OUR VIEW: Week in review: the best, worst

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CHEERS to the area farmers who have banded together to donate hay to drought-stricken livestock producers in Kansas. Thirty round bales of hay arrived in Independence, Kan., courtesy of 10 area residents from the Dimock and Ethan area, all of whom attend St. John Lutheran Church in Dimock. According to Delmar Mueller, who is part of the group, “there are a lot of people involved and everyone deserves credit for it.” He also noted that the Mitchell region produced an abundance of hay in 2011, which we hope is a trend that continues in the coming years. This donation — which included fuel money for the trip to Kansas — is unique, and one that deserves notice. The kindness we show today could come back to us in the future.

CHEERS to the increase in building permits in Mitchell. According to a report last week in The Daily Republic, 2011 was the busiest year for building permits in town since 2006, with 178 permits issued. That total was four more than 2010’s total, and the most since 186 were issued in 2006. The valuation of the permits was $23.8 million, and the city collected $80,827 in permit fees. We’re pleased by these numbers, not only because the valuation and permit fee collections were all-time highs, but also because it shows that the economy may be improving. We’re hoping for an even better year in 2012.

CHEERS to the Armour School Board, which recently was chosen to receive the 2012 Associated School Boards of South Dakota Award of Excellence. The award recognizes a South Dakota board that consistently provides the leadership necessary to achieve student improvement.

HISSES to the idiotic method used to determine a national college football champion. Last week, Alabama beat LSU 21-0 to claim the title, but the bowl season in general once again showed there are so many flaws in the championship process. Computers help determine who plays in the title game, and very often, great teams are left out of the mix simply because their schedule may not have been as strong or because they may have suffered a loss during the regular season. The powers that be have explained in the past that the computer method is best for this reason or that, but the truth is that money — the paychecks gained from the various bowls — is coming before common sense. There are rumblings that changes could be coming, and we’re all for it.

CHEERS to Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, who recently received an invitation to play in the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl. Greenway was the leading tackler for the Vikings, and finished third in the NFL in tackles. He is deserving of this honor. It’s hard to imagine that the former quarterback from Mount Vernon has climbed to such lofty professional heights, but it has happened. He is deserving of this honor.

Tags: opinion, updates, editorials