Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of the Minnesota Shooting Victims

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff statewide effective immediately until sunset on August 31, 2025, as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless act of violence at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“This violence in Minneapolis took place during mass while the children prayed — that’s horrific,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Sandy and I are praying for strength and healing for the children victimized and families impacted.”

This announcement is consistent with President Trump’s order, which can be found here.

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Toby Doeden’s favorite renter Brandei Schaefbauer is just the gift that keeps on giving for clickbait. Certainly not anything in terms of leadership or competence, but definitely she provides a lot of clickbait.

Tonight, after South Dakota Searchlight published an opinion piece noting how her talk of civil war was … well, what many would consider conspiracy, Schaefbauer launched a tirade of gibberish on Facebook complete with acronyms, and.. well, read for yourself:

Total and utter rubbish! South Dakota Searchlight receives grants through a bought and paid for NGO through USAID!

I was simply stating the fact that failure to disclose the Epstein client list will cause uproar and social backlash on both sides of the political aisle. Today’s tragic events in Minneapolis involving a “trans” gunman opening fire on a Catholic school during Mass are unfortunate illustration of what I was warning about.

Whaaaat? One of the House Majority Whips is writing that “The Epstein List” is somehow connected to a mentally unbalanced killer? I would wager she’s probably the only member of House leadership who is going to fall on that sword.

Even better, Schaefbauer declared with all the indignity she could cobble together in her Facebook post that “I am considering my legal options for what I consider defamation.”

The problem with her ‘legal options’ is that the parts of all of this that might bring her public ridicule is all of her own making.  These are all her own words.  If she does not like how people react to them, maybe she should not tap them out with her iPhone on Facebook?

That, and I’m quite sure in America we’re still allowed to question what politicians holding office claim.

I’m sure there will be an official press release, but reports are coming in that District 16 Republican State Representative Richard Vasgaard lost his life in a farm accident today.

Please keep his family in your prayers.

In a family dispute that I’ve written about before, where former State Democrat Party official Bret Healy has filed lawsuits against family members, his attorney, Tucker Volesky, appears to be facing discipline by the Supreme Court because of alleged violations of rules of professional conduct, questions about how he handles his trust account, “and asserting issues therein for which there was no good faith basis in law and fact, rendering such actions and filings frivolous.“:

The disciplinary board of the State Bar of South Dakota has recommended that the Supreme Court suspend Volesky’s law license for 30 days as punishment for those actions.

and..

After Judge Lange dismissed the suit against the Supreme Court and ordered sanctions, Volesky then alleged in a second amended complaint that the Supreme Court justices including Judge Sogn had had “knowingly fabricated evidence and used the fabricated evidence deciding cases against the Plaintiffs,” to the detriment of Bret Healy in reaching their decision in the first Healy case.

and..

Volesky acknowledged that Healy faces $240,000 in penalties. Justice Janine Kern said Volesky alleged that the court manufactured evidence. “To me that’s a win at any cost attitude,” Justice Kern said.

Read the entire story here.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, by now you’ve heard that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are now engaged to be married.

Which is a good reminder that back in 2023, now 4% Gubernatorial wannabe Toby Doeden was quite concerned that Kelce and Swift were a plot by the superwealthy to push the COVID vaccine..  Because the wealthy will try to put one over on us.  Despite the fact that Toby himself flies around to campaign events in his jet:

“Reportedly, #traviskelce was paid $20m to push the covid vaccine… And you thought Travis and Taylor Swift dating was organic and cute.  When will ALL Americans wake up and realize that the super wealthy control what you do, what you think, and soon will control even more.” – Toby Doeden 12/30/23

 

Attorney General Jackley Announces a Sioux City, Iowa Man Sentenced To Life in Prison for First-Degree Murder in Union County

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces a Sioux City, Iowa man has been sentenced to a mandatory sentence of life in prison after earlier being convicted of first-degree murder in a 2023 stabbing death in Dakota Dunes.

Alfredo Castellanos-Rosales, 41, was sentenced Monday. He was found guilty June 25, 2025, by a Union County jury.

Jordan “Jordy” Beardshear, 23, was found deceased at an apartment in Dakota Dunes on April 25, 2023. The defendant was later apprehended in Mexico.

“This life sentence delivers justice for a senseless and brutal murder that robbed Jordan’s family of their loved one,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I am grateful to the prosecutors and law enforcement officers whose tireless work made this verdict and outcome possible.”

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux City Police Department, South Sioux City Police Department, North Sioux City Police Department and the United States Marshall’s Service investigated the case. The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted.

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Scott Odenbach does not seem as if he’s a happy House Majority Leader in a facebook post yesterday.

The lead Republican in the House was recently quoted in a story from South Dakota News Watch (Lawmaker considers limiting new Black Hills water usage), where he was quoted as wanting to limit new wells into the acquifer. Odenbach took to social media trying to explain his position, and lamenting that he feels his words were taken out of context and being labeled anti-development.  This story followed his efforts this last legislative session where local governments across the Black Hills opposed his efforts to form an interim committee to explore adding more regulations on mining and development in the Black Hills.

Representative Odenbach defended his position, referring to opposition as “Soviet style” and invoking Teddy Roosevelt, etc. But he saved a particular venom for community development organization Elevate Rapid City, and Republican advocacy group South Dakota Strong for objecting to his sustained efforts at new regulations.  Odenbach noted in part:

I don’t have any amendment legislation drafted yet and as I had told the reporter, I think we need to first gather all the facts and make sure we are making smart decisions with any proposed legislation as we pursue more and more growth in Western South Dakota. With that said, there are greedy, shortsighted locusts in organizations like Elevate Rapid City and “South Dakota Strong,” who would happily strip mine us of our water and other raw materials to turn us into the Denver front range if they could make a dollar or earn a campaign contribution – and then move on to feast somewhere else.

and..

Let’s have this debate. As a lifelong Republican, I am certainly for the free market and organic economic growth. I’m tired of hearing that you are not a good Republican who is for growth if you aren’t for big-government spending to promote it. A conservative wants to promote growth by maintaining an environment conducive to business formation and development: via good schools, small & efficient government, safe streets, natural beauty, smart planning and low taxes. But I am not for growth at any cost, government-spending growth that dictates winners and losers with Soviet-style “economic development” plans, nor growth for the sake of growth, without making sure that in the meantime we are protecting our quality of life, including water resources for the people who live here now.

Read Odenbach’s post here.

Scott makes the argument that he’s for “good schools, small & efficient government, etc.”  But do you really get a ‘small and efficient government’ when you try to stifle growth with more government, kill schools by stripping money from them via vouchers & more and more government every single year, and passing as many laws as possible to make society bend to your worldview?

It would be nice if we could get back to that, instead of attacking business and claiming that people who want to foster jobs and growth are “greedy locusts.”

This video is the talk of the internet today.. unfortunately.

GOP House candidate Valentina Gomez burns the Quran in a new campaign video
byu/Hairy_Confidence9668 intrashy

Interestingly, this appears to be Texas Congressional Candidates Valentina Gomez’s schtick.

In 2024, she also had a video that went viral of her using a flamethrower on books, this time LGBT books as she ran for Secretary of State in Missouri.

This isn’t going to become a thing, is it?

(Big plug for the Intern program from your’s truly. I was an intern back in 1988 which set me down the path of being involved in politics and government as a life-long calling. -pp)

LEGISLATURE SEEKS COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR INTERN POSITIONS FOR 2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

PIERRE – Twenty-two college and university students will get a hands-on, insider’s look at the legislative process as interns when the South Dakota Legislature convenes in January for the 2026 Legislative Session.

Students may be in any class year to apply, from freshman to graduate student, and all majors are eligible. Deadline to apply to the South Dakota Legislature for an intern position is OCTOBER 17, 2025.

LRC’s internship program immerses students in the daily operation of the Legislature and provides them with both an in-depth understanding of the legislative process and a front row seat to discussions and decisions on the issues impacting South Dakotans. Interns work closely with legislative leadership, assist lawmakers and LRC staff during committee hearings, conduct research and monitor legislation, attend closed-door caucus meetings, and help lawmakers with constituent services and other legislative tasks. They also have the opportunity to participate in outside events related to the Legislature.

Students receive a salary of $185 for each day worked, which for the full session and orientation amounts to $7,215 in compensation. They may also receive college credits for their internship.

Additional information on the internship program including an application can be found on the LRC website. To complete the application, the student must sign up for a free MyLRC+ account. Applications for the intern positions, as well as other requested application materials including two letters of recommendation, must be filed with the Legislative Research Council (LRC) by OCTOBER 17, 2025. 

The 101st South Dakota Legislative Session runs from January 13, 2026, to March 30, 2026, with a recess from March 13-27.

Students wanting more information should contact the Intern Coordinator, Legislative Research Council, 500 East Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501; email InternProgram@sdlegislature.gov; or call (605) 773-3251.

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NFL Star Adam Vinatieri to Headline Christine Erickson Campaign Kickoff

The National Football League’s all-time scoring leader and four time Super Bowl champion, Adam Vinatieri, will appear as a special guest in support of his sister, Sioux Falls mayoral candidate Christine Erickson, at her upcoming Campaign Kickoff fundraiser.

The event will be held at the home of Corey and Karen Brown in Sioux Falls on September 15th. Details about any public appearances featuring Vinatieri to be held in conjunction with the event are being finalized and will be announced soon.

“For years, Christine and my family have been there to support me throughout my football career,” said Vinatieri. “It’s my pleasure to return the favor as she campaigns to lead the city of Sioux Falls.”

Vinatieri, a native of Rapid City and graduate of South Dakota State University, was an NFL placekicker for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

He scored an NFL record 2,673 points and holds the records for most field goals made, most postseason points and most overtime field goals made. He is considered one of the greatest placekickers of all time.

Erickson announced her candidacy for Sioux Falls Mayor in July. She is currently the president of the South Dakota Auto Dealers Association and the South Dakota Trucking Association. Erickson has previously served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives and the Sioux Falls City Council.

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