OUR VIEW: Week in review: the best, worst

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OUR VIEW

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HISSES to news that South Dakota college students could see an increase of up to 5 percent in their tuition costs next year.

We understand why this latest rate hike is happening — to help cover costs of pay increases that Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proposed for state government employees and the rising cost of their insurance.

But we also cringe because we know that tuition costs have been steadily rising in South Dakota, and that greatly concerns us.

HISSES to the troubles that have kept a new farm bill from being passed. The good news is that about a third of the members of the U.S. Senate last week called for the farm bill to be included in any end-of-the-year legislation that comes before Congress.

Of course, those calling for progress with the farm bill mostly hail from farm states, which is typical. We just wish that lawmakers from non-farm states would understand how important it is that the farm bill is addressed sooner than later.

CHEERS to the interest that’s being shown in the Mitchell City Council seat that will become empty next month.

Greg McCurry is moving to a new neighborhood, and that means he’s going to lose his spot on the council. Last week, Mayor Ken Tracy told The Daily Republic that at least four people have contacted him about the open seat.

Anyone who has interest still has time to contact the mayor, who will make his decision around the first of the year.

By the way, Ward 4 is an area around Lake Mitchell, and interested residents must live within the ward.

CHEERS to the Mitchell High School newspaper, The Kernel.

The student-run publication recently won first place in its division of a statewide contest.

Brooke Pejsa is the newspaper’s faculty adviser, and she has done an exceptional job with the publication. Students have, too, and it shows in the final project. Congratulations are in order.

HISSES to South Dakota’s spot in a recent survey of healthy states.

The Rushmore State came in at No. 27, which is eight spots below its ranking last year and also below our bordering states.

Of course, we consider South Dakota an excellent state in which to live and raise a family, but the survey took many factors into consideration, including the prevalence of binge drinking, low immunization coverage and geographic disparity of health problems.

Tags: opinion, editorials, updates