Happy Wednesday! Megan here.
First things first: This issue is sponsored by EmBe.
- On March 6, EmBe will host the In Her Shoes Empowerment Breakfast, with keynote speaker Dr. Sophie Two Hawk alongside her three daughters. This is more than an event and fundraiser, it's a call to action for women to step into their power, inspire others to follow, and celebrate the unstoppable force of mothers, daughters, and sisters uplifting one another. Join hundreds of women and spend the morning breaking barriers and uplifting the next generation. Grab your tickets here. For full event details, sponsorship opportunities, and more visit their website.
Weather check: Oh #$@! it's cold
This week, I've got a look at the latest crime stats, a new resource in development to help connect folks with affordable housing, and the latest fence drama. You'll also meet a cool new group of creatives making their debut on the Washington Pavilion stage this week. And don't miss a round-up of events happening this week.
And now, news:
CITY
This new website will be like Zillow for low-income housing
Simplified: City Council this week approved funding to create an online Housing Hub to make it easier for low-income folks to connect with affordable housing options through the help of case workers.
Why it matters
- There’s a tremendous amount of paperwork required to apply for subsidized housing, Housing Development Manager Logan Penfield said, and often, the complexity of applications leads to lots of back and forth between case workers, housing navigators and the people they’re trying to find housing for.
- Typically, subsidized apartments have a higher vacancy rate, Community Housing Coordinator Breanna White said. That's in part because the process to get people into those units is time-consuming, but also because it can be tough to find which options are even available.
- This new Housing Hub – which, as Councilor Rich Merkouris noted Tuesday night, is a concept the city's been talking about for several years – aims to help simplify the process of navigating various affordable housing options for people who make 60% or less of the area median income (about $63,000 per year for a family of four).
"I think it’s just really aiming to eliminate the barriers that property managers are experiencing in terms of incomplete applications or people applying for units that aren't appropriate for them," White said. "The aim of the hub is to streamline that process."
Tell me more
COMMUNITY
Meet Sioux Falls' newest performance group
Simplified: An all-Black group of Sioux Falls creatives will make their debut performance on the Washington Pavilion stage this week. Here's what you need to know about Creating in Color.
Why it matters
- Creating in Color is a new group, but all five members are established performers, singers and dancers who decided to come together to create community and education through entertainment.
- The group's first staged performance Thursday – part of the Pavilion's "Live & Local" series – will go through the history of Black music and Black culture, said Etta McKinley, local actress, musician and Creating in Color member.
- Moving forward, the group plans to keep performing and elevating the voices of people of color through future collaborations, events and performances.
"Representation just matters to me because if you don't see it, you don't think you can be it," group member and performer Ebony Shanklin said.
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Per capita crime rate down. City officials on Tuesday shared the latest crime statistics. The big takeaway: Sioux Falls is safe. Despite population growth, the number of calls for service has remained relatively flat for the last few years, and the rate of both violent and property crimes are at a five-year low.
- Still on the fence. The Sioux Falls City Council voted to defer a final vote on approving plans to lease and build a fence around the parking lot north of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Councilors heard about 45 minutes of public input (largely opposing the proposal), and overall discussion took up about an hour Tuesday night.
- Councilors discussed the deferral as giving time to hold a neighborhood meeting to better explain the rationale behind the plans for the fence and take some feedback.
- Get jazzy. Augustana University is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the annual jazz festival with a performance from the Falconaires, the U.S. Air Force Academy band. The entire band will be on campus, offering master classes and performing a show each day of the festival. More details here.
- Mayor's Youth Council taking applications. Students who live in Sioux Falls and who will be a junior or senior in the coming school year are encouraged to apply for the Mayor's Youth Council. Applications are due March 16. Find more details here.
- Child marriage still OK in S.D. State lawmakers killed a bill that would've raised the minimum age to get married to 18. As it stands now, kids as young as 16 can get married with a sign-off from parents.
EVENTS
Stuff to do: Feb. 19-25
- Refresh your closet. Need some new clothes? EmBe has you covered with the the Winter Refresh Your Closet Sale this week. Hours run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Then from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, you can fill a bag for just $35. Learn more here.
- Be bad at art. You don't have to be a gifted artist to have fun creating something. SuFu Creative is hosting an "Adult Bad Art Night" on Tuesday, where grown ups can mess around with art supplies and create something – the uglier, the better. It's a free event, and a $5 donation is suggested to cover the cost of supplies. Learn more here.
- Sip in space. Have you ever walked around the Washington Pavilion science center and thought, "hmmm, this is great, but it might be better if I had wine." Well, now you can do that at the upcoming "Cosmos and Cocktails" event. Thursday night. Learn more about the 21+ event here.
- Play old school video games. It's the Tecmo Siouxper Bowl on Sunday at Blarney Stone. You can play Tecmo Bowl and all kinds of other retro video games at the event, which also serves as a fundraiser for the Family Visitation Center. Get more details on the free event here.
- Craft and learn. It's Kids Activity Day at the Old Courthouse Museum. Stop by Thursday morning between 9 and 11:30 a.m., and you can make a craft while learning about history in the museum. Attendees are asked to register ahead of time for this free event by calling (605) 367-4210.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
How healthy are Sioux Fallsians? Depends where you live
The City of Sioux Falls this week released a community health assessment showing an updated and comprehensive look at health indicators across the city.
Megan Raposa
As Sioux Falls grows, recycling rates drop
Sioux Falls residents are putting more stuff in the landfill and less stuff into the recycling bin, according to data from both the City of Sioux Falls and Millennium Recycling.
Megan Raposa
Delbridge debacle prompts audit of city gifting agreements
The Sioux Falls City Council is looking to make sure getting rid of the taxidermy collection at the Delbridge Museum doesn’t set a precedent of regifting
Megan Raposa
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Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc., Live on Stage, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
Oh, by the way
Your feedback is extremely helpful – hit the reply button and send any news tips, typos, complaints, compliments or cups of coffee my way. ❤️
Special thanks to EmBe!
Don't miss the upcoming In Her Shoes Empowerment Breakfast. Your support is instrumental in allowing EmBe to continue providing services that make a meaningful difference in the lives of the women in our community. Learn more and get your tickets here.
