OUR VIEW: Week in review: The best and worst

• OUR VIEW

OUR VIEW

Talk about it

CHEERS to the decision to remove the bag limit on light geese. Is there a goose problem in South Dakota each spring? Just walk outside today, glance skyward and see for yourself. Thousands of the critters are flying overhead this month, and they’ve become a nuisance to many landowners. Statistics show that more than 111,000 light geese were harvested in South Dakota last spring, including 7,502 in Davison County. Even with those high numbers, hunting pressure doesn’t appear to be putting a dent into the goose population.

CHEERS to two Mitchell-area principals who recently received statewide honors. Jason Kolousek, elementary principal at Wessington Springs, received the Innovative Leader of the Year award through the South Dakota Association of Elementary Principals. He was nominated for his work in integrating personalized learning plans for every student in his district. And locally, Becky Roth, principal at L.B. Williams Elementary in Mitchell, received the Instructional Leader of the Year award. She was nominated by a local teacher who said she excels at being involved with students and staff and for her effect on student achievement. Congratulations to both Roth and Kolousek.

CHEERS to the Mitchell Lions Club, which last week celebrated its 90th anniversary. During a meeting last Tuesday, club member Lyle Swenson read a proclamation from Gov. Dennis Daugaard commemorating the anniversary. The Mitchell club was founded by 40 people in 1922, just five years after the national chapter was formed.

HISSES to the evidence received last week of the continuing use of Interstate 90 as a drug-trafficking route. A Pennsylvania man was pulled over Tuesday for speeding and erratic lane driving, and authorities found 54 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. It’s evidence of the need for law enforcement agencies along I-90 to stay ever vigilant and cooperate to stop the flow of drugs through our state.

CHEERS to Gov. Dennis Daugaard for having the sense and guts to veto a bill that seeks to remove the requirement that South Dakota residents obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It’s a risky political move for a Republican such as Daugaard to veto any perceived expansion of gun rights, as he did Friday, but he’s absolutely correct on this one. We’re for the Second Amendment, but we also realize sensible limits must be in place to ensure public safety. The permitting process helps make sure people who shouldn’t have a concealed weapon don’t get one. That’s a good and reasonable safeguard.

Tags: opinion, updates, editorials