Big mayoral race in Brookings this year.

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As I was signing a candidate petition today, I was reminded that yesterday, current Brookings Mayor Tim Reed announced via twitter in an exclamatory manner (using all caps for what might be his slogan) that he was running again for election:

This came shortly after an announcement by current City Commissioner and Brigadier General Keith Corbett in the last week or so that he was throwing his hat in the ring as well:

Keith W. Corbett, a Brookings city councilor for the past 4 1/2 years, has announced his intention to seek the mayor’s office. There are three council vacancies this year, the mayorship and two council seats. While current Brookings mayor Tim Reed has indicated he’ll seek re-election, Corbett insists that “I’m not running against anyone I’m running for the office of mayor.”

Read that here.

I know both, and actually worked for Keith many, many moons ago when I was a SDSU Student, and he was the chief of the university police.   I think they’re both good people.

It’s going to be an interesting contest, as there doesn’t seem to be open discontent among the populace. Reed has been mayor since 2007 after being appointed when Scott Munsterman stepped down. Reed didn’t have a subsequent race in 2009. And if memory serves when he was up again in 2012, I don’t recall he had a race then, either, due to the cancellation of the election.

So after all of this time, Tim Reed, a Republican who describes himself a political moderate, after 8 years will be facing his first actual election campaign as mayor against City Councilman Keith Corbett, also a Republican.

This could be an interesting one to watch.

Hughes County Lincoln Day Dinner tonight. So is the Democrat’s senior coffee group

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Have you got your ticket yet? The annual Hughes County Lincoln Day dinner is being held at the Ramkota tonight with guest speaker incoming GOP State Chair Pam Roberts. This is usually the first big event of the political season, and is usually very well attended.  Social hour is 5:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Apparently the Dems are going to try to get in on the act as well. They’re meeting at the Ft. Pierre Senior Citizens center, led by their chairman Ann Tornberg starting at around 6, where Democrat Legislators will give updates about session.

I’m thinking that’s going to take about 5 minutes, Just long enough for the coffee to get cold.

 

Rounds Announces Internship Opportunities in Washington, South Dakota Offices

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intern

Rounds Announces Internship Opportunities
in Washington, South Dakota Offices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced internship opportunities in his Washington, D.C., Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls offices for the summer 2015 semester. The summer semester will run from May to August 2015. College credit is available.

Duties in the Washington, D.C., office may include tracking legislation, researching bills, attending committee hearings and briefings, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, handling constituent phone calls, sorting mail and providing legislative support. Duties in the South Dakota offices include researching constituent inquiries and requests, participation in outreach activities, assisting staff on special projects, handling phone calls and constituent requests and sorting mail. In all offices, students will work closely with constituents and staff, polish their research and writing skills and gain an in-depth understanding of a Senate office.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and preferred internship location to Connie Tveidt, intern coordinator, no later than March 15, 2015:

Senator Mike Rounds
Attn: Connie Tveidt
111 W. Capitol St., Suite 210
Pierre, SD 57501

Applications may also be emailed to [email protected].

More information about the internship program can be found at www.rounds.senate.gov. Additional questions can be directed to Connie Tveidt at (605) 224-1450.

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Nothing but the drunk and topless back in my little town.

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Does this belong under political news… or weird news?  The Buffalo Chip Campground is apparently trying to become it’s own municipality. Why don’t I think it’s not going to ban alcohol sales on Sunday:

Hagg said there currently are 47 eligible voters in the area. State law says qualified voters are either registered voters in the proposed municipality or landowners in the proposed municipality who are also registered voters of this state.

The proposed municipality will cover 600 acres.

and…

So, Buffalo Chip could be a town by this year’s 75th anniversary Sturgis motorcycle rally.

Read it here.

Senator Blake Curd named CEO of Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital

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From a Release, it looks as if Doctor and State Senator Blake Curd is taking on new responsibilities:

After conducting a nationwide executive searchled by healthcare leadership solutions firm B. E. Smith, Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital (SFSH) in Sioux Falls, S.D., has hired Richard Blake Curd, M.D., as chief executive officer. An orthopedic hand specialist with over 20 years of healthcare experience, Dr. Curd will assume his new duties full-time on March 1, 2015.

“Blake is a visionary and strategic leader with extensive healthcare experience and a strong commitment to delivering high-quality patient care,” said Dr. Peter Looby, chairman of the Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital Management Committee. “Under Blake’s leadership the hospital is positioned to remain the region’s top medical facility.”

Dr. Curd is a partner with Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D, and is a senator for the state of South Dakota. He currently serves as president of Physician Hospitals of America (PHA), chairman of the board for the Surgical Management Professionals and is a board member of Medical Facilities Corporation.

Read it all here.

Mitchell Superintendent writes on the Governor’s proposed education committee. It might be about what spend education dollars on.

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Mitchell School Superintendent Joe Graves is writing today in the Mitchell Daily Republic that South Dakota may actually be more competitive in school funding than the education lobby in the state might care to admit – and that part of the solution to teacher pay in the state might be up to schools in how they spend their money:

Yet, today, here I am stuck in the middle on the governor’s recently proposed blue ribbon committee to study the issue of teacher shortages and compensation levels. On the one hand, I view such an endeavor with a cynical eye, wondering if such a political animal is more about finding real solutions to a serious problem or about putting off the pain that such an obvious solution will bring to the political class. What better way to ignore a problem than by studying it one more time, ad infinitum or at least ad nauseam (the latter, quite literally).

and…

State finance officials point out that while teacher compensation may be bottom of the barrel, funding provided to schools compared to other states is significantly more competitive. Which means, if accurate, that either South Dakota schools are spending money on things other than teacher salaries or that we have serious inefficiencies or just alternative choices in our education spending. An example of the former might be transportation, the busing of all those students across wide expanses of our sparsely populated state both to get to school and to the far-flung school district against whose basketball team we are competing. An example of the latter might be the need to pay a teacher and an administrator in a rural school in which class sizes fall below those that could be more efficiently maintained simply because there are no additional students.

Alternatively, there may be other options for increasing average teacher compensation levels other than the straightforward and endlessly offered by educators and their lobbyists: give the schools more so they can pay teachers more.

Read it all here.

I bring it up, as I don’t know those are statistics that we’ve heard much about before – and Graves brings up a valid point. We might very be competitive in what we spend, it’s just going to other expenses, and unable to be spent directly to educators.

And if that’s the case, we might not be excited with the solutions.

Rapid City Journal profiles freshman Republican Legislator Lynne DiSanto

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Freshman Republican Legislator Lynne DiSanto is profiled in today’s Rapid City Journal. Here’s an excerpt:

DiSanto said her greatest surprise and a “profound honor” occurred early in the session when she was one of two women asked to speak on a measure urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its decision in Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling upholding a woman’s right to abortion.

“It was a powerful moment for me to be standing in the House speaking on an issue that I feel so passionate about,” DiSanto said. “You really feel in that moment that you have been called to this place. When I sat down I said to myself, `Thank you so much, God, for allowing me to be here and talk about this issue because it really is such a blessing.’”

While grappling with the challenges facing South Dakota — from funding for maintenance and repair of an aging infrastructure, improved education and low teacher pay, and student privacy in a digital world — DiSanto said she had been most impressed with the camaraderie and collegiality of her fellow legislators.

Read it here.

US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Port Disruptions Causing Challenges for South Dakota Ag Producers and Retailers

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Port Disruptions Causing Challenges for South Dakota Ag Producers and Retailers
By Senator John Thune

John_Thune,_official_portrait,_111th_CongressA reliable and efficient supply chain is critical to our nation’s global competitiveness. Our ports are a vital link in that chain, but unfortunately, some of the biggest challenges at our ports are self-imposed and are having major repercussions across the country, including South Dakota. The current delays and disruptions caused by labor disputes in the West Coast ports have directly harmed exports, product availability, and jobs in South Dakota. In particular, South Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, retailers, and households are bearing the costs of these labor slowdowns.

On February 10, 2015, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security held a hearing about the challenges the ports slowdown are causing across the country. As chairman of the Commerce Committee and as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’ve been monitoring the ports disputes and have heard from a number of South Dakotans about how the disruptions in service continue to directly impact their businesses.

At the hearing, Cargill testified that lost sales and unnecessary port charges are costing our nation’s meat and poultry industry over $40 million per week and jeopardizing relationships with international customers. I have also heard from Tyson Fresh Meats, based in Dakota Dunes, which shared with me that its beef and pork is sitting in freezers near the ports instead of heading to Asian markets, while 30 to 40 large container ships are sitting off the coast waiting to export our nation’s premium products. Tyson Fresh Meats has 41,000 team members, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that agricultural exports support over one million full-time U.S. jobs. These delays, which have been going on since last summer, are having a real impact on jobs and our economy.

The disruption is also hurting consumers and retailers, which often import a substantial portion of merchandise through the West Coast ports. Outdoor Gear Inc., a family-owned winter apparel wholesaler based in Sioux Falls, moves about 95 percent of its inventory through West Coast ports and has been forced to miss deadlines, pay late-delivery penalties, and pass up important sales opportunities, including in December during the peak holiday season. In fact, BNSF railroad testified at the hearing that they have been forced to cut weekly train service to ports in half from 60 trains per week to 30 trains. This dramatic reduction in service underscores the ripple effects that are being felt across the country.

While our nation’s businesses are dynamic and adaptable, this situation cannot go on indefinitely, and we cannot continue to expect our businesses and households to absorb the unnecessary costs of delays. Congestion and labor disputes in our ports are causing a large drain on our nation’s economy and will take months to unwind.

While this has been on-going since late last summer, I urge all sides in the dispute to come together and find a long-term solution as soon as possible. This also requires the president and the administration to get actively involved to resolve this impasse. As chairman of the Commerce Committee, I will continue to highlight the direct impact this slowdown is causing businesses in South Dakota and across the country and I am committed to working with all parties to get this vital link in our nation’s supply chain back on track.

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