Dakota Digest

Pine Ridge is about one hundred miles southeast of Rapid City and sits on the edge of the Badlands among rolling hills and endless meadows. Among the natural beauty though are eyesores. Old, dilapidated, vacant, boarded-up buildings covered with graffiti line many of the streets. But despite the perception of hopelessness in this small, poverty-stricken South Dakota town, one smart, driven, and inspiring young lady says she sees beauty.

Oglala Sioux Tribal president Brian Brewer was arrested Monday while taking part in a protest march against beer sales in the Nebraska town of Whiteclay.

Pine Ridge is dry, and some tribal officials like President Brewer say liquor store owners prey on tribal residents by selling millions of cans of beer each year.

 An historic event took place at the State Capitol in Pierre on Friday afternoon. Governor Dennis Daugaard and all former living South Dakota governors were together in the Capitol rotunda. They attended the unveiling of three new statues for the Trail of Governors. Thirty-two men have served as governor of South Dakota. And on Friday five of them were together in a rare occasion at the State Capitol. And what do the members of this exclusive club talk about when they’re together?    “All of the mistakes we made.  We laugh at each other’s mistakes.

If you’re having a problem with emotional issues that impact your behavior, you go see a therapist, or a psychologist, or maybe even a psychiatrist. Today we visit a woman who helps animals with behavioral issues in order to make them better pets.

Contrary to what the growling and barking I hear might sound like, it’s a pack of dogs having a great time.

Have you ever noticed when you go in to a typical Humane Society that there are no birds…only dogs and cats? So where do all the abandoned, neglected, and homeless birds go?  The Black Hills Parrot Welfare and Education Center in Belle Fourche is a shelter that houses abused, terminally ill, and orphan exotic birds.

Activists and liquor store owners are clashing in the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska on the boarder of the Pine Ridge Reservation.   Beer delivery trucks are being stopped and vandalized as men wielding baseball bats are accused of threatening protesters.

Alcohol is banned on Pine Ridge.   But the town of Whiteclay sells the equivalent of up to 5-million cans of beer annually–mostly to impoverished tribal residents.   As the conflict escalates the tribal nation is grappling with the idea of lifting its prohibition of alcohol.   

Middle school music teachers wanted to give their students a unique opportunity to learn and perform music.  They decided to create a virtual choir.  The final product is a mixture of 36 young voices all singing a song designed specifically for this project. The project is just the first of what could be many virtual musical experiences for South Dakota students.

Local artists are banding together to get exposure beyond South Dakota’s borders.  Artists of the Black Hills is an organization designed to promote art and artists from the Black Hills to potential clients across the nation.
 

With spring upon us, and summer right around the corner, this is the time of year when many people are enjoying the great outdoors.  Leave No Trace – a national program designed to the help those recreating outdoors learn how to minimize their impact on the environment and enjoy nature - responsibly.

It seems as though you can go just about anywhere outdoors, and along with majestic beauty, you’ll find litter, trash, abandoned campsites – evidence of people that have been there before you. 

 Veterans who served in conflict over the last ten years have seen a different kind of war than those who fought in World War Two and Vietnam.  And they have different wants and needs.  What began as a way for the community of Custer to say thank you to veterans has turned into saving families and relationships.  SDPB’s Cara Hetland has more on Operation Black Hills Cabin.   Pat Baird is a retired military veteran.  She and her husband both served in the Air Force and the North Dakota Air National Guard.  They know what it means to sacrifice for their country.

Discussions about the need for and relevance of art education in the classroom have been ongoing over recent years as school districts continue to do battle with depleting budgets. Today we visit a high school art teacher and her students to learn just how important they feel art is – and ask their opinion on plans to broaden art education through Rapid City’s Main Street Square sculpture project.

If you’re tired dealing with disasters–-you may not be alone.  

The Oklahoma tornadoes come on top of a string of major tragedies including national and local disasters.

South Dakota saw an ice storm and blizzard in 2013, a severe drought and wildfires in 2012, the 2011 floods, and seven federally recognized major disasters in 2010.

Weather related disasters are on an increasing trend, and they can take a toll on the mental health of those affected and those who respond.

A small team of students and professors at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology made history this spring when they successfully launched and landed a concrete model airplane.  The effort was part of a senior design project that included input from both civil and mechanical engineers. SDPB’s Charles Michael Ray has more on today’s Dakota Digest.

Climate change, global warming, greenhouse effect—people can't even agree on the terminology. Whatever it’s called, conventional wisdom in the United States tells us it’s a liberal issue, that conservatives don’t believe human activity has much to do with it.
But it’s not all that simple, even here in the red state of South Dakota. A few conservative voices have emerged over the years to support taking action to prevent or mitigate the effects of human activity on the earth’s climate.

As traditional movie theaters have gotten larger – and, yet, smaller – at the same time, the ability to enjoy a night out with the latest Hollywood has to offer has become a bit too impersonal. At least, that’s what folks sitting in their vehicles told us when we made the rounds at Roy's Black Hills Twin Drive-In Movie Theater – on today’s Dakota Digest. This is the sound of a movie theater before the film starts - wind.  

More than 20 southeast South Dakota students are preparing to take off for Nashville, Tennessee to compete on a national stage. There the students showcase their skills in health science. 

Washing your hands has many health benefits, but even people who stand at the sink often to ward off germs and keep clean don’t often spend enough time scrubbing up/

"Generally it's supposed to take three minutes, so when you wash your hands, go all out," Canton high school junior Athena Strubbe says.

The race for South Dakota’s open U.S. Senate seat is taking shape with both major political parties fielding a candidate.

Many Republicans are backing former Governor Mike Rounds as the top contender for the open senate seat.   Former Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin who was seen as a possible front runner for the Democrats bowed out on Monday.   Many in the party are now throwing their weight behind Rick Weiland, who has run for congress twice before in South Dakota.   

Events calendars in the state’s largest cities are often littered with different seminars or public gatherings. As the weather warms, almost every weekend is host to a walking or running fundraiser of some sort.

Physicians, personal trainers, and even middle school gym teachers say it. Running is a healthy way to exercise. Doctor Jodi Scott in Sioux Falls is a longtime runner, and she’s lacing up her shoes for the Avera Race Against Breast Cancer.

The executive board of the South Dakota legislature has approved payment of membership dues and travel expenses for legislators who want to be involved in the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. It’s one of four national organizations approved for these expenses. Members say it’s a forum where they can hear from national experts and learn what’s going on in other states. Detractors say it’s a conservative, corporate-driven arena that churns out template legislation.

A renowned filmmaker from New York says people have a lot to learn about one of the most famous stories ever told. Local actors in Sioux Falls showcase The Wizard of Oz this week, and an acclaimed documentary producer says the story’s meaning runs much deeper than a lost little girl and her dog trying to make their way back to Kansas.

Thousands graduate from South Dakota colleges in May, and some of them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas this weekend. Graduates at one state school host an acclaimed author for their commencement. Kathleen Norris writes non-fiction, and she’s published seven books of poetry. 

This week, a freelance writer and poet tours sights on South Dakota State University’s campus. Kathleen Norris prepares for her commencement address. The title is “Refusing to Live on an Island.”

On April 17, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling that could invalidate a South Dakota law allowing forced blood draws without a warrant from DUI arrestees. Defense attorneys say the recent ruling could reveal implied consent to be unconstitutional. But the Attorney General says any change in South Dakota’s implied consent law is up to the courts and the legislature. For today’s Dakota Digest, SDPB’s Victoria Wicks explores the ramifications of the high court’s decision in Missouri v. McNeely.

The Oglala Sioux Tribal President says the tribe will not buy the land for sale on the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre at the current asking price of nearly four million dollars.
 
The land owner gave the tribe until May 1st to purchase the property–or will it would be sold to the highest bidder.    SDPB's Charles Michael Ray has this story.

The season of spring comes with notions of new green plants peeking through the soil and warm sunshine. South Dakota’s first full month of spring this year was far from that picturesque mirage. The snowy weather and cold temperatures in some places were unprecedented. April offered some standout statistics, and some other weather elements that seem extreme but are really just average.

April showers bring May flowers, but what do April ice and wind and snow storms bring? According to weather experts, all-time records. Let’s start in Rapid City.

Construction in the state’s largest city is booming. Building permits for more than $200 million are already issued for 2013. It’s the first time the city has ever hit that mark in April. The milestone is good news for Sioux Falls on top of more positive numbers rolling in from 2012.