Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Cold, but not as cold as yesterday
This week, I've got a look at the mayor's vision for 2025, as well as a heartwarming story about how a local businessman's gift marked a full-circle moment. You'll also learn about an important water-focused event next week and a nonprofit that's keeping things simple (we LOVE to see it).
And now, news:
CITY
What the city is prioritizing in 2025
Simplified: Mayor Paul TenHaken on Thursday laid out his main focus areas going into the new year. Here's a look at what'll likely be making headlines in 2025.
Why it matters
- Mayor Paul TenHaken is entering the last full year of his second term as mayor, but he said there's "no lame duck syndrome here." He's prioritized public safety since day one, and that'll continue into the new year.
- The city is also looking to end 2024 on a high note with a slight uptick in sales tax revenue and some recent wins including the opening of the Steel District and the CJ Schwan's facility groundbreaking.
- In addition to public safety, TenHaken is also looking to focus on streets, infrastructure and, as he puts it, "creating a long-term vision" for the city.
"(The hope is that we're) setting things up so the next administration inherits a well-oiled machine," TenHaken said.
Tell me more about what to watch in 2025
COMMUNITY
How a gift became a full-circle moment for a local businessman
Simplified: Joe Stanford opened Dream Home Appliance and Beds in June alongside his wife. Within a few months, the couple has already shown their commitment to giving back to the community – including a special gift for a local family.
Tell me more
Stanford knows what it's like to receive a gift in a time of need.
- As a young child in the mid-80s, he was placed in a foster home courtesy of Lutheran Social Services – a placement that ultimately led to his adoption.
So when he heard from an LSS employee about a family in need of a washer and dryer, he saw a perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand.
"They gave me a life-changing event, and I gave away a washer and dryer," Stanford said. "I wish I had something spectacular to say."
But to Kevin Alvarez, a refugee who settled in Sioux Falls about five months ago, and his wife and young children, that washer and dryer really was a life-changing gift.
- Alvarez and his wife, Katherine had been walking to a nearby laundromat whenever they needed clean clothes – a walk made extra difficult because they were juggling their laundry and two young children.
The couple was worried about how they would continue to make this work during the cold winter months.
"It was very complicated because we had nothing to carry the (laundry) bags with, we have to carry them," Alvarez said. "And with the children – we have a two-and-a-half-year-old girl – so it was very complicated."
What happened next?
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
How a brown-bag lunch can make a big difference
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.
Simplified: Lunch is Served has been packing brown-bag lunches for the working poor of Sioux Falls since 2007. As they move into the new year, they're hoping the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation's Giving Depot can help them connect with more sustaining donors.
Why it matters
- It only takes a $10 donation to provide lunch for one person for an entire week, according to Executive Director Kathy Junker.
- Lunch is Served delivers about 28,000 lunches each week at various stops including HireQuest, the Banquet, the St. Francis House, Call to Freedom and more. That number is up 8,000 from last year, an increase Junker attributes to the rising costs of food.
- The nonprofit has a number of partnerships that supply various food items, lunch bags, etc., but the organization is looking to use the Giving Depot to help connect with more individual donors. The hope is to find folks who would be willing to contribute monthly.
"The Community Foundation is so wonderful at promoting Lunch is Served, getting the awareness, helping find people to donate," Junker said. "Because if you haven't needed a lunch, you might not have heard of Lunch is Served."
Tell me more about Lunch is Served
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- A word from Paul to Pierre. Mayor Paul TenHaken on Wednesday told a roomful of reporters and city officials that he needs the state legislature to "stay out of culture war issues," noting that they distract from the core jobs of delivering government services to the public. Sioux Falls Live has a more in-depth analysis.
- City won't be able to fill gaps if state cuts social services. Mayor Paul TenHaken also said this week that he doesn't foresee the city filling any gaps in funding if social services or library funds are cut at the state level. At a press conference Friday, he cited the different "lanes of responsibility" for levels of government, and said the city relies heavily on state money for many social services.
- More people taking the bus. Sioux Area Metro ridership is up 10% in the six weeks since the launch of new routes and "SAM Reimagined." That's according to Via, the city's transit providers, who also noted that fixed route efficiency also increased 8%, and the switch to citywide on-demand transit has given the people of Sioux Falls access to 77% more jobs within a 60-minute commute.
More Super Simplified Stories
- A childcare win West River. A new online search portal will connect parents in the Rapid City area to available childcare. Black Hills Find Child Care launched this week as a free service for parents and providers to connect and communicate. Check it out here. (And find some background here on other ways Rapid City is ahead of Sioux Falls in the childcare solutions game.)
- Get your gifts wrapped. Bring your holiday presents to the gift-wrapping booth at the Empire Mall now through Christmas Eve – your donations all benefit Children's Home Society's Shelter for Family Safety. Details and hours here.
- Tacos, tequila and T.I. The Tacos & Tequila Festival is coming back to the Birdcage next summer, and rapper T.I. is headlining. Also in the lineup is Sean Kingston, Trick Daddy, B.O.B., Bubba Sparxxx and more – not to mention the eponymous tacos and tequila. Tickets available now here.
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
Get smart about water at this upcoming summit
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.
Simplified: Sioux Metro Growth Alliance's 2024 Growth Summit is focused on all things water – from the history of water access in the region to the critical importance of planning for the future. Here's what you need to know about this Dec. 10 event.
Why it matters
- Water access is often taken for granted in conversations about economic development, said Troy Larson, executive director of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System.
- It's also not the kind of planning you can leave until the last-minute, Larson added, noting that if a city like Sioux Falls will need broader water access in the next 40 years, the time to start planning is right now.
- The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance Growth Summit is titled "H20: What You Should Know" and will feature a full day of panels, networking and discussion on the importance of thinking about water access while planning for growth and future developments.
"We're excited to help educate people because, time and again, we see how water is taken for granted, and we are trying to make sure that doesn't happen," Larson said.
Tell me more about the event
(And get your tickets – they're going fast!)
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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