OUR VIEW

Our View: Thune talk speaks well for S. Dakota values, ideals

A Daily Republic staff member was in Washington, D.C., two years ago, awaiting a flight to South Dakota by way of Minneapolis. A plane arrived at the gate and offloaded its passengers, who presumably were arriving from the Twin Cities.
Among those passengers arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport was John Thune, the Republican senator from South Dakota. He immediately was greeted by numerous well-wishers, hand-shakers and one or two who snapped photos. That day in the Washington airport, Thune looked like a celebrity, almost presidential.

By Editorial board , June 15, 2010

Our View: Week in review

CHEERS to news that the prevalence of smoking appears to be on the decline in South Dakota. A report earlier this month in The Daily Republic noted that the number of South Dakota adults who smoke fell to an all-time low in 2008, at 17.5 percent. The state Department of Health had a goal of reducing the adult smoking rate in South Dakota to 18 percent or less by 2010, and it met that goal two years early. Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth noted that fewer people smoking will mean lower health-care costs in the future.

By Editorial board , June 14, 2010

Our View: Primaries over; let’s get to issues

The primary elections are over, bringing with them a few surprises and also marking a new beginning of the 2010 campaign season for some high-profile political offices here in South Dakota.
Dennis Daugaard won easily Tuesday in a crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, gathering 50 percent of the vote. Daugaard, the popular lieutenant governor, now will face Democrat Scott Heidepriem in November, with the winner taking the position held for eight years by Daugaard’s boss, Mike Rounds.

By Editorial board , June 10, 2010

Our View: Gulf spill shouldn’t decrease Keystone confidence

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has alerted the world to the potential environmental dangers that come hand-in-hand with energy exploration.
The mess in the Gulf apparently is nowhere near being fixed. Oil still flows unabated into the ocean and will continue to wash up on shores in America and eventually the rest of the world.
If anything, the Gulf oil spill may highlight the importance of land-based energy sources, including the sometimes controversial Keystone pipelines that carry crude from the oil-rich sands of Canada to locations in the United States. One Keystone pipeline already has been placed through eastern South Dakota, while another is to be placed in the central and western sections of the state.

By Editorial board , June 09, 2010

Our View: Baseball right to not overturn call

Armando Galarraga has reason to be disappointed. He’s only human. The Detroit Tigers pitcher last week threw what for a fleeting moment appeared to be the 21st perfect game in major league history, but he was robbed of that notable and distinct honor by a bad call by umpire Jim Joyce on what should have been the last play of the game.
For those not in the know, a perfect game comes after a pitcher gets out every single batter he faces throughout an entire game. Whereas a no-hitter can occur even when batters reach base — by way of walks, errors, fielder’s choices, etc. — a perfect game is much more difficult and, correspondingly, much more rare.

By Editorial board , June 08, 2010

Our View: Week in review

CHEERS to the Memorial Day services held in Mitchell and throughout the state last week. At the ceremony in Mitchell, Marine veteran Jack Thurman told the crowd about his service in World War II, including the battle of Iwo Jima. His is a riveting story, and we are pleased that veterans like Thurman come out and share their tales with the public. Warfare is not the glorious scenes we see in some Hollywood movies, and hearing real stories from real veterans is the best possible history lesson for those of us who have not sacrificed like they have. Please, South Dakota, continue to invite these men and women to events and ceremonies where they can be properly honored. And please, veterans, tell us your stories so we can learn of, and then never forget, the sacrifices that you and others have made on our behalf.

By Editorial board , June 07, 2010

Our View: Manager needed in Mitchell city government

Mitchell’s leadership structure could change if a volunteer planning group’s suggestion is adopted by the City Council in the coming weeks or months.
Focus 2020, a volunteer planning group, is following up on its proposal — made a year ago — to change the executive management structure in Mitchell from a mayor-led government to one that includes a city manager or administrator. It’s important to note that Focus 2020’s suggestion is just that: a suggestion. The panel carries no policy-changing power and some of its suggestions have, unfortunately, been met with little enthusiasm.

By Editorial board , June 04, 2010

Our View: Where is the outrage on roads?

The state Department of Transportation, and the people of South Dakota, have caught a break.
Because there is now sufficient federal aid to get more projects done this year, the state has accelerated several highway projects within the state’s borders. The projects are scattered throughout South Dakota, with a few targeted for here in the Mitchell region, including $25,000 for preliminary engineering to replace a structure over a creek near Scotland and some general roadwork on highways near Menno and Salem.

By Editorial board , June 03, 2010

Our View: Decisions, not policies, are needed

People on public boards and commissions are supposed to make decisions.
That’s why the rules and laws governing those boards are often brief and open-ended. The members of the board are supposed to listen to the facts and make informed choices, rather than rely exclusively on pre-written guidelines that cannot possibly anticipate every single issue the board or commission might encounter.

By Editorial board , June 02, 2010

Our View: Week in review

CHEERS to the new football stadium that will be constructed in Alexandria. Scheduled to be ready for this fall’s football season, the stadium will give Hanson High School fans a modern venue, complete with 600 seats, concessions stand, press box, bathrooms and storage. The project — which will cost between $250,000 and $300,000 — will be completed after several years of discussion and will be paid for with capital outlay funds and donations. A five-figure anonymous donation has been among the early highlights. We love progress, both in Mitchell and the region, and consider this a worthy, lasting project.

By Editorial board , June 01, 2010

Our View: Severity of spill shown by live video

We all have read about the month-long oil spill that is tainting the Gulf of Mexico.
The equivalent of thousands of barrels of oil are flowing uninhibited into the ocean off Louisiana, the result of an oil rig explosion last month that severed a mile-long line from the ocean floor to the surface platform.

By Editorial board , May 28, 2010

Our View: County’s record with Tower gets even worse

We were disappointed by a statement made following Tuesday’s Davison County Commission meeting.
The statement was made after a discussion about the upcoming demolition of the Tower Building, the albatross on Miller Avenue that the county commissioners can’t seem to pull away from their necks.
The county bought the building, which formerly was part of the old Methodist Hospital, back in 1993 for $425,000. Time showed what a bad idea the purchase was. The county filled only a tiny fraction of the facility with offices and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to heat, cool and maintain it.

By Editorial board , May 27, 2010

Our View: Good to see Indians win ‘for once’

Sometimes it seems that all we ever report about American Indians in the media is bad. The problems of poverty, alcoholism, joblessness and general despair on this state’s Indian reservations, for example, have been chronicled so exhaustively that some readers barely consider it news anymore.
This week, though, we’ve had the pleasure of including two stories about Indians in our newspaper that were decidedly positive.

By Editorial board , May 26, 2010

Our View: State losing opportunities for athletes

Two more universities in South Dakota are showing interest in moving up a division in athletics, continuing a trend in the state that suddenly borders on overkill.
The presidents of Black Hills State University in Spearfish and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology — generally referred to as South Dakota Tech — in Rapid City want to move upward, with a decision likely expected this year.

By Editorial board , May 25, 2010

Our View: Week in review

CHEERS to the new Pepsi Cola Soccer Complex, which was dedicated during a ceremony Thursday evening. The 10-field complex cost $1.9 million, with much of the money being raised through private donations. There are still some things that need to be finished out at the paved fields — parking picnic lot areas and , a HISSES such — but it’s up and AND running for game play and local teams already are taking advantage. It’s an athletic facility to be proud of; better yet, it’s a complex that will be used greatly in the years to come.

By Editorial board , May 24, 2010