is the first ever Indigenous person to be elected as Premier (equivalent to Gov.). His home constituency is by Lake of the Woods on the Ontario/ Manitoba / Minnesota border. His father was a residential (boarding) school survivor. Wab had a troubled youth, was a rapper, got a degree in economics, became a public broadcaster, and was elected to politics in 2016. The main issue in the election was the shortage of healthcare workers causing reduced healthcare and senior care access (there as here).

oem When I was in the U.S. House of Representatives, I traveled with other U.S.

Effective January 1, 2024, South Dakota’s minimum wage for nontipped employees will be $11.20 per hour, up from $10.80 per hour in calendar year 2023. For tipped employees, the hourly minimum wage for calendar year 2024 will be no less than $5.60 per hour, up from $5.40 in calendar year 2023.