Your week, simplified: Oct. 9, 2024

Megan Raposa -

Happy Wednesday! Megan here.

Weather check: Pretty hot and smoky

🎂 Cool thing: It's my birthday today! The best gift you could give me? Forward this email to a friend (or 32).

👀 Even cooler thing: Sioux Falls Simplified is hosting a trivia night on Oct. 23 at Good NAtured on 8th Street. Local comedian Zach Dresch is hosting, and it'll be a great way to test how well you know Sioux Falls (with a special section on November ballot issues, so study up!)

  • More details to come! For now, mark your calendars.

This week, I've got a look at what's next for some Sioux Falls School District construction projects – including the new Whittier Middle School. You'll also get to meet some of the folks who'll be overseeing what happens next with the Riverline District.

And now, news:

CITY

Meet the folks overseeing the Riverline District's next steps

Simplified: Last week, Mayor Paul TenHaken and the Sioux Falls City Council announced the appointment of eight people to a steering committee overseeing the next steps in the Riverline District – the site TenHaken's set sights on for a new downtown convention center.

Why it matters

  • City Council last month approved the $8 million needed to purchase the 7-acre parcel of land east of downtown near the 10th Street viaduct. The catch, though, was that purchase had to be approved by a committee.
  • The initial resolution stipulated that four members of the committee would be selected by the City Council and four by the mayor. Instead, Councilor Rich Merkouris said he, Councilor Curt Soehl and the mayor sat down and selected eight people they all agreed on for the committee.
  • Sioux Falls Simplified reached out to all eight committee members and was able to connect with most of them.
    • Largely, the consensus is they're optimistic – or at least curious – about the mayor's vision for a convention center downtown – though they admit it's early in the process and a lot of questions will need to be answered before any decisions are made.
"I would encourage consumers to be a part of the process, go to meetings and give their feedback," said Jessie Schmidt, steering committee member and vice president of the South Dakota region for the Better Business Bureau.

Who all is on the committee?

EDUCATION

This Sioux Falls school is building a barn

Simplified: Sioux Falls high schoolers will soon have a new facility where they can learn about caring for farm animals, maintaining a tractor, horticulture and all things urban agriculture.

Why it matters

  • Sioux Falls School Board members last week received an update on several future building projects planned throughout the district – the most immediate of which is a new urban agriculture addition to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Academy.
  • The goal of the addition is to create flexible learning space where kids can get hands-on experience in agriculture, South Dakota's largest industry.
  • In addition to a new barn, the addition will include a greenhouse, animal science classroom, equipment storage and horticulture classroom – all aimed at creating a flexible space where the district can teach industry-specific classes.
"The ag umbrella, it's enormous," CTE Principal Josh Hall said. "This larger facility will allow us to do a greater number of programs and courses."

Tell me more

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • It's Fire Prevention Week. Check your smoke detectors, make sure you've got a fire extinguisher, have your safety plan in place. And when that's all done, you can zip over to the Central Fire Station at 100 S. Minnesota Avenue Wednesday evening for root beer floats and a chance to tour fire trucks. More on that event here.
  • New dining hall dedicated to former governor. Children's Home Society will host a ribbon cutting Friday morning on the new Daugaard Dining Hall, in honor of former S.D. Gov. Dennis Daugaard and his wife, Linda Daugaard – both of whom were involved in board or leadership positions for CHS. There's also an art installation with 2,800 origami swans.
  • Don't forget to weigh in on Sioux Falls' future. The city is hosting a series of neighborhood workshops to get public feedback on the future of Sioux Falls zoning, development, land use, etc. as part of a long-range comprehensive planning effort known as Shape Sioux Falls 2050. Find the meeting closest to your neighborhood here.
  • Gritty kids, we're on it. The South Dakota Department of Education released a series of 10 lessons this week called "South Dakota Sturdy" with the goal of teaching kids life lessons in grit, responsibility, goal setting, resiliency and more. The lessons include stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Crazy Horse, ring-necked pheasants and even the Corn Palace. You can peruse the lessons – intended for kids in fourth through sixth grade – here.

EVENTS

Stuff to do: Oct. 9-15

  • Join the conversation.* The Sioux Falls Sustainability Coalition, a partnership of 12 nonprofit environmental organizations, is hosting the second annual “Community Conversation on Climate and Sustainability” on October 19. This free event is open to the public and will give people space to talk about and learn how to make a difference on climate issues. Learn more and RSVP here.
  • Dress up your pets. Roxi & Co. is hosting a family friendly Halloween event for kids and pets alike on Saturday afternoon. Furry friends can make nose print pumpkins, show off in a costume parade and go bobbing for hot dogs. Human children can also snag some candy and meet new four-legged friends. More details here.
  • Cheer on the Jacks. It's South Dakota State University's 112th annual Hobo Day homecoming celebration on Saturday. Head up to Brookings for a parade and the game against Youngstown State University. Find a full list of events here.
  • Cheer on awesome women. It's the Embes this week. Starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Washington Pavilion, this Tribute to Women award show will recognize women across the community, across industries and of all ages. Get your tickets here.
  • Get a good spook (and a laugh). Good Night Theatre Collective will stage an original production this weekend called "Night of the Living Dead: A Live Radio Play." The show is adapted from the '60s cult classic horror film with a comedic twist. Get your tickets here for Thursday-Saturday.
  • Trick or Treat. Lake Lorraine is hosting a Halloween celebration with trick-or-treating at several participating businesses, characters, photo opportunities and more. It's free and open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. More details here.

*Denotes a paid event listing.

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

ICYMI

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