I’ve been covering Hill City for nearly eight years now. I have seen some major changes in that short time. I have seen furor over unpaved streets become polite discussions over variances and setbacks. I have heard contention about vacation rentals become civil discourse over merchandise display ordinances. And I have seen a winning Rangers football team (which I had not seen before).
Greetings. Marcia and I just got out of the Republican Grand Old Party (GOP) annual state convention held in Rapid City June 25-27. In addition to standard GOP business, we elected the following constitutional officers for the ballot in the general election in November.
Secretary of State: Rapid City’s Heather Baxter beat out our incumbent Monae Johnson. Baxter 50.34 percent to Johnson 40.09 percent. Heather was a legislator in the House for the past two years representing District 34.
Engaging with the next generation keeps me focused on what’s important: South Dakota’s future. Recently, Sandy and I hosted all of the state government interns for a picnic. This is an annual summer tradition at the governor’s residence, and it’s a pretty special one. I love hearing all of their dreams for their future careers, and I’m glad that internships in state government can help turn those dreams into reality.
We’re in the first ever, since Nov. 2, 1889, gubernatorial republican primary election runoff. State law says in the governor’s race, one must have to exceed 35 percent to win the primary, and then be placed on the ballot in the general election in November.
It’s all the rage right now, and everyone seems to be using it. From kids in classrooms, to people at work, the world seems dependent on and fascinated by AI.
The other day at a board meeting with a person struggling to complete her task, a fellow, younger board member told the older woman (who is my age), “just plug what you want into ChatGPT, and it’ll do the writing for you.” What the older board member got was extremely well polished, well written, concise and intelligent. She remarked, “It was so easy.”
That seems a little counter-intuitive in an age where digital technology is designed to keep us constantly entertained. Smartphones and tablets put endless entertainment and distraction at our fingertips. Unfortunately, that entertainment has become an all-too-convenient pacifier for children whenever boredom strikes.
Perhaps the goal shouldn’t be to keep children entertained every second of the day. A little boredom may be just what young minds need—even if it comes with a little whining at first.
Whew! What a week! I think I’m still recovering from the primary election. In district 30, Sen. Hulse, Rep. Ladner and I all won our primaries. Rep. Ladner and I have opposition in the general election. I enjoy campaigning and try my best to just talk about what I’ve accomplished in the legislature and state what needs to be done next. I never run negative campaigns; my opposition can speak for themselves. Rep. Ladner and Sen. Hulse feel the same I believe.
“They already paid us.” That’s what came out of one of the band member’s mouths as the rain was pouring down. There was thunder in the distance, and the radar looked dismal. I was ready to leave, figuring for sure the show would be canceled. My husband, a musician in the Army Band for many years, said no way he’d play in those conditions.
On Memorial Day, people across South Dakota and the nation will gather for parades, backyard barbeques and the unofficial start of summer. American flags will wave proudly in our communities, cemeteries will be decorated with flowers and families will plan for long weekends spent together.
The South Dakota primary is just a few short weeks away. This year we get to cast ballots in many races, both local and statewide. As a journalist, it’s been nice to see so many people step up and run for office. As a human, I am already tired of the political ads, postcards, signs and billboards.
