WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Post published the results of a recent study which showed that South Dakota witnessed one of the highest percentage increases in the number of students receiving lessons in homeschooling settings instead of public K-12 schools in recent years.
South Dakota saw a 94% increase, ranking it third-highest in the nation, with the District of Columbia leading at 108%, followed by New York at 103%. South Dakota’s legislative changes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are cited as factors behind this surge.
The state’s Department of Education reported a notable rise in alternative instruction students, emphasizing the importance of parental choice in education.
The article also highlights the broader trend of parents having more tools and flexibility to teach their children at home, leading to an increase in homeschooling.
Mount Vernon was the only public-school district in South Dakota without an alternative-instruction student during the 2022-23 school year, according to the education department. The department provides instructions for home-schooling on a webpage.
CHAMBERLAIN, SD – Lake Francis Case Development Corp recently received a $54,000 Revolving Loan Fund Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development.
Mike Lauritsen, the former Executive Director of Lake Francis Case Development Corp, expressed his excitement about the grant, saying, “We are grateful to receive the $54,000 Revolving Loan Fund Grant from USDA Rural Development. Like many other communities in South Dakota, we are actively addressing the challenges of housing and childcare shortages. However, our focus is not solely limited to these issues; we are equally committed to business retention, expansion, and development.
This grant will play a crucial role in supporting these objectives. For instance, we can provide financial assistance in the form of a $54,000 loan, matching the amount required by a small business for purchasing a new building. For example, if a small business would like to add on to their facility and need $100,000 for renovations or an addition, we can offer up to half of that loan at a below-market interest rate. Historically we have offered financing at half of what the commercial interest rate is. It’s important to emphasize that we are not in competition with our local banks. Instead, we aim to collaborate with them, assuming a second or third position in the loans, thereby reducing risk and making the loans more appealing to the banks. This partnership offers a great opportunity for small businesses to grow, as we can act as a true gap financier for them. As the Economic Development Corporation, we are willing to take on more risk and except a second or third position in the loan.”
The Revolving Loan Fund Grant program, offered by USDA Rural Development, primarily aims to support local businesses in their growth and development. The program targets businesses with fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue, ensuring that even the smallest enterprises receive the support needed to flourish and make significant contributions to the region’s prosperity.
*The following from Stu Whitney/South Dakota News Watch*
SIOUX FALLS, SD – One of the Midwest’s most prominent election deniers stood next to a pinball machine at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls in October, outlining how he impacted South Dakota’s 2022 race for secretary of state.
Rick Weible, a 51-year-old computer analyst and Republican Party operative, had just given a slideshow to a group called Concerned Citizens of Lincoln County about alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election and perceived vulnerabilities in South Dakota’s voting systems.
The former small-town mayor from Minnesota, who now lives in the eastern South Dakota town of Elkton, spoke with News Watch after the presentation. He said that he initially saw himself as a potential candidate to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Steve Barnett at the 2022 state GOP convention.
Then Weible and his wife, Gretchen, met Monae Johnson, a more palatable nominee because she previously worked in the secretary of state’s office. Johnson, who declared her candidacy in February 2022, had publicly expressed doubts about the validity of the 2020 election, refusing to acknowledge President Joe Biden’s win over former President Donald Trump.
The Weibles, who moved to South Dakota from Minnesota as “tax refugees” in 2018, viewed Johnson as someone who could help them reform the system from within.
But as Republicans approached the June convention in Watertown and prepared to select nominees for offices such as secretary of state and attorney general, Weible saw problems with Johnson’s political effort.
“We found out her campaign was a complete fraud,” said Weible, who runs a cyber security business called D3Defense in Brookings. “She didn’t have a campaign speech, so I had to write one for her. She didn’t have room reservations. She had no T-shirts, no signs, no buttons. She wasn’t even totally sure of the rules of the convention.”
Johnson declined an interview request with News Watch for this story. In response to a question about Weible, state elections director Rachel Soulek sent a statement that the secretary of state’s office is “constantly combatting misinformation and disinformation regarding elections. We encourage voters to turn to their trusted sources for election information, which are the Secretary of State’s Office and our county auditors.”
