Your weekend, simplified: Sept. 13, 2024

Megan Raposa -

Happy Friday! Megan here.

Weather check: Warm and windy

Help me help you: I'm working very hard this month to map out my goals for the next year (and beyond), and that all starts with asking you beautiful, news-loving people about your information needs.

  • Can you do me a favor and fill out this survey? If you do, you'll be entered to win a SF Simplified tote bag and a $25 gift card to the local coffee shop of your choice – because it's cool to support local news AND local businesses. 
Yes, but only if you pick me to win

This weekend, I'm out of town (again – I know) at the Startup Sioux Falls Founders Retreat in the Black Hills. It's giving me a lot of space to reflect on this business and how I can continuously improve this local news outlet and – to use a term I just learned recently – improve the overall "civic health" of Sioux Falls with easily accessible information.

  • To that end, I'm keeping things pretty short and sweet. Watch next week for an explainer on ballot measures that you'll encounter in the November election and what they might mean for the state.

And now, news:

COMMUNITY

How a new statewide group is treating food as medicine

Simplified: A new statewide group is looking to help South Dakotans find access to healthy foods in an effort to decrease nutrition-related diseases through a "food is medicine" initiative.

Photo by Brad / Unsplash

Why it matters

  • The South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative (SDHNC) is made up of people across the state including people who've personally experienced food insecurity, and people who work in healthcare, nonprofits, businesses, state departments, schools, health programs and more.
  • More than 106,000 people are food insecure, according to a 2024 study from Feeding America.
  • The SDHNC will work together to improve access to healthy food by coordinating state-wide research and programs, elevating the voices of people with lived experience and advance policies to improve food and nutrition security.
"We know making an impact requires collective voices working together to build a strong foundation for all South Dakotans," said Tony Burke, government relations director for the American Heart Association and steering committee member of the SDHNC.

What happens next?

SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS

How Salem is making lemonade from lemons with new housing development

This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Simplified: The Salem Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) will break ground this week on a new housing development on the site where a nursing home was destroyed in a 2022 derecho weather event.

Why it matters

  • When the Colonial Manner Nursing home had its roof ripped off and windows broken in a 2022 derecho – with winds similar to a tornado – the SEDC purchased the land.
  • SEDC made that purchase in part with grant funds from the South Dakota Housing Infrastructure Financing Program (HIFP) – a statewide program to help communities bring in more housing by helping subsidize construction of the needed infrastructure.
  • The development will bring a total of 18 new single-family and multifamily housing lots on the southeast side of town. In addition, there are five lots on Center Avenue that already have infrastructure in place.
"This project is a big win for Salem," SEDC President Jeremy Grady. "We hope it attracts more families to our growing community."

Tell me more about the project

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • Be a citizen city planner. The City of Sioux Falls will host a Citizen Planning Academy in October. The goal is to give residents a chance to learn about how city planning works and how to effectively engage with things like comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, transportation, urban design, etc. The academy is free and open to the public. It'll take place 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 and Oct. 24. Register here. (Y'all know I registered – see you there?)
  • Humane Society leader barking up a new tree. The Sioux Falls Humane Society will be looking for a new director after James Oppenheimer this week announced a new role as the CEO of the Sioux Falls YMCA. He officially starts Oct. 14 and will be helping with programs like Camp Leif Ericson, Y-sports and after-school programs.
  • Weigh in on K-12 content standards. The state Department of Education is reviewing content standards for English language arts, K-8 computer science, and the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings & Standards. You can check out the details for upcoming meetings and register to testify in person, and there's an option to leave online feedback here.

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

How last-minute budget additions will combat panhandling
Two last-minute amendments to the City of Sioux Falls’ 2025 budget will bring a total of $300,000 to support efforts to combat “nuisance issues” in Sioux Falls – with strong implication from officials that those issues refer to homelessness and panhandling.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Stuff to do: Sept. 11-17
Here’s a look at what’s happening this week.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Your apartment search could win you a free staycation (and a beer)
More than 30 properties will be available for tours – and special promotions – during Lloyd Companies’ Sioux Falls Parade of Apartments on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this weekend:

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Thank you

Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including Dakota Adventure Supply, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, Panther Premier Print Solutions, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Great Plains Zoo, 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. ❤️