The South Dakota Board of Vocational Rehabilitation, Board of Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Statewide Independent Living Council are now accepting nominations for the 2021 Governor’s Awards.

The Governor’s Awards recognize South Dakotans for their contributions to the employment of people with disabilities.

The nomination categories are:

• Distinguished Service
• Outstanding Individual with a Disability
• Outstanding Employee with a Disability
• Outstanding Private Employer (Small Employer)
• Outstanding Private Employer (Large Employer)
• Outstanding Employer (Other)
• Outstanding Transition Services

Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination. Nomination forms can be found online at https://dhs.sd.gov/rehabservices/govawards.aspx.

For assistance, please contact Colette Wagoner at 605-494-3613 or by emailing cwagoner@bhssc.org.

The deadline for submitting names for consideration is Friday, May 3.

The City of Winner will have their meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Winner City Council Chambers.  The City of Gregory will also meet this evening at 6:00 p.m. at Gregory City Hall.  Both cities hold their regular meetings on the first and third Monday of each month.

The Chamberlain City Commission will hold their bi-monthly meeting  Monday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Chamberlain City Offices located at 715 N. Main Street.  For those needing assistance please contact the Finance Office at 234-4401 by 10:00 a.m.  the day of the meeting.

Governor Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 177 into law, which empowers parents who make the choice to educate their children at home.

“Good education starts in the home with strong parents and strong families,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “For some kids, the home is the best environment for them to get an individualized education that fits their needs. This legislation will help parents set their children up for a lifetime of success. It will also give these students the opportunity to participate in activities, which may be the bridge that they need to get back in public school.”

Support for SB 177 brought huge numbers of parents and children from across South Dakota to the State Capitol. Photos of Governor Noem signing the legislation can be found here.

Governor Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 96 into law, which increases access to healthcare by allowing South Dakotans to utilize telehealth flexibilities.

“COVID-19 challenged us in new, unforeseen ways, and those challenges provided us an opportunity to adapt and find innovative ways to deliver healthcare in South Dakota,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We greatly expanded telehealth in 2020. Going forward, we will build on these technological advancements and continue to find ways to remove government red tape in healthcare.”

SB 96 is a permanent extension of portions of both Executive Order 2020-07 and Executive Order 2020-16, which Governor Noem signed last year to increase flexibility in the state’s response to COVID-19. Pictures of the bill signing can be found here.

Governor Noem also signed SB 83 into law, which requires the provision of information regarding perinatal hospice. Pictures of that bill signing can be found here.

Governor Noem has signed 123 bills into law this legislative session.

There is no School on Thursday, March 11th for Winner Schools.

Governor Kristi Noem has signed Senate Bill 31 that allows for the limited release of adult abuse case information necessary to assist adult protective services (APS) to achieve improved outcomes during an investigation.

South Dakota Department of Human Services Cabinet Secretary Shawnie Rechtenbaugh said, “The passage of this legislation will allow for more efficient delivery of services to vulnerable adults in South Dakota, by opening communication.”

APS investigates allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation for vulnerable adults in South Dakota, those over the age of 60 and those over age 18 with a disability. 

Under South Dakota Codified Law, there were no specific guidelines allowing the release of information to cooperating agencies during an investigation; this change corrects that issue.

Rechtenbaugh added, “This legislation will give the department the ability to share information, which may help facilitate a positive outcome for victims of abuse and neglect.”

The new legislation is effective July 1, 2021

Todd County Early Childhood Exceptional Education will be hosting a developmental screening for families  in the school district on March 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This is offered for children who are not already in the program and are ages baby through 5 years old. One can contact the office at 605-856-3513.

The Chamberlain School Board will hold their bi-monthly meeting tonight at the Chamberlain Middle/Highschool Library at 7:00 p.m.  The Chamberlain School Board meets on second and fourth Monday each month.

The Gregory School Board will have their monthly meeting Monday, March 8th at 5:30 p.m. at Gregory Highschool.  The Gregory School Board meets the second Monday of every month.  Monday night’s agenda can be found at https://gregory.k12.sd.us/20-21/March%20Agenda%202021.pdf