The Chamberlain City Commission will meet Monday, August 16th at 6:00 p.m. at the Chamberlain City Offices located at 715 Main Street. The Chamberlain City Commission meets on the first and third Monday of every month.
Category Archives: News
Fun Chamber Promotion Currently Happening
Be on the lookout for “Bears” in Winner. There will be 10 bears placed in 10 chamber member businesses. Find the bear and return it to chamber office and receive $50 of labor day carnival tickets. There will be 2 bears with a special keychain, find this special bear and win $250 of winner cash. Any questions one can contact the Chamber office 842-1533.
2021 Soil Health School, Aug. 25-27 in Mitchell, SD
The South Dakota Soil Health Coalition will host its annual Soil Health School Aug. 25-27 in Mitchell, SD.
This two-and-a-half-day event combines classroom sessions and field exercises to provide approximately 30 participants with an intense course in soil health management. The event brings in experts from across the state and out of state to explain details like nutrient management, residue control, seeding issues, weed and pest management, growing cover crops, incorporating livestock, soil carbon, saline soil remediation, and much more. In the field, participants see plot trials and learn how to graze livestock on cover crops, apply manure with minimum soil disturbance, and conduct soil health tests. Mornings are spent in the classroom, and afternoons are spent in the field.
The evenings feature discussion panels so participants can ask experienced soil health producers what worked for them and what mistakes to avoid. These sessions tend to produce excellent conversations between participants and producers.
To learn more about the School, visit https://www.sdsoilhealthcoalition.org/event-calendar/soil-health-school/.
Members of the press wishing to cover Soil Health School should contact Stan Wise, SDSHC communications coordinator, to arrange interviews. He can be reached at 605-368-4091 or stan.soilhealth@sdconservation.net.
Johnson at Sioux Empire Fair Today
U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D) will attend the Sioux Empire Fair today in Sioux Falls. He will also present a Vietnam commemorative pin in Lennox later in the day.
What: Sioux Empire Fair Visit & Speaking Event
When: Wednesday, August 11; 10:30 AM CT
Where: Mainstage at Grandstand at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds
100 N Lyon Blvd
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
What: Ag Panel
When: Wednesday, August 11; 1:00 PM CT
Where: Mainstage at Grandstand at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds
100 N Lyon Blvd
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
Update: Iron Wildfire in The Black Elk Wilderness Area
Fire crews worked over the weekend to contain and control the Iron Wildfire in the Black Elk Wilderness Area. The fire was started by lightning and was contained at 1.19 acres. The Trailhead parking areas and hiking trails that were closed are now open to the public.
Dusty Johnson in Platte on Tuesday
On Tuesday, August 10th, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) will host a Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Pinning Ceremony and an “Inside Scoop” town hall in Platte. South Dakota constituents are invited to attend the Inside Scoop to ask questions and share concerns with their representative.
What: Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Pinning
When: Tuesday, August 10; 9:30 AM CT
Where: Platte South Park
101 E 10th Street
Platte, SD 57369
What: Platte Inside Scoop
When: Tuesday, August 10; 4:00 PM CT
Where: Little Brick Ice Cream
311 S Main St, Unit 2
Platte, SD 57369
State Selects CGL Group to Review Department of Corrections
The State of South Dakota has selected CGL Companies of Sacramento, CA to conduct a comprehensive review of Department of Corrections (DOC) operations.
The review will focus on safety and security, organizational climate, and policy content and compliance, including the agency organizational structure, staffing, equipment protocols, ancillary operations in education and prison industry, and training procedures.
“The Bureau of Human Resources’ internal review is making steady progress. We’re hearing the concerns of DOC staff and are taking action. Safety of staff and inmates at our correctional facilities remains my top priority,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “CGL has the necessary experience and expertise in correctional system management and operations to provide the review that we need.”
Governor Noem had previously instructed Interim DOC Secretary Reisch, BHR Commissioner Darin Seeley, and Department of Social Services Secretary Laurie Gill to commission an independent third party to review the prison system and offer additional recommendations.
CGL has conducted system-wide assessments of a dozen state prison systems. They have worked with more than 900 counties and municipalities, all 50 states, and 20 countries to provide system planning, operational reviews, program evaluations, facility design, and maintenance solutions.
The estimated cost of the review is $166,410. CGL staff will commence initial project activity and data gathering as early as late August, with on-site reviews beginning in September. The review is expected to require four months from commencement to completion.
Additionally, Director of Pheasantland Industries Stefany Bawek has been terminated, and two other DOC employees have been relieved of their duties. Three other DOC employees have been reassigned to other roles following additional review by the Bureau of Human Resources (BHR).
Further updates will come from the Department of Corrections.
Governor Noem Statement on Board of Regents Draft Policy Restricting CRT in Colleges, Universities
Governor Kristi Noem released the following statement in response to the South Dakota Board of Regents’ approval of a draft policy restricting the teaching of Critical Race Theory at state colleges and universities:
“I am grateful the Board of Regents is taking steps to address this divisive subject and limit its application in our university classrooms. Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, and the works of Ibram Kendi divide students, distort their understanding of history, and seek to indoctrinate them with anti-patriotic rhetoric. Additionally, I am glad to see that so-called diversity offices, which have unfortunately become less about serving students and more about advancing leftist agendas, are being replaced by Opportunity Centers that will focus on students as individuals, rather than members of groups. The policies put forth by the Board of Regents are a step forward in our quest to resist the harmful effects this ideology can have on students and preserve honest, patriotic education throughout South Dakota. I look forward to continuing the conversation with our legislators and education leaders in the coming months.”
In May, Governor Noem sent a letter to each member of the Board of Regents asking them to examine whether state funds were being used to support Critical Race Theory and its cohorts in post-secondary public institutions, as well as the operations of diversity offices. The draft policy released today by the Board took steps to align with the requests from that letter, which can be read here.
In July, the governor signed an executive order banning the state Department of Education from applying for federal grants tied to Critical Race Theory and action civics. In the order, Governor Noem signaled her intent to work with the legislature in the upcoming session to address further resistance to Critical Race Theory being taught in public schools.
Anthem Oats Adds Value to Family Farm & Connects Farmers with Consumers
Farmers are excellent problem-solvers. And that is exactly what Brown County farmer Taylor Sumption set out to do when he came up with the idea behind Anthem Oats.
“I had been looking for a way to add value to our family’s farm,” explains the fifth-generation farmer. “This idea really came out of frustration over the environment we market our commodities into. As it gets more and more consolidated, with fewer buyers, it seems today’s farmers really have two options – keep growing bigger, bigger, bigger to make things work, or you can add value to the products you grow. I’m a big believer that value-added agriculture is what is going to save the family farmer.”
The Sumption family has farmed in northeastern South Dakota since 1882. Since he graduated from South Dakota State University in 1996, Sumption has raised crops and cattle with his dad, John, and four brothers – Mark, Chris, Eric and Warren. In recent years, the operation has expanded to include the sixth generation.
“On our farm, we have a lot of mouths to feed. So, I was looking for a way to add value to our operation today as well as future generations who want to return to the family farm,” Sumption explains.
After nearly a decade of research, the commodity Sumption landed on was oats. And not just any oats, but the Rushmore variety developed by South Dakota State University.
“Oats are good for the soil. And they fit well into our farm’s crop rotation because they have a shorter growing season so we can follow them with cover crops that our cattle fall graze,” Sumption explains. He adds that there is also a yield bump to corn bushels when it follows oats in the rotation.
Anthem Oats is a farm-to-table business model. It begins with harvesting the oats they raise on their farm. Then, processing the oats locally. And shipping Anthem instant oatmeal direct to consumers and grocery stores from the warehouse they built on farmland that overlooks the Frederick ballfields and Maple River.
“Bridging the gap that has grown between farmers and consumers is an aspect of Anthem Oats that is important to us. Consumers want to know where their food comes from and our oatmeal connects them to the family who grew it,” Sumption explains. “As a commodity producer, I didn’t think about the impact getting feedback from the people eating it has been really fulfilling to hear what the consumer has to say.”
Owned by Sumption Farms, all farming family members have input, but Sumption and his wife, Cassie, have taken the lead and focus their time and efforts in all aspects of Anthem Oats – product development, processing, packaging, marketing and sales.
“It is beyond rewarding to be working for something that is our family’s,” explains Cassie, who prior to Anthem Oats worked off the farm in customer service. “I’ve always worked hard, but it seems like this is the hardest I’ve ever worked, and I love it.”
Initially, when the Sumptions began meeting with consultants, the Anthem Oats business model did not include marketing direct to consumers, but the COVID-19 pandemic motivated Sumption and his wife, Cassie, to add an online store.
“COVID changed everything,” Sumption says. “Instead of marketing our product through food shows, all our meetings are virtual. And since more and more consumers are shopping online, it just made sense that we would offer the product direct as well as wholesale.”
Along with opportunities, the pandemic also introduced some supply chain challenges where ingredients and packaging materials are concerned. But the Sumptions have figured out ways to keep moving ahead.
Today, Anthem Oats is on grocery store shelves or can be purchased online by visiting www.anthemoats.com.
“One thing about farmers is we are very, very, very good problem-solvers,” Sumption says. “We get problems thrown at us on a daily basis, so we develop a mindset that we can do just about anything. We just need to figure out a way.”
You can learn more about the Sumption family by visiting www.anthemoats.com.
South Dakota Remote Works Training Resumes in September
A digital workforce revolution has swept the world due to COVID-19, and South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension’s South Dakota Remote Works program has been providing a series of key tools for remote workers statewide.
“The evolution of work to increasingly remote or hybrid formats is a change that was happening before COVID-19, but has significantly accelerated,” says Joshua Hofer, Community Vitality Field Specialist for SDSU Extension. “Progressive, future-visioning communities need to be prepared with the skillsets, infrastructure and assets to attract and retain the modern remote worker.”
Remote work brings unique benefits to the workforce. According to Hofer, SmallBizGenius noted in a 2021 survey that:
- Seventy-six percent of workers would be more willing to stay with their current employer if they could work flexible hours.
- Companies allowing remote work have 25% lower employee turnover than those that don’t.
- People who work remotely at least once a month are 24% more likely to be happy and productive.
This shift comes at a unique time in South Dakota employment history. In June, the Argus Leader reported a record 24,000 jobs were available throughout South Dakota on the SDWORKS website, and the South Dakota unemployment rate is 2.8%, one of the lowest in the nation.
So, is remote work a boon or a threat to South Dakota businesses? It could represent both, notes Hofer.
“Businesses will need to be thoughtful and process-oriented as remote work opens up employment competition that we have not seen before,” Hofer says.
At the same time, he says citizens employed in other states can now work remotely, valuing the security, space and wide-open nature of South Dakota.
“Moving forward, the challenge is for communities to leverage their assets and build places that are attractive to live, play and work in,” Hofer says.
South Dakota Remote Works specifically aims at the skillset challenges in this workforce transition. Established in January of 2021, the program is a collaboration with Utah State University’s Rural Online Initiative that provides “specialized remote work training to individuals for success in a rapidly changing economy.”
Feedback over the first six months has been strong, says Hofer, with several individuals finding remote employment as soon as 30 days after, and the program is gaining a growing base of participants.
The course is now offered quarterly in September and November of 2021 and February, May, September and November of 2022. It takes around a month to complete (20–30 hours total), and the cost is $125, with scholarships available through support from the Bush Foundation.
To learn more, visit the South Dakota Remote Works page (extension.sdstate.edu/south-dakota-remote-works). To register for the September course, visit the SDSU Extension Events page (extension.sdstate.edu/events). Registration closes Aug. 24 at noon CDT.