Category: Uncategorized

I don’t think you can make this stuff up.

In Tripp County, which was noted has having been the only county in the state which was silly enough to go back to hand tabulation, apparently had an error in the hand-count. One which was caught by the machine tabulators they were told they couldn’t use, leaving County Commissioners who ordered the hand count with egg on their face.

Tripp County officials were prepared to ask for a court order to reopen a ballot box to find the answer, but the question was resolved without one. The human error explanation for the mismatch, it turned out, was right there in the records from the vote tabulator – the machine that county commissioners had ordered Desersa not to use to tally the county’s official, reportable Election Day results.

and..

“The machine caught it,” Desersa said. “To me, that shows that the machine is more accurate than humans.”

Read the story here at SD Searchlight

The South Dakota State University administration is quietly shuffling away from the staging of the Drag Show scheduled for tomorrow on the SDSU Campus, as President Barry Dunn himself is disavowing the entire thing in a statement released this afternoon:

“We apologize for the miscommunication pertaining to the drag show in the University Student Union tomorrow night. The sponsor of this event is the Gender and Sexualities Alliance student organization, and not South Dakota State University or its Office of Multicultural Affairs. Registered student organizations are free to sponsor lawful events on campus in accordance with SDCL 13-53-52 and applicable policy.  This event is being put on by the GSA student group and not supported by university funds.”

Now, wait a moment…  It’s not being put on by the “Office of Multicultural Affairs?”  Well, that wasn’t the case last year as related by a story in the SDSU Collegian:

Sponsored by groups like the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), the drag show was part of RHPC’s “Back in Da Club” event series, both to offer more entertainment to students and to help OMA with some of their scheduled events.

and..

GSA has put on their own drag shows in the past, usually with the support of OMA. This year is the first time a drag show has been hosted by a group other than GSA.

Read that story here.

So, last year the OMA sponsored it and now that this years’ event is gaining a little attention, there’s a hard disavowal from the administration?

I’m sensing a little last-minute spin.

Now this is a new development.   The link at the South Dakota State University website that went to an announcement for a drag show at SDSU asking for $1 and $5 dollar bill tips while calling it “kid friendly” has gone from this…

to this:

Did someone finally figure out that maybe it wasn’t as “kid-friendly” as they would have liked to have thought?  A drag show with the performers begging for dollar bills might be fine for college-aged students, but it’s anything but “kid-friendly.”

I suspect the heat from all of the attention got higher-ups involved. And when they figured out that they’re probably going to have to explain why they think it’s appropriate for a public institution to host this kind of thing, not to mention calling it kid-friendly, to a legislative committee in a couple of months, the adults in the room gave it more thought than someone gave it in the first place.

 

Summit Carbon Solutions Partners with South Dakota Landowners to Achieve Major Project Milestone

• The company has secured easement agreements for more than 50% of the proposed pipeline route in South Dakota

• Summit Carbon Solutions has partnered with 400 South Dakota landowners to sign 650 easement agreements

AMES, Iowa (November 15, 2022) – Summit Carbon Solutions reached another major project milestone as the company has now secured easement agreements for more than 50% of the proposed pipeline route in South Dakota. Partnering with 400 landowners across South Dakota to sign 650 easement agreements, the company continues to make significant progress in advancing its carbon capture, transportation, and storage project and the $4.5 billion investment remains on track to begin construction next year and move into operations in 2024.

“Summit Carbon Solutions and our seven ethanol plant partners in South Dakota are incredibly pleased that landowners continue to embrace our project and support our efforts to maintain a strong, competitive ethanol industry,” said Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank. “Securing easement agreements for a majority of the proposed pipeline route in South Dakota represents a significant step in advancing our project and driving growth in our ag economy long-term.”

Summit Carbon Solutions is partnering with 32 ethanol plants across the Midwest, including Dakota Ethanol in Wentworth, Redfield Energy in Redfield, Ringneck Energy in Onida, and the Glacial Lakes Energy plants in Aberdeen, Huron, Mina, and Watertown. The company’s $800 million investment in South Dakota will enable partner ethanol producers to sell their product at a premium in the growing number of markets (both states and countries) that have adopted low carbon fuel standards. Access to these markets is critical to the long-term viability of the ethanol industry that today purchases more than 60% of the corn grown in South Dakota and remains a key driver of commodity prices and land values.

While Summit Carbon Solutions has crossed the 50% mark statewide in South Dakota, there are several counties that have surpassed that pace, including Beadle County (78%), Clark County (86%), Edmunds County (68%), Hamlin County (60%), Kingsbury County (88%), Lake County (75%), and McCook County (100%). In each county where the project is proposed to be located in South Dakota, Summit Carbon Solutions will invest an average of $44 million during construction and pay an average of $650,000 in new property taxes every year once the system is operational.

To learn more about Summit Carbon Solutions, please visit www.SummitCarbonSolutions.com.

To get the facts on Summit Carbon Solutions and carbon capture, transportation and storage projects, please visit www.SummitCarbonFacts.com.

###

(h/t to State Rep. Scott Odenbach)

If an SDSU club was advertising that they were hosting strippers at the SDSU Student Union, and telling people to “bring $1 and $5 bills to tip if you choose” to the stripper event, or encouraging children to attend, I don’t imagine it would be very well received by the SDSU administration, nor considered kid-friendly by the community at large.  So, someone explain to me why a drag show would get a pass for the exact same thing.

According to the SDSU Event Calendar:

If you’re into this sort of thing, that’s kind of your own business. But when someone is enticing you to stuff a single or five-dollar bill in an article of their clothing, it’s not something that most of us would consider a “kid-friendly” event, or a “bring your whole family” event, as much as adult entertainment. And last I knew, I didn’t think SDSU hosted adult entertainment on campus, whether it be strippers or a drag show.

If they want to hold a pride event on campus, and tells people so inclined to bring their kids, who cares? But when they start pulling adult entertainment into the mix, and tell people to bring their dollar bills, someone hasn’t given it a lot of thought, and is bumping up against (and probably grinding on as well) what a lot of people would not consider appropriate for a campus activity.

From Twitter:

New — Kristi Noem has been fielding calls from top RNC donors urging her to run for RNC chair while remaining South Dakota gov. Noem spox would neither confirm nor deny the effort to draft her.

She’s been in touch w Trump since handily winning re-election last Tuesday.

— Gabby Orr (@GabbyOrr_) November 14, 2022

If it would be true, I wouldn’t be surprised that there are those who would like her to serve as National GOP Chair, as Kristi would do a great job in energizing the Republican base. But for now, talk is talk.

Attorney General-Elect Marty Jackley selects Dan Saterlee as Director of the Division of Criminal Investigation

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General-Elect Marty Jackley announced Monday that he has selected Dan Saterlee to lead the Division of Criminal Investigation. Saterlee previously served the DCI as Administrative Assistant Director and Field Operations Assistant Director. Saterlee is currently the Coordinator for the South Dakota Fusion Center, the agency that compiles, analyzes and disseminates criminal intelligence to support terrorism prevention and the investigation of criminal activity.

“Dan Saterlee’s diverse experience in law enforcement, corrections, and the military has prepared him to lead the DCI as our new Director. The DCI has a rich history of earning the public’s trust by working directly with local law enforcement across our state to solve crime and to keep our communities safe, and we are committed to building upon this earned reputation,” said Attorney General-Elect Jackley.

“I would like thank Attorney General-Elect Jackley and the selection committee for this great opportunity,” Saterlee said. “I look forward to working with the staff at DCI and law enforcement agencies across the state.”

Saterlee, a South Dakota State University graduate and former Corrections Officer and Army Reserve Master Sergeant, will assume his new role during the transition. He will succeed Interim Director Chad Mosteller who will return to his position as Assistant Director.

“I want to thank Chad for stepping up as Interim Director,” said Attorney General Mark Vargo, who was appointed to his post in August by Gov. Kristi Noem and will resume his duties as Pennington County State’s Attorney when Jackley is sworn in on January 7, 2023. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in guiding the DCI and look forward to continue working together through the inauguration.”

Jackley was elected Attorney General on November 8. He previously served as United States Attorney and three terms as Attorney General.

–30–

Sounds like House Dems met yesterday and picked their House leadership for the 2022 Session:

In the House, Democrats announced Oren Lesmeister, of Parade, was elected to serve as minority leader on Sunday. Erin Healy, of Sioux Falls, will serve as assistant minority leader, while Kameron Nelson, of Sioux Falls, and Peri Pourier, of Pine Ridge, will serve as minority whips.

Read that in the Argus.

I’m sure they probably got together for coffee. In a small booth.

They need two whips? To cover the three or so who weren’t chosen for a position?

With Senate leadership determined for both Republicans and Democrats, we’re down to the State House of Representatives to make their picks for who will be serving in Leadership roles in that body for the next two year cycle.

I’m hearing that on the Democrat side, the latest is that House Minority Leader is up for grabs between returning Sioux Falls District 10 Rep. Erin Healy who was the top vote recipient in her race by over 1000 votes, and District 28A Rep. Oren Lesmeister who barely squeaked out a win over his Republican competitor by 33 votes.  I’m sure they have people running for assistant minority leader and whip, but do you really need that many people to organize a caucus of six?

On the House Republican side, the people in the race largely remain the same, but there have been a couple of changes.

For Speaker of the House, State Representative Hugh Bartels from Watertown is the first name at the top of many lists, with Jess Olson of Rapid City still having her name in the hunt, as well as current Speaker Pro Tempore Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids. Greg Jamison had been looking at it, but word is that he’s out.  This could be a tight race, as there is definitely a desire to change direction after two disastrous terms under Steve Haugaard and Spencer Gosch as Speaker.  As Speaker Pro Tempore, Hansen would have typically been the next in line, but there’s a large appetite for change, and no indication that he would do anything but provide more of the same infighting we’ve had.

Anecdotally with Jon Hansen, in the last couple of weeks I got a chance to preview what we’d be in for with him in the Speaker’s position when he tried to “cancel” me in doing projects for the GOP, because he feels I may have had unkind words against a Republican on this website on occasion. Bad on me, I didn’t realize I was supposed to vet my stories through him. I’m not sure what that says about an elected official who feels the need to be insulated from those who may disagree. But I don’t think it says leadership. Anyway…

For House Speaker Pro Tempore, I’m still hearing Mike Stevens of Yankton is running without challenge at the moment. Stevens, a Yankton attorney, is experienced in his second run of being in the legislature and would be a respected, steady hand at the wheel.

For Republican House Majority Leader, Will Mortenson is still the name most are leading in the race for Majority Leader. Current Majority Whip Rebecca Reimer of Chamberlain is also campaigning for the spot, as well as Representative Scott Odenbach from Spearfish.

Assistant Republican Majority Leader still has Sioux Falls State Representative Taylor Rehfeldt campaigning for it, with State Representatives Randy Gross of Flandreau also with his name in the ring. Representative Kirk Chaffee of Whitewood had been running, but I’m told he has dropped out and thrown his support behind Taylor Rehfeldt.

And that’s what I know on Monday. House Leadership elections are Saturday this week, and I’m sure things will shift and change before then.

Bud Marty May of Kyle, SD, who just lost election for the District 27 House seat this last Tuesday, appears to have had an unresolved bench warrant out for his arrest because of a failure to appear during the final weeks of the campaign season according to court records.

Why are we finding this out now? Because of a far more serious nature, Pennington County Jail records show that Bud May was booked into the Pennington County Jail at 4am this morning for Rape in the 2nd Degree:

No details are available at this time, as this is less than 12 hours old, and he will likely make a first appearance in court this week.   May had come in last in a field of four in the District 27 House race.

May is a son to Republican State Representative Liz May, who was successful in her contest in the same district on November 8th, and had earlier campaigned for the election of conservative legislators in the primary election.  Interestingly, one of the attack postcards sent out by Liz May’s “Conservative Principles PAC” had attacked one legislator for voting against 2021’s House Bill 1150, redefining SDCL 22-22-1, which Bud may has been charged with.