Articles

Unchallenged Thune stops for ice cream in Mitchell

What does a U.S. senator do on a summer day during a congressional recess when he has no re-election opponent? He stops for a burger and ice cream sundae at Culver’s in Mitchell. That’s what John Thune did Friday while on his way to see some old friends at Hutch’s Café and Lounge in Presho and his parents in Murdo.

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Author explores importance of lowercase 'r' republicanism

Jon Lauck is a republican, with a lower-case “r.” He’s also deeply involved with the uppercase “R” kind of Republicans, as in the Republican Party.

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Knudson: State has problems, I can fix them

Republican governor candidate Dave Knudson is trying to convince South Dakotans that they have problems and that he’s the man to fix them, but he’s having trouble finding voters who are interested in the race.
Knudson, who calls himself “Mr. Fix It” in his campaign advertisements, met with The Daily Republic’s editorial board Thursday. He said many people “have a skepticism” about politics that causes them to question whether “it’s actually worth the value to engage” in a campaign.

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Democrat governor candidate goes after independent vote

In branding himself as an “independent Democrat,” South Dakota governor candidate Scott Heidepriem is acknowledging the growing influence of the state’s independent voters.
Heidepriem’s television ads feature the phrase “independent Democrat for governor.” In a visit Tuesday with The Daily Republic’s editorial board at the newspaper office in Mitchell, Heidepriem was asked about his decision to include “independent” in front of his party affiliation.
“The party that’s growing fast is independent,” he said in part.

Two lead pastors are female among 32 churches in Mitchell

Getting through seminary is tough enough, but for some women, there’s an added challenge. They sometimes encounter male professors who think the ministry should be limited to men. Kristi McLaughlin said it happened to her at what is now Sioux Falls Seminary.

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Rounds wants Legislature to consider using reserves

Gov. Mike Rounds says legislators should make some specific cuts to the state budget if they think they must, but he wants them to avoid across-the-board cuts.
He thinks legislators should utilize reserves to make up much of the budget deficit. If some potential federal funding comes through, he said, the state could then use that money in place of reserves.

Head of city Park and Rec set to retire

The longtime director of Mitchell’s Park and Recreation Department is retiring. Randy Ahrendt, 58, is leaving the position after 20 years. His last day will be Arbor Day, April 30, which will be a fitting day to end the career of a man whose duties include the care of more than 12,000 trees in the city.

Senators turn focus to loans

The rift between South Dakota’s U.S. senators caused by health-care reform has now turned to the portion of the legislation that impacts the student-loan industry.
The Senate is considering a “fixer” bill aimed at amending portions of the newly adopted health-care legislation. The bill includes language inserted by House Democrats that would eliminate the private lending option for federally guaranteed student loans.

Stadium bids come in $400,000 over budget

Bids for the demolition and reconstruction of the Joe Quintal Field stadium are about $400,000 over budget, but Superintendent Joe Graves said Friday he will recommend spending the extra money.

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Flooding on James concerns officials

Authorities remain concerned about flooding on the James River near Mitchell, but concerns about flooding on other local bodies of water are subsiding.
The U.S. Geological Survey announced Wednesday that the James River just east of Mitchell reached its second-highest recorded level, at 24.94 feet and rising. That’s 7.94 feet above the 17-foot baseline flood level, and just 0.39 feet below the record of 25.33 set in April 2001.

Columns

Opinion: Dorm life sure has changed in recent years

I’m not that old, but I’m old enough to remember when going to college meant roughing it.
When I moved into Mathews Hall at South Dakota State University in the fall of 1997, my room was sparsely furnished. In fact, it wasn’t all that different from a prison cell.
As I recall, the room was tiny, with cold, tile floors and concrete-block walls. It had no air-conditioning and was outfitted with only the basics for its two occupants: two beds, two sets of drawers, two desks and a phone hookup. Our one luxury was cable TV, which I think we splurged for out of our own pockets. There was one laundry facility and one kitchen for the entire building. Both were in the basement.

Opinion: As rain falls, take advice of Hank Williams Jr.

When I was a kid, I thought it was ridiculous that all the adults around me were so concerned about the weather. I found humor in the knowledge that so many people were so concerned about something they had absolutely no control over.
I realized, of course, that many of the adults I knew in Wessington Springs and then in Kimball were directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, and because of that, they had a very good reason to be weather-watchers. But even farmers can’t control what falls from the sky. So why worry?