Editorial: Week in Review

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CHEERS to news that the controversy that always surrounds Missouri River management appears to have subsided, at least for now. A report in The Daily Republic last week noted that the Missouri is full from top to bottom, a complete reversal from just a few years ago when drought held the Midwest and the northern Rocky Mountains in its grip. The good news is that for a while, there is enough water for all special-interest groups along the river, including upriver fishermen and recreationalists and downriver transportation entities. The war that seems to be ongoing between those interests will likely settle for a year or two, but no doubt it will return again once dry weather returns here on the plains. We still believe changes need to be made to the management plan for the river, and hope that will happen before the next dry cycle begins.

CHEERS to the Wessington Springs Opera House. The building hasn’t undergone any recent upgrades or done anything particularly special in recent months, but it just continues to provide the area with a steady stream of quality entertainment. For those who don’t know, volunteers from the town restored the old building years ago and now see to its upkeep. They also bring in numerous entertainers, including this past weekend, when classical pianist Eugene Gienger made an appearance. The people behind the Opera House should be commended for their longtime efforts.

HISSES to a report that noted that after easing for four months, the nation’s economic stress worsened in June. Evidently, the news was based on more bankruptcies in the West and foreclosures in the Sun Belt, which combined to outweigh a lowering of the national unemployment rate. After a steady decline, the Associated Press’ Economic Stress Index showed that more than two-thirds of the nation’s counties endured more hardship in June than in May. We still believe that here in South Dakota, signs are pointing to improvement and we hope that trend continues.

CHEERS to the notoriety that is coming to central South Dakota thanks to the record hailstone that fell last month. Of course, we wish the thing never fell from the sky during that July 23 storm; that hailstorm caused too much damage and heartbreak for South Dakotans who live in and around the small town of Vivian. But we are pleased when we see news reports that mention South Dakota and the record-breaker, which weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces and topped all other recorded United States hailstones.

HISSES to the jerks who did extensive damage to the golf course near Woonsocket last week. Course president Jens Andree told The Daily Republic last week that $30,000 in damage was done to the course and noted that he has “never seen anything like it.” Not only did the culprits steal beer, but they couldn’t just leave it at that. They also sprayed a fire extinguisher in the building, drove carts into building walls, smashed a mower and ruined course greens. We wish the investigating officers luck with this case and hope that anyone who has information does the right thing and calls the authorities. As for those involved in the crime, we look forward to their apprehension and the consequences that are sure to follow.

Tags: week in review, opinion, editorial