PIERRE, SD – The Department of Health is reporting the first influenza death of the 2023-2024 season, a Minnehaha County resident in the 80-89 age group.

“Influenza can be a very serious illness,” said Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist for the Department of Health. “Taking preventative measures like regularly washing hands, covering your cough, and getting vaccinated against flu will protect you and your family.”

Clayton noted it is still early in the flu season with only 32 lab-confirmed flu cases and three hospitalizations reported; however, an average of 35 South Dakotan deaths are reported each year.

During the flu season, we encourage all South Dakotans to take the following preventative actions to help slow the spread of the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth;
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; and
• Stay home if you are sick.

In addition to preventative actions, yearly flu vaccinations are recommended for everyone age six months and older. Groups like pregnant women, children younger than five years, people over 65 years, and people with chronic medical conditions are at higher risk for flu-related complications. Healthcare workers and household contacts of high-risk populations, such as those with young infants, should also be vaccinated.

A list of participating locations offering flu vaccines in your community can be found online. For more information and the latest resources visit flu.sd.gov.
Influenza is a virus spread by respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes. Common signs and symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, body or muscle aches, and runny or stuffy nose.

 

DES MOINES, IA – An evidentiary hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline permit in Iowa concluded this week after months of hearings along with the final remaining testimony of landowners in the path of the company’s project.

Now we wait for the Iowa Utilities Board to make a decision about whether to grant the company a hazardous liquid pipeline permit, grant it with modifications to the company’s proposal, or deny it.

State law does not dictate when that decision must be made, but participants in the proceedings will have an opportunity to submit substantial written arguments based on the evidence gathered during the hearing.

The board has indicated that those written briefs — each of which can be up to 150 pages in length — will be due six weeks after transcripts of the full hearing are available. After that there will be a further three-week window for any replies to those briefs to be submitted.

Summit’s permit request in Iowa is part of a five-state plan to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to North Dakota for underground sequestration. More than 680 miles of its proposed pipeline system would be laid in Iowa.
The company had sought an IUB decision by the end of the year, but the hearings went much longer than the company and the board had planned. It began Aug. 22 and was anticipated to conclude by the end of September, but testimony stretched into October and led to a monthlong pause due to scheduling conflicts.

The hearing resumed this week and ended Wednesday. Rather than lasting six weeks, the hearing concluded about 11 weeks after it began. The company heralded its conclusion as “a significant event in the progress of the transformative pipeline project.”

Summit had initially planned to have its pipeline system in operation sometime in 2024.

Although the permit process in Iowa is expected to extend into next year, the delay is overshadowed by the company’s setbacks in North and South Dakota.

Both states denied Summit’s initial permit applications. North Dakota is in the process of reconsidering the company’s proposal with modifications, but there is no deadline for that process to complete.

Summit has indicated it will reapply for a permit to build its pipeline through South Dakota, but it has declined to say when that will happen. The permit process typically takes no more than a year.

After those setbacks, the company announced in October that the pipeline system will not be operational until early 2026.

 

PIERRE, SD – The state Board of Economic Development approved two business loans this week totaling $2.38 million.

The board met Wednesday and approved a $1.8 million Revolving Economic Development & Initiative (REDI) loan for Southfork Investments LLC to buy and improve a building, and a $575,000 SD Works loan for Harris Machine Co. to buy equipment. Harris Machine, a manufacturing company in Aberdeen, was co-founded by Jay Harris, who’s listed in public corporate filings as the organizer of Southfork Investments.

The loan programs are administered by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The REDI Fund offers low-interest loans to promote economic growth and job creation, covering up to 45% of a project’s cost. Projects can include land purchases, site improvements, construction, acquisition or renovation of a building, or machinery and equipment purchases.

The board has approved five REDI fund loans this year totaling $8.71 million.
The SD Works program offers loans to businesses for construction, buying equipment and general expenses.

The board has approved 13 SD Works loans so far this year totaling $8.04 million.

 

SPEARFISH, SD – The state Board of Regents have named the final four candidates in the search for the next president of Black Hills State University.

The four finalists will visit Spearfish next week to meet with board members.

The finalists include Dr. Matt Cecil, a South Dakota native who is the current Provost and VP of academic and student affairs at Northern Kentucky University.

Dr. Fredrich Chilson, the current provost and VP for academic affairs at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho.

Steve Elliot, the current VP of academic affairs at Wayne State College in Nebraska, where he has served in various positions since 2003.

And Dr. Angie Fincannon, the dean of the college of business at the Indiana Institute of Technology. She has previously held positions in administrative and athletic roles at Indiana University and Purdue.

Final private meetings with the finalists will be held Tuesday.