Author: Pat Powers

From the South Dakota Attorney General comes a broader statement of what occurred on evening of September 12, most notably that the accident was immediately reported and investigated by law enforcement, who had no reason to question that the accident was anything other than the AG striking a deer, and that the AG was not impaired.

In addition, when returning a borrowed vehicle on Sunday that the Attorney General used to return home, he himself was the one to discover the deceased in the matter.

Hopefully, this will put some of the unfounded rumors to rest. As I’ve said before, please keep everyone involved in your thoughts.

This continues to appear to be a tragic accident, and we owe it to all involved to wait for the facts.

From the Mitchell School Board meeting, apparently they’re willing to use force to compel mask wearing (VIA JP Skelly at KORN Radio):

Delegation Applauds Environmental Protection Agency Decision to Deny ‘Gap-Year’ Small Refinery Exemption Petitions

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) issued the following statements after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied dozens of requests from oil refineries seeking economic hardship exemptions from ethanol blending requirements under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) dating from 2011 through 2018.

“Administrator Wheeler’s rejection of these gap year waiver petitions is welcome news for the American ethanol industry and our farmers,” said Thune. “Not only is this decision consistent with the RFS, it helps uphold President Trump’s commitments to our homegrown biofuels industry. I am encouraged by this announcement, which, in conjunction with the Tenth Circuit ruling, should bring a drastic reduction in small refinery exemptions. Without the threat of looming gap SREs, I look forward to further restoring integrity to the RFS and ensuring this vital market for American farmers is available in the future.” 

“The EPA’s excessive issuance of Small Refinery Exemptions has undermined the integrity of the RFS for years, harming South Dakota corn and corn ethanol producers by reducing demand,” said Rounds. “Today’s decision upholds the integrity of the RFS and Congress’ intent of the law. Over the past year, I have been working with a handful of senators and President Trump to make sure the EPA requires 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol to be blended into our fuel supply. Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction to make sure that happens. I urge the EPA to deny additional outstanding waivers when they’re received from the Department of Energy.”

“There’s been a lot of uncertainty for biofuels this year,” said Johnson. “I’m encouraged the Trump administration is taking steps to deny refinery blending waivers. We need to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard and the biofuels industry deserves long-term certainty. That’s why I’ll keep pushing my bill, the RFS Integrity Act, to ensure our producers aren’t disadvantaged.”

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Hyde County Fatal Crash

WHAT:  Pedestrian-Vehicle Crash
Where:  U.S. Highway 14, One mile west of Highmore, S.D.
When:   10:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020
Driver: Jason Ravnsborg, 44, Pierre, S.D., No Injuries
Vehicle: 2011 Ford Taurus
Pedestrian: Joseph Boever, 55, Highmore, S.D., Fatal Injuries

HIGHMORE, S.D. – One man died Saturday night in a pedestrian-vehicle crash west of Highmore.

A 2011 Ford Taurus was westbound on U.S. Highway 14. The driver, 44-year-old Jason Ravnsborg of Pierre, told the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office that he had been involved in a car-deer crash. The driver was not injured

The pedestrian’s body was discovered Sunday morning. He has been identified as 55-year-old Joseph Boever of Highmore.

South Dakota’s Highway Patrol continue to investigate the crash. All information remains preliminary at this point.

The Highway Patrol is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety

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From twitter comes an unverified report – I’m assuming it’s coming via Tom Lawrence from the twitter feed for the Democrat Blog SD Standard – claiming to speak with family members of the deceased in Saturday night’s accident involving the Attorney General:

If this is the case, it seems to be what many have assumed, a tremendously horrible accident where someone was walking on or alongside the road in the pitch black of night, with the accident occurring at around 10:30pm.

Knowing that stretch of highway, there are dips and rises, and if a person was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the road as someone came over a slight hill in the highway, the results could be an unforeseen tragedy.

An official report is said to be released yet today.

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Update – there’s more on this story at the Argus Leader.

Victor said he and his cousin planned to fix Boever’s white Ford pickup Sunday morning, but at some point in the evening, Boever decided not to wait and began walking to his truck.

That’s when he was killed while walking along Highway 14 west of Highmore. Nick Nemec, Victor’s brother, is a former Democratic state legislator and party delegate who ran unsuccessfully for the Public Utilities Commission in 2012.

Read that here.

While South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is trying to chart a course to keep South Dakota businesses from going bankrupt during the coronavirus outbreak, the Brookings City Commission has proposed an ordinance which seems to be trying to do the opposite:

As you might gather from the tenor of the above poster which is making the rounds locally on facebook, if the local chatter is any indication, people are not happy with their elected officials, with most citing it as an overreach of municipal government.

The proposal has also sparked a change.org petition against the passage of the measure.

What’s driving this overreaching proposal? According to the local newspaper, it may actually be city staff:

“Brookings COVID numbers have increased dramatically over the past week. The guiding metrics have all been triggered with the exception of hospitalization. The current ordinance (Phase 3) regulates bars, restaurants, salons and retail. Additional regulations are needed to mitigate the increase in cases. Staff recommends extending the existing ordinance and necessary amendments including regulating residential gatherings to 10 or less and ceasing the sale of alcohol past 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday,” says a memo from City Manager Paul Briseno, which is attached to the agenda on the city website.

Read that here.

If infringing upon what people do in their private residences is a recommendation that comes from city staff, city councilors should less consider changing ordinances as much as they should consider changing staff.

Because that’s nothing short of ridiculous.

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UPDATE. 

It didn’t even dawn on me until this am..  but over the course of the next 60 days, South Dakotans will elect public officials from the president down through the county level, and often, the lead up to it this involves gatherings in both public places and private residences. Limiting the nature of gatherings would be a direct and recognizably improper infringement on our rights of assembly.

I might not of been able to go to Charlotte or Jacksonville, but I did manage to snag a little convention swag at the Sioux Falls event tonight.

All things considered, this could be a rare one.

Statement on the Passing of Harold Thune

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the passing of his father, Harold Thune.

“My dad was the embodiment of the American Dream,” said Thune. “He was a small-town South Dakota kid who worked hard and valued God, family, and country. He lived a life of purpose that imparted a set of values on me and my siblings that I’ve always tried to embody and pass on to my kids and grandkids. And as a kid himself, he answered our nation’s call to defend freedom and help free the world from tyranny and oppression during World War II. He was my hero.

“One of the greatest treasures my dad gave me was the appreciation for being part of a team, no matter what station in life I’ve found myself – in sports, in politics, in governing, and, most importantly, in being part of a family. He’d always talk about making the pass, finding your teammate, making the team better. Whether we were on the basketball court, sitting around the kitchen table, or in the halls of Congress, his advice always made sense – now more than ever.

“This hurts, and I’m going to miss him, but I can’t help but smile knowing he’s been reunited with my mom, the love of his life. I’ll miss you, dad, but thank you for making me a better person, a better father, and a better citizen of this country you helped defend.”

Harold Thune, 100, was a World War II veteran, educator, and lifelong South Dakota resident. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Pat.

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From Facebook, Senator Thune announced today that his father who has been such an influence in his life has passed away.

Please keep the Senator & his family in your prayers.

The Brookings County GOP is having a picnic coming up on August 14. Details are above.