Opinion

Always nice to visit with colleagues

Published by admin on Wed, 05/13/2026 - 2:51pm

It’s been two weeks now since our staff went north to Deadwood for the annual South Dakota NewsMedia Association  (SDNA) Convention.

When snow comes and spring dawns

Published by admin on Wed, 05/13/2026 - 2:51pm

After such a dry and barren winter, the snow a few weeks ago was a welcome sight, despite the way trees bowed and power lines flickered under the weight. It showered down in large, wet flakes, soaking into the earth like it was trying to quench a great thirst. Perhaps it truly was. 
Soon snowball fights broke out, snow angels were made, sleds were raced and forts were built in a tumult of energy stored away all winter. With this one bright chance at a snowfall, every second of the flurry needed to be embraced. 

Rookie writer

Published by admin on Wed, 05/13/2026 - 9:03am
Last weekend, I attended my first South Dakota NewsMedia Association convention and awards banquet. 
Being a rookie writer and a newbie to this event in a room full of some of the most talented journalists in the state was a little intimidating. 
I mostly felt like a wallflower, just taking it all in. 
It was obvious many of the people had been in the trade for decades. Established and confident, with years of experience and stories under their belts. 

There is opportunity in the trades

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:22pm

During National Apprenticeship Week, we celebrate the people who work in the trades and on factory floors as well as the next generation coming up to do this important work. To my knowledge, there’s no artificial intelligence that can lay a foundation for a house or chatbot that can fix a toilet. Skilled jobs are in-demand jobs, and they will continue to be in-demand for a long time to come. So we need to invest in these careers and support the next generation of workers going into the trades, manufacturing, and other skilled professions.

State needs to move forward with ‘relegation’

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:22pm

At a recent meeting of the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA), the association’s board of directors discussed creating a success factor for athletics—namely football—but it didn’t seem to garner much interest. I wish that weren’t the case.
When I first heard of this idea, I kind of bristled at the thought. But the more I have thought about it, the more I started to like the idea. Now, you can count me firmly in the corner of my full on support of the idea.

Who is paying for these PAC ads?

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:20pm

Greetings. Four more weeks until the primary election. You can now go to your county courthouse and vote early.
I’m getting a lot of questions regarding negative campaign ads on TV and on glossy, big postcards. I watched one reporter ask the four Republican governor candidates if they were responsible for these ads, both print and on TV. There, of course, weren’t takers owning up to it.

A world of Amandas

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 9:57am
The nice woman behind the counter was named Amanda.
She was helping my mom and me transfer data from my mom’s old phone to her new one, part of a big box retailer service we’ve come to use a lot in the past several years.
Amanda could not have been more than 20 years old.
“I bet you help a lot of old folks,” I said to her. 
“Yes,” she said, adding quickly, “but most of them really know more than they think they do.”

Fire danger must be taken seriously

Published by admin on Wed, 04/29/2026 - 12:49pm

Tourism season is, for all intents and purposes, here. We usually welcome it fully with open arms. This year we welcome it with trepidation, knowing just how dry it is out there, and the fire danger that we are dealing with.

Plenty to miss about Mickelson politics

Published by admin on Wed, 04/29/2026 - 12:43pm

Today is 33 years since the Mickelson plane crash. On the way back from a meeting with John Morrell & Co. packing plant officials in Cincinnati, the plane went down at an Iowa farm on a Monday afternoon. Lost were South Dakota Gov. George Mickelson, two state pilots and five men who made up a large portion of the state’s economic development expertise. 
At the time, I was the editor of the daily newspaper in Pierre. Recalling what life was like in 1993 serves as a reminder of what was lost, not only in that plane crash but also what we’ve lost in the last 30 years.

Keeping Taxpayers Top of Mind

Published by admin on Wed, 04/29/2026 - 9:41am
Every taxpayer dollar belongs to the people. It’s our job as elected leaders to spend the people’s money as efficiently as possible to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free. In recent years, South Dakotans made one thing very clear that they wanted property tax cuts – and this session, we delivered the largest property tax cuts in South Dakota history.