Category: Uncategorized

Busted City Commission Candidate deflecting blame for his crime.

Pat Powers

After our report last week of the Brookings City Commission candidate Isiah Croatt’s run in with the long arm of the law for having a fake ID, he actually went on record about it with the local paper….. and seemed like a squirming politicians who failed to take responsibility for his actions.

And he still had a fake ID:

A candidate running for Brookings City Council says his being sentenced for having an invalid license was just a technicality.

and..

“I used to be from Minnesota, but I live in South Dakota now, and the only (identification) I had on me when I was checked was my Minnesota ID, which is invalid,” Croatt said. “Because I’m living here, it’s no longer a valid license.

and…

The police report also alleges that the Minnesota ID Croatt presented to the gas station clerk with his name and photo on it included an incorrect date of birth claiming he was 21 years old.

The same police report says that Croatt told the arresting officer he “knew a lot of other people who were doing it” and that he just “fell into it” and “messed up.”

Read it here.

So, let me see if I understand this explanation…. because he’s living here, it’s all a misunderstanding because his Minnesota license isn’t valid anymore?   Ok, but he’s conveniently overlooking (ignoring?) the fact that the Minnesota Driver’s license he presented to the convenience store clerk as he bought his fancy apple drinks WAS A FALSE MINNESOTA LICENSE.

Because he used a false Minnesota license, versus a South Dakota license, doesn’t make it a misunderstanding as he claims. It makes him guilty of a crime, and obviously, he is having trouble owning up to the fact that he was busted for using a fake id to try to buy alcohol.

He might fit in well with other politicians. Just not any good ones.

Thune Introduces SDSM&T President Dr. Heather Wilson at Confirmation Hearing

Pat Powers

Thune Introduces SDSM&T President Dr. Heather Wilson at Confirmation Hearing

“She understands the Air Force’s tremendous responsibility and role in our national security, and will be guided by the core values of the force: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all the Air Force does.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced South Dakota School of Mines and Technology President (SDSM&T) Dr. Heather Wilson at her confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of the Air Force. Wilson, who was nominated for the position by President Trump in January, testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Hubbel IS looking at bringing the insanity to the 2018 Gubernatorial race

Pat Powers

I had hoped it wasn’t true, but Lora Hubbel IS looking at bringing her brand of insanity to the 2018 GOP Gubernatorial Race, as I’d feared:

Another Republican has emerged as a candidate for Governor in 2018.

Lora Hubbel, a Sioux Falls nurse, has set up an exploratory committee for her campaign to find out what South Dakota wants.

and..

Hubbel says she will be running on a platform of corruption killing. She says “if South Dakota want’s a change, I am your best bet.”

Read it all here at KCCR News.

Why do I say I had feared it?  You know how tough it is to convince people to vote Republican when you have someone as flat out nutty as Lora on the ballot?

She’s an anti-vaxxer, she has stated that government wants people to sleep babies on their back because it makes them more susceptible to mind control, that jet contrails are evidence of a plot to spray us with nefarious chemicals, that electronic highway signs may be “scanning our irises” for inclusion in a government database, Muslims are plotting pre-jihad at the Sioux Falls Airport, and the list goes on and on…

As I’ve said before, and I’ll say again – SERIOUSLY, WHO BELIEVES THIS STUFF?!?

There was a possibility that she wasn’t going to run as a Republican, as she’s ran as an independent in the past, and up until last month was chairman of the Constitution Party.  But it looks like she’s a Republican again… possibly “In Name Only,” since in the past she’s been happy to shed that label as quickly as a snake sheds it’s skin, as she continues her self-promotion.

And the 2018 election rolls on….

Update – In a radio interview you can listen to here, Hubbel blames state corruption on non-profits, and wants more government oversight of them. So, yes, she’s actually running on a platform of more Government

Thune Introduces Legislation to Improve Cybersecurity Resources for Small Businesses

Pat Powers

Thune Introduces Legislation to Improve Cybersecurity Resources for Small Businesses

“This legislation offers important resources, specifically meeting the unique needs of small businesses, to help them guard sensitive data and systems from thieves and hackers.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today joined Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), James Risch (R-Idaho), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) in introducing the Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology (MAIN STREET) Cybersecurity Act. The bill would provide a consistent set of resources for small businesses to best protect their digital assets from cybersecurity threats.

Small businesses are a pillar of the American economy and make up more than half of all jobs in the United States. But these businesses have also become a major target for cyberattacks. These attacks can be so harmful to revenues that the National Cybersecurity Alliance has found 60 percent of these small businesses are forced to close following an attack.

“Cyberattacks can have catastrophic effects on small businesses and their customers,” said Thune. “This legislation offers important resources, specifically meeting the unique needs of small businesses, to help them guard sensitive data and systems from thieves and hackers.”

In 2014, the Senate unanimously passed Thune’s Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, which codified the industry-led process for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, a comprehensive voluntary guide for organizations and businesses to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. While this framework continues to play a key role in improving the cyber resilience of the United States, additional coordinated resources may be necessary to improve the ability of small businesses to use it. The MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act, which is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will ensure NIST considers the needs of small businesses as it updates the framework and provide simplified, consistent resources based on the NIST framework specifically for small businesses.

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Lake Area Technical Institute President Michael Cartney Testifies in Thune-Led Hearing

Pat Powers

Lake Area Technical Institute President Michael Cartney Testifies in Thune-Led Hearing

“It is no surprise to me that a South Dakota technical institute, the Lake Area Technical Institute, is leading the pack in training students to fill these skilled jobs.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced Lake Area Technical Institute President Michael Cartney at a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled, “Closing the Skills Gap and Boosting U.S. Competitiveness.” Cartney, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, testified in front of the committee on the skills and career opportunities that can be gained at technical schools like Lake Area Technical Institute, which just received the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

 During the hearing, Thune questioned Cartney on the impact that new technology has on the skills gap and how Lake Area Technical Institute is working to prepare students for entering the workplace. Prior to questioning Cartney, Thune questioned “Cheers” actor and mechanical skills advocate, John Ratzenburger, on why it’s important to expose young people to hands-on learning.  

 “It is no surprise to me that a South Dakota technical institute, the Lake Area Technical Institute, is leading the pack in training students to fill these skilled jobs,” said Thune. “Lake Area Tech is the winner of the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence – the nation’s foremost recognition for high achievement and improvement in America’s community colleges. An overwhelming 99 percent of Lake Area Tech’s graduates are employed after graduation. Once they enter the workforce, these graduates earn an average of 27 percent more than other new hires in the region. It is wonderful to see the work that Lake Area Tech and other community colleges and career and technical education programs are doing to train students for jobs that are available and lucrative.”

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Rounds Announces Promotion of Tyler Tordsen to Southeast Regional Director

Pat Powers

Rounds Announces Promotion of Tyler Tordsen to Southeast Regional Director  

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced the promotion of Tyler Tordsen to Southeast Regional Director. Tordsen has spent the last two years working in Rounds’ Pierre office as a special assistant, focusing on outreach, tribal relations, constituent services and local governments.

“Tyler has been a tremendous asset to our team since the day he started,” said Rounds. “A lifelong South Dakotan, his strategic vision and passion for helping others have played a vital role in our constituent outreach and legislative efforts. I have no doubt he will continue to build on these strengths as Southeast Regional Director.”

Tordsen was born in Sioux Falls, raised in Rapid City and is a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. He earned his B.S. in economics and political science from the University of South Dakota, where he served as Student Body President and President of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Tordsen will now be based in Rounds’ Sioux Falls office, located at 320 N. Main Street, Suite A in Sioux Falls, SD. 

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Rounds joins Thune in Introducing Dr. Heather Wilson at SASC Confirmation Hearing

Pat Powers

Rounds joins Thune in Introducing Dr. Heather Wilson at SASC Confirmation Hearing

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) today joined U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in introducing Dr. Heather Wilson at her confirmation hearing to be Secretary of the Air Force. Dr. Wilson has been president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) since 2013.