Lura Roti

Setting New Year’s resolutions is a tradition for many. Keeping them may not be. While 2021 is still young.

If you’re like me, it’s easy to come up with a list of goals to accomplish in the new year - things I’d like to change about myself or new activities I want to try. But by year’s end, there aren’t many resolutions on that list that I can cross off.

What does the number 1,250 mean to most South Dakotans? Unless it’s your loved one, friend or co-worker who has lost their life to COVID-19, probably not much. But to the many healthcare workers caring for dying patients, this number is taking its toll. SDPB’s Lura Roti visits with a Registered Nurse and hospital therapist to try to understand how the pandemic impacts their mental health.

If you’re a Warner High School athlete, wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is a team effort.

When Warner High School senior, Summer Scepaniak sees a classmate without their mask on, she’s quick to react.

In The Moment … November 17, 2020 Show 943 Hour 2

Nature is all around us, and a University of Sioux Falls English professor integrated the outdoors into a Literature class he taught this fall. SDPB's Lura Roti reports this story from Blood Run.

South Dakotans are coming up with creative ways to celebrate Halloween safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. SDPB’s Lura Roti has this story.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of ringing dozens of doorbells while trick-or-treating or crowding into a haunted house this Halloween sends a shiver up the spines of many South Dakotans.

It’s co-op month. During the month of October many South Dakotans reflect on the century-old cooperative business model and say it is as relevant today as ever.

If you want to learn about cooperatives and their role in South Dakota, South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke says there’s one person to talk to. 

“Hal Clemensen. No doubt in my mind, you know Hal is just a wealth of information, he grew up with it, like I did. His dad was a strong, strong believer in cooperatives, which Hal is too. If you wanted to visit with anybody, that’s the man,” Sombke says.

Voters know what their job is this election. But what happens after they vote? To learn more about what happens once South Dakotans cast our ballots, SDPB’s Lura Roti talks with those working behind the scenes. 

“It’s tightly planned. There’s a lot of chaos, but there is still organization behind the chaos. Just one thing after another,” says Bob Litz.

That’s how Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz describes Election Day and the people and processes in place.

This fall marks the 101st harvest on the Bainbridge family farm near Ethan. As their combine rolls across fields of corn, the family says their farm is much more than a family business; it’s a legacy.

Born and raised on the farm his sons Matt and Neal now run, third-generation farmer, Lewis Bainbridge says he has a lot to be grateful for this harvest.

Vine-fresh tomatoes. Freshly dug potatoes. You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy garden-fresh vegetables. In South Dakota communities large and small, there are gardeners willing to sell their produce. SDPBs Lura Roti has this story.

“It’s just a shift in mindset from being a state that’s raising a lot of commodity crops and livestock, to a state that’s thought about producing the food that we eat here,” says Kari O’Neill.

When they say “Hello” to baby, this sleep coach says parents don’t need to say “Goodbye” to a good night’s sleep.

Ashley Jorgensen says goodnight to her 4-month-old sons Harvey and Walker. After she turns on the white noise, turns off the light and leaves the twins’ bedroom, she can count on 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep with one occasional feeding.

A good night’s sleep for this mom of four, 5 and under is something she values. Because she remembers what it’s like to go without.

Case study research can tell us a lot about how to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19. But without a medical or science background, understanding the research and applying it can be challenging. Some architects are trying to help.

Tom Hurlbert is a South Dakota architect. But when he’s trying to explain the benefits of socializing or doing business outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the founding partner of Co-Op Architecture puts on his dad hat.

School year 2020 is far from typical. And it’s even more unique for the nearly 3,000 Sioux Falls’ students opting to learn from home through the district’s Virtual Academy curriculum. SDPB’s Lura Roti talks with parents and administrators to learn more.

When the pandemic closed schools spring 2020, South Dakota parents of school-age children quickly became familiar with remote schooling. But the Virtual Academy option the Sioux Falls School District offers families who don’t feel safe returning to the traditional classroom this fall is different, explains Kirk Zeeck. 

When you think of fraud, honey may not come to mind - that is unless you’re a U.S. beekeeper.

U.S. demand for honey far exceeds the 156 million pounds U.S. beekeepers and their bees can produce. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, each year about 596 million pounds of honey are consumed by U.S. households and food processing facilities. 

But profits aren’t what some might think. The livelihood of U.S. beekeepers is challenged by a substance disguised as pure honey, imported and sold to U.S. food processors. 

What is it like to welcome a baby into the world during a pandemic? SDPB's Lura Roti visits with newborn Charlie Bies's parents, grandparents and doctor to find out.

Four-days old in this recording, Charlie Bies won’t understand until he’s much older, but he was born during an unprecedented time. And unlike the experience his big sister, Adelaide had when she was born nearly two years ago, many of those who love him, have not been able to cuddle him yet. 

In The Moment … May 6, 2020 Show 811 Hour 1

Jokes chalked on sidewalks, teddy bears in windows, nightly noise, and front porch concerts, Sioux Falls' neighbors are doing their part to maintain community in a time of social distancing. SDPB's Lura Roti has this snapshot.

In The Moment ... May 7 2019 Show 570 Hour 1

May is National Preservation Month.

Lura Roti has organized a preservation reception in Sioux Falls. More than 130 owners of historic properties in Sioux Falls are expected to attend. It's scheduled for 4:00-5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Roti is joined by Diane deKoeyer, liaison to the City of Sioux Falls Board of Historic Preservation, and Adam Nyhaug, registrar for the Siouxland Heritage Museums. 

South Dakota Farmers Union president Doug Sombke and ag writer Lura Roti join Midday to talk about life on the farm and the “Celebrate Farm Families” initiative, an online  project to document the lives of farmers and farm families.