Your week, simplified: Jan. 15, 2025

Happy Wednesday! Megan here.

Weather check: A wild swing into warmth

This week, catch a ton of big news in Super Simplified format, as well as a look at what school boards are watching in Pierre, the latest Levitt expansion plans and a roundup of what's happening in the coming week.

And now, news:

CITY

Get a look at planned additions to Levitt at the Falls

Simplified: The Sioux Falls City Council got an updated look at future expansion plans for the Levitt, an outdoor concert venue downtown that provides as many as 50 free shows each summer.

Why it matters

• The Levitt hosted its first season in 2019, and has since grown to hosting as many as 100,000 people each year, according to President and CEO Nancy Halverson.
• Now, with the help of large private donations, the Levitt is expanding to add more green room space for musicians, as well as 4,000 square feet of indoor programming space, offices for the Levitt staff and a second stage.
• The additional space will help the nonprofit do more year-round programming, Halverson said in a presentation to the Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday in which councilors advanced plans to name parts of the new facility after the donors who made them possible.

"We have grown our mission to include education with summer camps for kids and professional development for local musicians," she said. "Right now we’re going out renting venues and doing things all over town so it’ll be nice to do things in one spot."

Tell me more about the expansion

EDUCATION

Why school officials are speaking out against vouchers

Simplified: Several South Dakota school officials are voicing their opposition to state legislative proposals to create programs to fund scholarships for kids to attend private schools or other alternative instruction like home-schooling or micro-schools.

Why it matters

• Lawmakers kicked off the 100th legislative session this week, and among the first bills filed was House Bill 1020 from Rep. Scott Odenbach (R-Spearfish). The bill would create "education savings accounts" (ESAs), to help families pay for non-public school options – much like vouchers used in other states. Gov. Kristi Noem proposed a $4 million fund to support this effort in next year's budget.
  • A quick note: South Dakota Searchlight has some very good in-depth coverage on how these ESAs might work and how statewide education stakeholders feel about the proposal.
• Sioux Falls School Board members on Monday voiced their opposition to these ESAs or any voucher-like program. They cited concerns that they'll divert public money into private education and ultimately harm public schools, which serve 80% of South Dakota students.
• Board members largely agreed that school choice is important, as is a parent's right to choose how their kid is educated – just "not on the public's dime," as board member Gail Swenson put it. The board unanimously voted to pass a resolution opposing the vouchers.

"(Private schools) can pick and choose who they educate," board member Nan Kelly said. "Do we want ... an elitist society where some people get an education and some don't?"

Tell me more about the concerns

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

• Council approves $68M bond for pools. The Sioux Falls City Council voted unanimously to give the city the green light to go ahead with a $68 million bond to fund a new outdoor pool at Kuehn Park, a new indoor recreation center at Frank Olson Park and improvements to the new Westside Recreation Center.
  • It's a vote that was years in the making. More background here:

• A Farewell to Noem. Gov. Kristi Noem gave the annual State of the State address Tuesday afternoon, in what is expected to be her last public address as governor before she heads to Washington D.C. Her speech centered on the "top 10 reasons South Dakota will continue to be an example to the nation," citing the state's strong economy, agriculture, education, healthcare and "babies" (Noem noted the state has the highest birth rate in the nation.)
  • Next, Noem is expected to begin U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for her appointment by President-elect Donald Trump as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Dakota Scout reports that hearing will begin Friday.
• Task force pitches sustainable childcare solutions. The South Dakota Child Care Task Force presented a 60-page report last week detailing the challenge of a business model in which parents cannot afford care, providers struggle to break even and childcare workers remain among the lowest-paid employees in the state. The report also estimated the state economy loses out on $329 million annually due to the childcare deficit. Read the full report here.
• What Sioux Fallsians want. City Council on Tuesday received an update on the Shape Sioux Falls 2050 plan, including a look at a statistically valid survey of more than 500 residents about what their main priorities and concerns are in the community. SiouxFalls.Business has a nice summary here.
• Donation will fund bike trail expansion. The multi-use recreation trail will now connect between Lien Park and Bahnson Avenue, thanks to a $1.3 million donation from Jeff and Tammie Broin and the Ashby family. The new section will be one mile long.

EVENTS

Stuff to do: Jan. 15-21

• Shop like crazy. It's Crazy Days in downtown this weekend, and you can score some big deals while also supporting small businesses. Find a full list of participating businesses and the deals they're offering here.
• Go for some green. Plants, that is. Oakridge Nursery is hosting bingo night in their greenhouse Friday evening. You can win free drinks, plants and Oakridge merch. Space is limited, so reserve your spot by calling today. More details here.
• Puzzle competitively. Severance Brewing Co. is hosting puzzle races on Sunday afternoon. It's free to participate and the winners will get a gift card. (Good luck beating me, my mom and my sisters, though. We've been puzzling nonstop since before Christmas.)
• Paper the town. South Dakota Voices for Peace is seeking volunteers to help distribute "Know Your Rights" flyers around town on Monday and Tuesday. More details on how you can help here.
• See a show. The latest installment of the Washington Pavilion Live & Local series will take place Thursday evening. The show will feature the Good Night Theatre Collective and the Fellowship Jazz Center. Get your tickets (for only $20, by the way) here.

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

• Never-ending burger content
• Hazel
• Cool people who support cool stuff

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

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