The American Federation for Children, the nation’s voice for educational choice, applauds the South Dakota Legislature for passing Senate Bill 71 today, expanding eligibility and funding for the Partners in Education Tax Credit Program. This legislation increases the total funding cap on the program and allows more families to participate in this life-changing opportunity. The bill is now headed to Governor Noem’s desk.

Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children:

“We are thrilled to see that 2022 is already on its way to being another banner year for school choice, and we congratulate South Dakota for being on track to be the first state to create or expand school choice programs this year. More parents than ever want and need options for their children, and these programs provide them. AFC will continue working on behalf of millions of frustrated families by supporting these school choice expansions state by state.”

Details:

• SB71 would increase the tax credit scholarship cap from $2 million to $3.5 million.
• Additionally, it would allow children in foster care to participate in the program.
• The House vote was 44 to 23. The bill already passed the Senate 27 to 5.
• Governor Kristi Noem, a strong supporter of school choice, is expected to sign the bill into law.

With just a little over three weeks in the Winner community, Guardian Flight has had a significant impact in ensuring timely services for patients who are in need of enhanced healthcare. The Guardian Flight Winner base will consist of a team of eight; four pilots, two registered nurses (RN), and two paramedics. The pilots will work two weeks on and two weeks off, whereas the RNs and the paramedics will work one week on and one week off. While they play a vital role in our community, it’s equally important to get to know those providing the services. As the director of marketing and philanthropy, I had the pleasure to meet a few of them and get to see the interior and exterior of the plane. Chelsea Groom is a paramedic who is scheduled to move to Winner in March. She and her nine-year old black lab, Maya are looking forward to being part of the community. Chelsea is originally from the Tallmadge, Ohio area and therefore is a huge Cleveland Browns fan. Prior to joining Guardian Flight, she worked in a Level I Trauma Center in Cleveland, which has provided her great experience that will benefit her as a flight paramedic for Winner and the surrounding communities. Although she is new to the community, she is very impressed with how friendly everyone is and how excited they are to have Guardian Flight as an added community service that will compliment Winner Regional Health. Chelsea expressed receiving a very warm welcome at Winner Regional Health and that Julie Hennebold, RN and the Utilization Review/Discharge Coordinator was very helpful in giving her a tour and answering any questions she had.

Like any great service, someone needs to lead the ship, or in this case fly the aircraft. Samantha Hendy is one of four pilots, who is from Casper, Wyoming. She brings over nine years as a pilot from flying corporate to medic flights. She expressed how much she appreciates having a part in helping others, especially in a time of need. When she was hired on as a pilot for Guardian Flight, she was given two choices, one being Winner and the other being in Colorado. Once she realized Winner had a golf course, she knew it was a great fit, for those days she is not working.

Since being stationed in Winner on January 14th, they have provided 12 flights, 10 for Winner Regional Health and two from their Rosebud location. Their flights consisted of those with Covid, pneumonia, STEMI (heart), and surgeries. While this is only a few, it is important to understand the impact of timely services, especially in times of trauma.

One concept that sounded very loud throughout my interview with them, was their team approach. They have a strong and mutual respect for each other’s experience and skillset. In fact, Samantha stated, “I am never worried that they will leave without me,” keeping in mind she is the pilot. While it is seldom, times may arise when they have to refuse a transport, due to health concerns, weather, etc. However; those decisions are always made by the pilot, RN, and paramedic. In these situations, they want the community to know they are present to assist Winner Regional Health in any way possible. Please take a moment to reach out to them when you see them in the community. Also, a sincere thank you to Guardian Flight for being an event sponsor for the Comedy Night and Chili Feed on April 5th, 2022.

Applications are now open for the South Dakota Retailers Association’s $1,000 Workforce Incentive. This cash incentive program is designed to address the workforce shortage in retail, restaurants, hospitality, grocery, trades, and many other businesses. Individuals from out-of-state who come to work in South Dakota can receive a $1,000 workforce incentive. “We know that workforce is the number one issue facing businesses in South Dakota,” said Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “As workers around the country look to South Dakota as a new place to call home, we hope this incentive will make our great state even more attractive.”

The $1,000 workforce incentive will be paid directly to an employee hired from out-of-state to work in a Retailers Association member-business. To be eligible, an employee must work at least 30 hours per week for 90 days at a physical location in South Dakota. The program launched on November 1, and applicants who have completed 90 days of employment are now invited to apply. This $1,000 cash payment would supplement any hiring bonuses or other incentives offered by an individual business.

“We are excited to open the application process,” said Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “We hope that business owners can use this recruiting tool to supplement their own efforts.” Employees or eligible business owners can apply for find more information on eligibility details at sdra.org.

Governor Kristi Noem announced that her campaign raised over $11.8 million cycle-to-date across all committees. This total includes over $8.5 million raised across all committees in the 2021 Year-End Reports. Governor Noem has over $7.3 million cash on hand across all committees.

The total amount raised and cash on hand is the largest ever by any South Dakota gubernatorial candidate, incumbent or challenger, heading into an election year.

“I’m humbled and grateful by the support that Lt. Governor Rhoden and I have gotten for our re-election campaign. We’ll continue to work hard for the people of South Dakota and campaign hard over the next ten months to earn their trust for another four years,” Governor Noem said.

South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension personnel invite individuals involved in farming, ranching and other agriculture-related occupations to participate in a statewide comprehensive needs assessment on farm/ranch stress and mental health as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (USDA FRSAN) program. The purpose of FRSAN is to connect individuals involved in the agriculture industry to stress assistance programs.

The comprehensive needs assessment is a three-part process, which includes key informant interviews, focus groups and a mailed survey. Key informant interviews have already been completed, while the survey is still being developed and will be distributed across the state this spring.

Prospective participants for these focus groups include farmers, ranchers and anyone who works with farmers or ranchers, including but not limited to spouses, agribusiness professionals and agricultural educators.

In each focus group, participants will be asked a series of questions regarding their perceptions on farm stress and mental health and will have the opportunity to listen to and discuss topics with one another. Upon completion of the focus group, participants will receive a $30 Amazon gift card for their time.

Multiple focus group opportunities will be available throughout February and March in both in-person and online formats. All dates, times and locations can be found in the schedule below.

Schedule

In-person sessions will be held at SDSU Extension Regional Centers, while online sessions will meet via Zoom.

• Feb 1: Sioux Falls Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST
• Feb 2: Rapid City Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 3: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 4: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 8: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 9: Sioux Falls Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST
• Feb 11: Pierre Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST
• Feb 14: Watertown Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST
• Feb 15: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 16: Rapid City Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 22: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 23: Lemmon Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 24: Winner Regional Center- 10:00 a.m. CST
• Feb 24: Rapid City Regional Center- 10:00 a.m. MT
• Feb 28: Online via Zoom – 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MT
• March 1: Mitchell Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST
• March 2: Aberdeen Regional Center – 10:00 a.m. CST

Registration

To reserve your spot in a focus group, please visit: https://sdsuextensionfocusgroups3.questionpro.com

For more information, please reach out to Dr. Andrea Bjornestad at Andrea.Bjornestad@sdstate.edu or 605-688-5125.

Beef producers will have the opportunity to explore the direction of the cattle market and the latest beef cattle research happening at South Dakota State University (SDSU) at the third annual SDSU Beef Day on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. This year’s event will be held in Club 71 inside the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on the SDSU campus.

The day will kick off with a keynote presentation from Katelyn McCullock, Director and Senior Economist for the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC). LMIC has been providing economic analyses and market projections since 1955, and in her presentation, Katelyn will share her thoughts on where the cattle market is headed over the next year.

“Beef Day is about exchanging information and learning as a community,” says Kiernan Brandt, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. “It gives us a chance to come together and to share the work being done to address the problems facing our industry, as well as identifying areas that will be important in the future. Researchers put in a ton of work throughout the year, and this is a fantastic opportunity to share that research with the public and demonstrate SDSU’s commitment to the improvement of the South Dakota beef industry.”

More than 20 different research projects and Extension programs will be highlighted during the day. Graduate students and researchers will be available to interact with attendees and answer questions during the networking break, and a full proceedings document will be provided to each registrant.

Program Agenda:

12:30 p.m.(CST) – Registration

1:00 p.m. – Welcome – Dr. Joe Cassady, Head of the Department of Animal Science and Interim Head of the Department of Dairy and Food Science

1:15 p.m. – Keynote Speaker – Katelyn McCullock, LMIC Director/Senior Economist – “Cattle Markets Outlook”

2:15 p.m. – Networking break

2:45 p.m. – SDSU research updates

• “Principles of holistic resource management: Investing in self-education” – Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension Natural Resources and Wildlife Field Specialist
• “Applications of precision livestock management technology on extensive rangelands” – Jamie Brennan, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Specialist-Livestock Grazing; Hector Menendez, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Specialist-Livestock Grazing
• “Reproductive technologies: Getting pregnant and pregnancy testing” – Julie Walker, Professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist
• “Re-thinking feedlot diets: Alternative feeds and roughage sources” – Warren Rusche, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist

4:45 p.m. – Bull Pen (Q + A) Session

5:00 p.m. – Closing

Advance registration is available at https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/beef-day-2022. Registration is $20, and pre-registration will remain open through the morning of Feb. 9.