$20 MILLION DISPUTED GUN RANGE TO OPEN IN EARLY NOVEMBER

PIEDMONT, S.D. (Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) – Dust plumes rose frequently along a gravel section of Elk Vale Road on the open prairie of Meade County in early September where workers are vigorously trying to finish a gun range that will be among the nation’s largest.

Plumbers, landscapers, equipment operators and construction crews were all busy working or driving to or from the 400-acre site. The goal, according to the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department, is to have the range, located about 12 miles north of Rapid City, ready for public use on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Construction on the range – now known as the Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex – has happened quickly and is going along smoothly, far different from the long, up-and-down path the project went through in the planning and funding processes.

The range proposal was raised by the GFP in 2021 with strong support from former Gov. Kristi Noem. Despite opposition by some lawmakers and neighbors, it is close to completion and is creating a buzz among shooting enthusiasts across the state and region, said John Kanta, a GFP section chief.

“There’s a tremendous amount of excitement among folks who want to start using it,” he said. “Some weeks we’re hearing from people daily who are super excited to get out there and start shooting or get their events scheduled.”

The $20 million range will include 160 rifle, handgun and shotgun shooting bays, a tactical shooting range for shooting and moving, and a 10,000 square-foot main building that can house events, law enforcement training and firearm education, Kanta said.

Some lawmakers opposed funding mechanism

Almost immediately after the range proposal was announced, both support and opposition arose within the South Dakota Legislature.

While some lawmakers have supported construction as a way to serve the public and potentially generate millions of dollars in annual tourism revenue, others have been bothered by the way the project has been funded.

Rep. Liz May, a Republican from Kyle, opposed the use of taxpayer money to build the range. May, who serves on the Joint Committee on Appropriations, said lawmakers defeated six separate bills or funding mechanisms brought forward by range supporters.

“We kept killing it, and they kept bringing it back and bringing it back,” May told News Watch. “I’ve got nothing against guns or gun ranges. But that’s just not an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”

May was particularly bothered when Noem allocated $13.5 million in Future Fund dollars toward construction of the range in 2024.

The Future Fund consists of money collected from most South Dakota businesses as part of unemployment compensation fees. The money is required to be used for “workforce development and technical assistance programs” for workers, including those who have been laid off. Grants are made by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and do not require legislative approval.

“There was opposition from landowners and lawmakers, and they basically just ignored all that and went around the process by using those Future Funds,” May said. “With the whole thing — they really stepped outside the boundaries.”

Donors step in to complete project

GFP officials promised that donations would help fund the construction of the gun range, and their plan has succeeded, with more than $6.3 million either donated or pledged for the project so far.

According to a GFP budget document, obtained by News Watch through a public records request, more than $3 million has been donated and another $3.3 million has been pledged over the next five years by corporations, individuals and groups that support the project.

About a third of the donations have come from firearm industry businesses or groups that support shooting. The top donation of $800,000 with a commitment to give another $1.2 million in the next three years came from Pete Lien & Sons, a Rapid City concrete company that is now the namesake of the range.

The next largest donation of $600,000 came from South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures, a charity group, followed by $200,000 from Scull Construction of Rapid City and $150,000 each from firearm manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Glock.

Annual ongoing expenses at the range will be about $400,000 and include three full-time employees and some seasonal workers as well as upkeep, Kanta said. Those costs will be covered by permit fees paid by some users, support from government agencies that use the range for training and possibly from some federal grant funds, he said.

“No general fund money will be used,” Kanta said.

Some neighbor opposition remains

Joe Norman and his wife, Diane, own a home and a 7,600-acre cattle ranch in Meade County with borders that extend to within close proximity of the gun range site.

Norman, 69, is one of several ranchers and landowners in the area who oppose the location of the gun range. After testifying before the Legislature and opposing the range in public meetings, he is resigned to the fact the range is about to become reality.

Yet Norman remains concerned about heavy traffic on gravel roads in the area, disruption of his cattle, and the noise from the repeated firing of handguns and rifles.

“If they’ve got 175 shooting bays and it’s full, that’s potentially 175 shots every minute. And if they do that for 10 to 12 hours a day, I think the noise is going to be unbelievable,” Norman told News Watch. “The roads have also gone to heck with all the construction traffic.”

Initially, the range was expected to have 175 shooting bays, though that number has been reduced to 160, Kanta said.

Norman said he’s already heard some shooting at the site, even though the formal opening is not until November. He’s concerned that promises to keep the noise level under 64 decibels will be difficult or impossible to monitor and enforce.

Noise from the range will be reduced by the natural topography of the land and by berms and baffling that will help stifle sound, Kanta said. Shooters will aim to the east and northeast where there are no structures for miles, and lead bullets will be captured and contained within federal environmental guidelines, he said.

As part of an agreement with Meade County, a 3-mile section of Elk Vale Road leading to the range will also be paved in the coming months to reduce dust from vehicles.

Norman said he’s disappointed that, in his opinion, the concerns of neighbors were largely ignored by the GFP, state officials and lawmakers who supported the range and were determined to find a way to get it funded and built.

“We were fighting the governor, the lieutenant governor and legislators,” he said. “It feels like the GFP responses have all been smoke and mirrors.”

Excitement building for new shooting option

Despite its strong firearm culture, South Dakota has a fairly limited number of gun ranges. And one argument from range supporters was that more controlled shooting sites were needed to prevent gun owners from leaving messes and creating nuisances at unofficial shooting sites in the Black Hills.

The GFP operates 20 public shooting sites, though most are for archery and only seven allow firearm discharges. Those that allow firearms include North Point in Lake Andes, Oahe Downstream in Fort Pierre, Louis Smith near Mobridge, Brule Bottom north of Chamberlain and South Shore in Codington County.

This interactive map on the GFP website includes location and consumer information for 67 public and private shooting range sites in the state, though many have limited access or are for archery only.

A few ranges are outdoors and allow easy public access, such as the Fall River Gun Club near Hot Springs and the Watertown Area Shooting Complex. A few ranges are indoors, including at Gary’s Gun Shop in Sioux Falls.

The large size, wide range of shooting options and quality of amenities at the new state range will make it a destination for shooting enthusiasts across the state and nation and possibly even internationally, said Mark Blote, a co-owner of First Stop Gun & Coin in Rapid City.

Blote visited the range site in early September and was impressed with the progress. Excitement over the range’s opening is palpable in the firearms community and in the local tourism industry, he said.

“I think it’s going to be great for the gun folks in our area. But it’s truly a world-class facility, so it will do a lot for the economy,” Blote said. “It’s going to bring in a lot of competitions, which will help the hotels and restaurants.”

 

“FAKE DAN OSBORN” – SENATOR PETE RICKETTS ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID, TAKES SHOTS AT OPPONENT

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts has officially announced his bid for re-election for U.S. senate.

Independent candidate Dan Osborn has also launched his campaign, setting the stage for the race to the Senator’s seat in 14 months.

Ricketts was joined by friends, colleagues, and supporters during his announcement. With an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Ricketts said he feels confident about his position heading into the race.

He didn’t hold back on his opponent.

“What we learned about fake Dan Osborn is that he’s a fake,” Ricketts said. “He tries to say he’s going to fight for Nebraskans but 95 percent of his money came from outside the state; places like New York and Washington, D.C.”

Later on in the day candidate Dan Osborn had comments.

“Well actually, if you want to talk about fake, how about buying your way into the Senate with your dad’s money?” Osborn said. “So I would say he’s a fake senator.”

The two candidates will face off in the general election in 14 months. Ricketts said he’s ready for the fight.

“I feel very good. We got a great group of people who are here supporting me today,” Ricketts said. “We’ve got to go out and earn it each and every time. That’s what I’ve done with all my elections and that’s what I’m going to do with this one as well.”

At his announcement, Ricketts was backed by Gov. Jim Pillen, who appointed Ricketts to the seat in 2023, following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

“I would encourage all the voters out there, as you think about this election that is coming up in 14 months, make sure you are registered, get out to vote. That is what America is about,” Ricketts said.

Ricketts again labeled Osborn as a “fake,” pointing to his opposition to Trump.

“He says he’s an independent, yet he voted against Trump,” Ricketts said. “So this guy is a fake, that’s what we learned.”

“I’ve been a registered independent from the time I could vote, and that’s what being an independent means to me,” Osborn said. “It means I don’t want to work for a third party boss, I want to work for the people of Nebraska the way this whole thing was intended to be. A government by and for the people.”

He also criticized Ricketts’ wealth, saying it helped place him in the Senate.

“The system is rigged, but it’s rigged for the people with money, just like Ricketts,” Osborn said. “You know, this isn’t left versus right anymore, this is big versus little. The little people are being left behind and that’s who I want to represent.”

Despite their jabs, the two candidates did find common ground on one issue: political violence.

“We all have to work to take the temperature down with regard to political violence,” Ricketts said. “Political violence is never acceptable. And for those who think that it is, you’re siding with people who are anti-American. This is not who we are as Americans.”

“This political violence has to stop,” he said. “Again, just like after 9/11 we came together. Anytime there is a tragedy, we should be coming together and not pointing the finger.”

In last year’s election, Osborn ran against Sen. Deb Fischer, narrowly losing by nearly 63,000 votes.

 

BELIEF IN EDUCATION’S ROLE IN COMMUNITY DROVE $33 MILLION GIFT SAYS DONOR

MITCHELL, S.D. (Josh Haiar / South Dakota Searchlight) – One of South Dakota’s wealthiest businessmen says an aspect of economic development often gets overlooked — great public schools.

“If families know their children can get a top-quality education in Mitchell, that makes us more attractive than bigger, busier places,” said Roger Musick, who started and sold the telecommunications and software company, Innovative Systems.

In mid-August, Musick devoted $33 million to education in his hometown of about 15,000 people. That includes a $15 million endowment for Mitchell Public Schools, another $15 million for Dakota Wesleyan University, and $3 million to get program expansions rolling immediately without waiting for the endowment to collect interest.

Bank of America will invest the money. The endowment will earn about 7% annually. Five percent will support programs each year. Two percent will be reinvested to grow the account.

A five-member board will oversee the programs. Members include Mitchell’s superintendent, the school board president, one board appointee, Dakota Wesleyan’s president and Musick.

Working parents

Musick has brought a lot of workers to Mitchell over his decades in business. He said it wasn’t the Corn Palace, the lake or the city’s events that convinced applicants to move. What they wanted was a quality education system for their kids and a safe place to leave them during the workday.

So one of the projects expands Mitchell’s “Begindergarten” program. The class serves children old enough for kindergarten who are not quite ready socially or academically.

The state funds only a half-day Begindergarten program, which limited access for working parents, Musick explained. The endowment expands Mitchell’s program to allow for full-day classes.

I want to live in a society where everybody is well educated, not just the people that can afford it. I have nothing against private education, but it will typically only be available to people who can afford it. Public education is what we have to have.

– Roger Musick

Musick said enrollment has already risen 80%, and the goal is to make it so that parents do not have to choose between waiting another year or sending their child unprepared.

After-school programs are also a priority. With the new funding, each public elementary school is hosting its own after-school program, staffed by certified teachers and aides, so parents no longer need to arrange rides to off-site locations.

“Some kids have great support at home to get their homework done. Some don’t,” Musick said. “This way, every child gets that help, and they also get experiences they might never have had otherwise.”

Students complete homework, receive tutoring, and participate in activities like sports and the arts.

“I hope this becomes a really good workforce recruitment tool,” Musick said.

Tressa Wede, director of education and community engagement at Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, said demand is high. She said at L.B. Williams Elementary, where she previously taught, about 140 students are already taking advantage of the after-school program.

“The reception has been phenomenal,” she said.

At the university, the endowment will pay for teaching scholarships — encouraging more students to pursue careers as educators. Additionally, the fund will pay for Mitchell teachers to pursue their master’s degree. Musick said that’s all because teachers in South Dakota struggle with low salaries, discouraging people from pursuing the profession. The state ranks 46th nationally for teacher pay.

“Our teachers are far more valuable than that, and we need more emphasis there,” Musick said.

Wede said the initiative is making Mitchell’s teachers feel valued and she expects more aspiring educators to choose the community to call home. The master’s degree program requires scholarship recipients to teach in Mitchell for three years.

“This is probably the most exciting time I have experienced as a teacher,” she said. “We go into this because we want to make a positive difference, and here we are being supported in doing that.”

A belief in public education

The public school funding boost in Mitchell comes amid statewide ideological and political battles over education.

Republican lawmakers in Pierre are weighing reallocating more public school funding toward alternatives such as homeschooling or vouchers. Some have leveled allegations that public school teachers are indoctrinating children and passed a bill to “protect students” from “divisive concepts.” They debated legislation during the last session requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted and taught in public school classrooms statewide. The bill narrowly failed in the House after passing the Senate.

Musick attended Mitchell’s schools and sent his children there. He said public education remains essential and deserves more focus and respect.

“I want to live in a society where everybody is well educated, not just the people that can afford it,” Musick said. “I have nothing against private education, but it will typically only be available to people who can afford it. Public education is what we have to have.”

Musick said he will track progress through the district’s report card and feedback from teachers. He hopes the project inspires other communities and state leaders to put more focus on public education.

“If you look at countries where people are happiest, like Norway and Denmark, education is really valued. Teachers are paid well and thought of highly,” Musick said. “That’s the kind of culture we need here.”

But even if Mitchell’s population never grows beyond 15,000, Musick said the gift will still have been worth it, because “we’ll have a lot of people who are smarter and more successful because of this focus on education.”