Your week, simplified: March 5, 2025
Happy Wednesday! Megan here.
Weather check: Are we sure it's 'spring forward' week? It's giving dead of winter out there.
This week, you're maybe getting sick of hearing me talk about the planned fence downtown by Bishop Dudley, but I hope to bring some perspective on how at least some city councilors are looking at how dissent on this issue can lead to more, broader community conversations on how to help unhoused folks. I've also got a look at a neighborhood group looking to bring a baseball diamond to a local park and a handful of Super Simplified Stories and stuff to do this week.
And now, news:
CITY
Council OKs fence, calls for 'more collaboration' moving forward
Simplified: Sioux Falls City Councilors voted unanimously to move forward with building a $70,000 fence around the vacant lot adjacent to the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House as part of a five-year lease agreement with St. Joseph Catholic Housing.
Why it matters
- The vote was the culmination of weeks of council discussion, including a tense community meeting last week. Before approving the lease Tuesday night, councilors heard from more than a dozen community members, most of whom urged them to vote 'no,' or called for funds to be spent on resources for unhoused people rather than fences to block them out.
- Despite public dissent – including one instance where Mayor Paul TenHaken asked security to escort someone out of the council meeting for interrupting Bishop Dudley Executive Director Madeline Shields' public input – councilors moved forward with the lease agreement and plans to build the fence.
- But Councilor Rich Merkouris was among officials to note that he hopes to see the passion shown at Tuesday's meeting continue to move conversations forward on 'housing first' initiatives and other ways to address homelessness in the city.
"We heard a bundle of good stuff tonight," Merkouris said. "Putting up the fence doesn't stop any of that. We could meet tomorrow and push forward on multiple initiatives as well ... let's not let our disagreement on this stop us."
Tell me more. What was the public and council response?
COMMUNITY
How neighbors are working to transform a local park
Simplified: A south-central Sioux Falls neighborhood association is working to transform a park into a baseball diamond with the help of a grant from the city. Meet the folks in Heather Ridge.
Why it matters
- The city awards thousands of dollars in grants each year to neighborhood associations who want to make improvements like planting trees, painting crosswalks or, in the case of the Heather Ridge Neighborhood Association, a $12,000 grant to help build a baseball field.
- Neighbor Emily Fink – a professional grant writer – is helping the association find resources to fund what she expects will be a $150,000 project to build the field in Prairie Meadows Park near Journey Elementary school.
- The field will be named after Dane McCoy, an 11-year-old who died in 2022 after a snowmobile accident. McCoy, a resident of the neighborhood, loved playing baseball with his friends.
- Now, Fink and other neighbors are looking for businesses and other community members who would be willing to make this dream for a baseball diamond a reality. The neighbors are also working with the Harrisburg Baseball Association to bring this to fruition.
“We’re a little behind in the number of facilities available to meet the demand for baseball and softball,” said John Sutton, president of the Harrisburg Baseball Association. “There’s not plans by the city (Sioux Falls or Harrisburg) to make any other fields, so it’s great when community members step up to make things happen.”
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Park Madness. What's the best park in Sioux Falls? The city parks and recreation department created a Park Madness ballot with a bracket of 64 parks competing for the grand title. You can weigh in and fill out your bracket here.
- Vikings, two ways. The Augustana Vikings are partnering with the Minnesota Vikings to launch a new women's flag football league. Augie is one of six NCAA institutions that's part of this partnership, including Concordia, Gustavus, Bethel, University of Northwestern - St. Paul and University of Wisconsin, Stout. As part of the partnership, the Minnesota Vikings is contributing $140,000 to support the new league and its participating schools.
SODAK SIMPLIFIED
Three things from Pierre
- No eminent domain for carbon pipelines. A bill to prohibit companies from using eminent domain to use land for carbon pipelines is headed to Gov. Larry Rhoden's desk. South Dakota Searchlight has the full story.
- Maybe Medicaid? It'll be up to voters to decide if the state will continue to fund Medicaid expansion if federal funding for the program dips below a certain threshold. Voters voted to expand Medicaid to more low-income adults in 2022. Now, lawmakers are asking voters to weigh in again. Searchlight has more.
- A win for dual credit classes. Lawmakers also voted to continue subsidizing college-level classes for high school students through the dual credit program, defeating a proposal that would've increased the tuition high schoolers have to pay for these classes. Searchlight has more.
EVENTS
Stuff to do: March 5-11
- Throw a pad party. Get your pals together and collect menstrual products for folks in need. Then, you can drop off donations for the period product drive held by both The Pad Party and It Takes A Village during their event Saturday morning at Queen City Bakery. Not sure where to start with a pad party? Keloland Living has a great segment with fun ideas (red velvet cupcakes, anyone?)
- Watch basketball. Get ready for some b-b-b-b-b-basketball! The annual Summit League basketball championships kicks off Wednesday at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. You can find game times, the full tournament bracket and ticket details here.
- Be a Barbie girl. In a Sioux Falls world. The parks and rec department is hosting a "Barbie Party" Sunday afternoon in the Memorial Park ice rink warming house. For a $10 entrance fee, you can make friendship bracelets, enjoy a Barbie photo op and dance the afternoon away. More details here.
- Bingo + trivia + plants. Cliff Avenue Greenhouse is hosting a bingo and trivia night at its greenhouse on Saturday evening starting at 6 p.m. at its 26th Street location. A $20 admission ticket gets you access as well as two drink tickets and free snacks. Plus you can win prizes – more details here.
- Support your trans friends. There are only a few tickets left for the third annual gala for Transformation Project Advocacy Network, an organization that advocates for the transgender community in South Dakota. Learn more here.
- See some art that supports women. In recognition of Women's History Month, Serendipity Studios is hosting an exhibit titled, "Unveiled: the Faces of Womanhood" at its downtown gallery. A portion of the proceeds from each artwork sold will be donated to EmBe. The gallery will open at 5 p.m. Friday and run until Saturday, March 29. More details here.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
How the county is housing justice-impacted people
A new county program centered on helping folks who’ve been impacted by the justice system has officially housed more than a dozen people in the first six months.
Why the Catholic diocese stands to win big with city lease
Conversations during a tense Monday evening public meeting revealed key details in how a lease agreement for a vacant 8th Street parking lot came to be and why, if approved, it has potential to be a win for the lot’s owner: the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls.
These reimagined zoo events aim to make conservation fun
The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium is switching up and reimagining some of its popular annual events this year with an increased focus on conservation and connecting the community with the organization’s mission.
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