City How COVID relief funds are helping parks, roads and lions Federal relief funds from the 2020 CARES Act reimbursed about $48 million in city costs last year. That's left Sioux Falls with cash to burn, and the city is looking to invest in one-time projects, Finance Director Shawn Pritchett said.
Education Sioux Falls looks to bring diverse books to high schoolers A two-year study of the Sioux Falls School District's English Language Arts curriculum showed a need for high school students to have more diverse texts, according to a report presented to the school board Monday.
Community More than 3,000 pets were adopted in Sioux Falls last year The Sioux Falls Humane Society saw more adoptions and fewer returns in 2020, and they're giving COVID-19 credit for the trend.
Simplified Presents Meet Hartford's new economic development director The City of Hartford has a new leader looking to bring more money, businesses and people to the community. Let's meet Amy M. Farr.
Education How one-time funds will help schools that shrunk last year Lawmakers earlier this month approved an extra $11 million in one-time funding to help South Dakota schools who saw enrollment shrink during the pandemic. Sioux Falls was one of those districts, with about 500 fewer kids than they'd budgeted for.
Newsletter Your week, simplified: March 17, 2021 Simplified: Parks in summer, shots in arms and schools in 2040
What Brandon Valley schools will look like in 2040 The Brandon Valley School District is planning on seeing at least another 2,500 students in the next 20 years. That means new buildings, new additions and new land purchases to come.
Health How vaccines move through Sioux Falls clinics Take a look inside how thousands of vaccine doses are moving from FedEx boxes to the arms of Sioux Falls residents.
Simplified Presents What a year of prioritizing wellness looks like This Sioux Falls woman started working with Selah Space Founder Jada Dobesh last February. A year later, her journey shows holistic wellness has real benefits.
Newsletter Your week, simplified: March 10, 2021 Simplified: One year of mourning, masking and home-schooling
Education School offers short-term solution to Hwy 11 traffic concerns The school district will shuttle students from that Harmodon Park entrance area across Highway 11 before and after school.
Simplified Presents Silverstar donation to Legends scholarship helps student athletes Silverstar Car Wash donated $10,000 to this year's Hy-Vee Sanford Legends scholarship program, which supports students who've made a difference in their school and community.
Education Hundreds of Sioux Falls students switched to home-schooling in 2020 Sioux Falls saw a 37 percent increase in the number of home-schooled children in 2020, according to data from the state education department. That's more than 230 kids.
Newsletter Your week, simplified: March 3, 2021 Simplified: Tired therapists, traffic concerns and how to 'spread the word'
Simplified Presents New name, same mission: Meet the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance A longtime economic development nonprofit has a new look and a new name. But the mission of bringing more businesses, more people and more money to Sioux Falls-area communities remains the same.
Education Parents worry bus routes will force kids to cross Highway 11 Parents worry about the safety of their children if they have to walk or bike across Highway 11 to get to school at the new Ben Reifel Middle School.
Health The pandemic was tough on therapists. How've they coped? Sioux Falls-area therapists and counselors have been working extra hours, taking on more patients and shifting to online sessions over the last year.
Simplified Presents 'Spread the Word' on inclusion with Special Olympics Wednesday It's "Spread the Word: Inclusion" day on Wednesday for Special Olympics, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities.
City Council takes first step to extend mask ordinance An ordinance requiring masks in certain settings in Sioux Falls will expire soon, but just how soon is yet to be determined.
Newsletter Your week, simplified: Feb. 24, 2021 Simplified: Kids falling behind, dress codes and vaccines
Community These students want dress codes to include Black culture Black students want to be able to wear head scarves, durags, bonnets and other head coverings as a way to both protect their natural hair and express their culture. But in some schools, these items violate dress codes.
Education Kids in virtual classrooms fell behind. Officials hope these changes help. About 1,000 students in the Sioux Falls School District's Virtual Academy failed to meet grade-level standards in the first semester this year.
Simplified Presents Get to know the group bringing jobs, businesses to the area Exciting changes are coming to a regional economic development nonprofit, but before we talk about where it’s going, let’s take a look at where it’s been.
Health Nearly 1 in 6 people in Sioux Falls has gotten a COVID-19 vaccine More than 41,000 people in the Sioux Falls area have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the city health department.
Simplified Presents How clean cars are helping local nonprofits Silverstar Car Wash raised more than $1,100 for Special Olympics South Dakota when its new southeast Sioux Falls location opened earlier this month.
