The Garretson Gazette

A blast from the past, more historical photos of Sherman

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

A blast from the past, more historical photos of Sherman

Here are more photos of historical Sherman, SD from a collection shown to us by Oran Sorenson. Above is a 4th of July picnic for the town, circa 1904! Also are photos from Lovers Lane in Sherman, a wide shot of the whole town, and some close ups of the church and a residence. Sorenson said all these photographs will go to the archives of the Garretson Area Historical Society.

Sorenson also has another project in the works, old school photos recently discovered of Garretson students that we’ll be releasing week to week. More on this soon!

YOUR CEMETERY

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

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By Sharon Kringen

Have you ever gone Cemetery hopping? I had not until I married Grant Kringen. Before Memorial Day, Grant and his sisters gathered at the Norway Cemetery to place flowers on the family graves. Lots of stories were shared as the flowers were placed on the family graves. There were many memories shared about who was buried there. It was fun to see other people doing the same thing. Reminded you of a church family gathering.

Then off they would go to two more cemeteries where relatives were buried.

man walking on green grass — Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

This was done every year and probably ended the day with lunch.

I think there were certain symbols for flowers being at the cemetery or funerals. Flowers are a symbol of life. This began in the days of the ancient Greek times. Bringing flowers were to honor the fallen warriors. The fallen had found peace.

Before there were funeral homes, flowers were brought to take away any odd smells. Nowadays, flowers are sent to the funeral home from family or close friends to offer sympathy. Flowers brought to the cemetery are a symbol of life. The flowers are organic, die, decompose, and contribute to future life. Life goes on in a world still affected by death.

Did you know that white flowers are the most popular color? They mean peace and innocence. A red color expresses strength, respect, devotion and love. Blue represents sadness, sympathy, and peace. Orange expresses enthusiasm, joy, warmth. Purple represents sorrow, sympathy and admiration. Yellow expresses friendship, warmth and hope. Last, but not least is Pink, which represents gentleness and sympathy. The next time you buy flowers for a funeral or to place on the grave, you will know by the color what you want to express.

As the settlers came to this area, the first thing they noticed was a lack of trees. Just imagine being on a wagon train from Minnesota to the plains in South Dakota. You are thrilled to have found the perfect spot to farm and raise your family. The first thing is to set up a temporary home for the family. Once that is done the permanent housing is built along with a barn.

Church was conducted in homes until the church was built. A cemetery was usually by the church. A line of trees went around the cemetery for wind, protection, and beauty.

Did you know that planting a tree in the cemetery has a meaning? There are certain trees planted so the soul of deceased could reach peace, according to ancient times. Another is a tree represents eternity, humanity, and powerful source. In early Bible times a tree meant life and tree of knowledge. I believe trees in pioneer times were planted by the grave so one could sit in the shade, listen to the birds and meditate by their love ones.

As years go by the beautiful trees have been hit with diseases that take their life. When you are traveling you notice a lot of trees dying but have you checked at your family cemetery? Norway Cemetery board examined theirs and found they had a few trees that need to come out now. Due to the windy storms, they do not want the trees falling and damaging the upright Stones. Anyone who is interested in helping with the cost of taking down trees at Norway Cemetery, send a check to the Norway Cemetery- Peter Hatlestad 25374 480th Avenue Garretson, South Dakota 57030. Make your check out to the Norway tree removal donation. I hope this article helps you understand the importance of trees and flowers at the cemetery. If you have not checked your loved one's cemetery, now is the time to do it.

May you feel peace with the live trees, flowers and birds as you visit your loved ones.

South Dakota Retailers Welcome Hunters

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

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PIERRE, SD – Retail businesses across South Dakota are preparing for hunters to hit the fields on October 21, the opening day of the 2023 pheasant hunting season. Thousands of hunters from around the country come to our state each year to enjoy this unique and memorable tradition.

Local businesses are looking forward to welcoming more visitors to engage in some open-air fun!

“Communities around the state are ready for hunters, with many shops and stores working together to create special events,” said South Dakota Retailers Association Exec. Dir. Nathan Sanderson. “Hunting season is a great opportunity to showcase our world-renowned hospitality and wide-open spaces while supporting our communities and local businesses.”

South Dakota businesses welcome the increase in foot-traffic, regardless of their niche, and many retailers actively serve the hunting and shooting community. Pheasant lodges, hunting outfitters, and hundreds of stores that sell guns, ammunition, licenses, hunting gear, and food look forward to our state's fall hunting tradition.

Each year they open their doors, and even their homes, to visitors nationwide.

Sal Roseland, owner of R&R Pheasant Hunting near Seneca and Vice-President of the South Dakota Upland Outfitters Association, noted the importance of hunting season to South Dakota’s economy, including family farmers. “Pheasant hunting is a huge economic driver and has helped keep many family farmers and ranchers operating” he noted. “But more than that, it’s a great activity that gets families outdoors and enjoying our beautiful state.”

Pheasant season in South Dakota runs from October 21, 2023, through January 31, 2024. As you travel around the state this fall, thank the men and women in blaze orange who make a significant contribution to small communities and local businesses statewide.

Wind is South Dakota’s role in ‘hydrogen hub’

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

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Wind is South Dakota’s role in ‘hydrogen hub’

Effort seeks to reduce carbon emissions in five-state region

By Joshua Haiar,

South Dakota Searchlight

Hydrogen power may soon spread across the country thanks to federal grants, and South Dakota wind turbines could provide some of the electricity to make it.

Hydrogen, as a gas, transforms into water when burned as fuel.

While hydrogen is currently produced from fossil fuels — and used in industries such as oil refining, steel production and fertilizer production — renewable energy advancements and billions in federal climate change incentives are beginning to change that.

close up photo of white windmill — Wind power will be South Dakota's contribution to the "Hydrogen Hub" project announced on Friday, October 6. //Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Hydrogen production via electrolysis – splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity – is gaining interest. To keep the process sustainable, electrolysis can be powered by excess production from wind and solar energy.

But those processes are expensive and require new infrastructure, which is why the Biden administration is directing $7 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to build seven regional hydrogen power hubs in 16 states, the White House announced Friday.

One of the new hubs is the Heartland Hydrogen Hub in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana, which is the recipient of a $925 million grant. The hub – a network of hydrogen producers, consumers and infrastructure – is a collaboration involving Xcel Energy, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, TC Energy and the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Resource Center.

Not all of the hydrogen produced within the hubs will be strictly “green”; some could still be made from fossil fuels in processes that release CO2 into the atmosphere. But the projects hope to capture and store that carbon dioxide underground, a process called sequestration. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that traps heat and contributes to climate change.

The Friday announcement that seven projects had been selected to receive $7 billion in seed money to kickstart the production of clean hydrogen across the country was billed by President Joe Biden’s administration as a major step toward slashing carbon emissions, creating thousands of domestic jobs and positioning the U.S. as a clean energy leader.

Steel tower hydrogen hub — A hydrogen production system at the BayoTech facility in New Mexico. (Photo by Jerry Redfern / Capital & Main)

“I’m here to announce one of the largest advanced manufacturing investments in the history of this nation,” Biden said during an appearance in Philadelphia.”Seven billion dollars in federal investments that’s going to attract $40 billion in private investments in clean hydrogen.”

However, there’s also criticism over a lack of transparency by the Department of Energy around the application and selection process and those who are dubious about the ways some of the newly minted “hydrogen hubs” intend to produce the gas, which the administration called “crucial to achieving President Biden’s goal of American industry powered by American clean energy.”

Hydrogen, which releases no carbon emissions when burned, is seen broadly as a key part of cutting emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy, such as steelmaking and cement manufacturing, aviation, shipping and other areas. There’s more controversy around uses like blending it with natural gas to burn in power plants or for heating. How climate-friendly hydrogen is depends on how it’s produced. Currently most hydrogen in the U.S. is produced using natural gas, so-called “gray” hydrogen. “Green” hydrogen is produced by an electrolysis process with clean energy. “Blue” hydrogen is fossil-fuel derived but coupled with carbon capture, in which CO2 is filtered out of emissions and stored.

Four of the projects (the Appalachian, Gulf Coast, Heartland and Midwest hydrogen hubs) that the DOE announced as winners will use fossil fuels to produce hydrogen. (In the bipartisan infrastructure law, Congress required that at least one hub “demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen from fossil fuels.”)

“There are so many ways hydrogen can go wrong. … We’re really concerned with the number of projects that rely in part or in whole on fossil fuel-based hydrogen production,” said Julie McNamara, a deputy policy director at Union of Concerned Scientists’ climate and energy program. “For hydrogen to be a clean energy solution, it has to be cleanly produced and it has to be strategically used.”

In some scenarios, environmental groups worry the hydrogen could actually increase U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

A report last month by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, an Ohio nonprofit, found that the U.S. government “significantly understates the likely impact of producing hydrogen from fossil fuels on global warming.” The assumption that 1% of the methane being used to produce hydrogen will be emitted into the atmosphere is “far less than recent peer-reviewed scientific analyses have found and that has been identified by airplane and satellite emission surveys,” the report says. It also notes that using fossil fuels to make hydrogen cleanly depends on the “overly optimistic and unproven assumption that hydrogen production projects will be able to capture almost all of the carbon dioxide they create.”

In short, said David Schlissel, one of the report’s authors, blue hydrogen is not a great idea when you consider emissions from the entire process, from producing natural gas to shipping and storing the hydrogen and the unknowns of trying to use carbon capture and storage at scale.

“We fear, and it’s based on our analysis, that the money the government is going to spend on blue hydrogen production is going to result in the continued emission of greenhouse gases for decades,” he said. “We worry about the waste of money. But we really worry about the waste of time and giving fossil fuel companies the opportunity to build infrastructure that depends on their continued operation. That’s the real concern, to keep the world addicted to fossil fuels.”

That’s the concern with all of this hydrogen hype.”

Schlissel and other critics also questioned the lack of details released by the Department of Energy about the projects, noting that much of the application materials have been treated as trade secrets by the states and the DOE. It’s unclear how the DOE scored the projects for funding, he added.

“How much hydrogen is going to be produced? What are going to be the CO2 emissions? How much CO2 is going to be captured? Then, where is it going to be used?” he said. “DOE and the applicants have taken the position that everything is confidential.”

The department’s press office did not respond Friday to a list of questions, including one about how projects were evaluated.

“We would encourage the DOE to be as transparent as they possibly can, especially for the communities where they’ll be proposed,” said Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy for the Sierra Club, one of the nation’s largest environmental groups.

‘This is not trivial’

Perhaps even more important than the hub applications that were selected, Drupp and McNamara say, are the debates ongoing at the Internal Revenue Service around the final rules for the hydrogen tax production credit created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

“While these hubs are large and there is a significant amount of money on the table, the hydrogen production tax credit could potentially dwarf that amount of money,” McNamara said. “That makes it all the more critical that how the administration determines what is truly clean energy is rigorously done.”

The final shape of those rules, which are linked to the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions of the hydrogen source, could be the difference between a boon and a boondoggle on the scale of the biofuels industry, a pair of climate economists wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed.

“Using fossil-generated electricity or siphoning off renewables subsequently back-filled by fossil power to operate electrolyzers — which would occur under loose guidance — generates at least twice the carbon emissions that status-quo gas-derived hydrogen emits,” a coalition of environmental groups, developers and other organizations wrote to the Treasury Department in February. “Weak guidance could therefore force Treasury to spend more than $100 billion dollars in subsidies for hydrogen projects that result in increased net emissions, in direct conflict with statutory requirements and tarnishing the reputation of the nascent ‘clean’ hydrogen industry.”

Groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Institute say the final rules should incorporate a “three pillars” approach. The first is “additionality,” meaning a new hydrogen electrolyzer that is connected to the electric grid is responsible for ensuring the added electric demand they are creating is being met by new low-carbon generation. The second is “time-matching,” requiring electrolyzers’ electric consumption to match its hydrogen production. The third pillar, deliverability, would require hydrogen producers to get clean electricity from within their region.

McNamara said the guidance is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

“This is not trivial,” she said. “Hydrogen can be a valuable tool for the clear energy transition but it is not a given … and getting it wrong comes with enormous consequences for climate and public health.”

South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence.

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$100 million in food benefits lost when SD ended pandemic emergency

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

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$100 million in food benefits lost when SD ended pandemic emergency

Bart Pfankuch
South Dakota News Watch

South Dakotans who rely on food stamps missed out on $100 million for groceries because the state declared an end to the COVID-19 emergency while federal funding was still available, according to an analysis prepared by the state Legislative Research Council and obtained by News Watch.

Gov. Kristi Noem decided in July 2021 that South Dakota had recovered enough from the pandemic and ended the formal emergency far earlier than most other states. That prevented the state from taking the estimated $103 million in additional emergency funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) available until March 2023.

Loading food into vehicles — With a need for additional food still high in South Dakota, cars queue up to wait their turn to receive groceries at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank in Rapid City. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

The estimate is likely low because emergency allotment totals rose as more people qualified for SNAP benefits in early 2021, the LRC analysis said.

Thirty-two other states took the funding until the program ended. South Dakota was one of the first states to end its state of emergency and stop taking the money for food to low-income residents, people with disabilities and families with children.

According to amounts from the final month South Dakota took the emergency funding, about 34,600 households lost out on an average of $150 per month over those 19 months.

Critics of Noem’s decision — including a South Dakota lawmaker, grocer and food stamp recipient — said it prevented low-income families and individuals from buying more food during the lingering months of the pandemic. It also denied grocery retailers millions of dollars in revenue, they said.

But Noem’s communications director, Ian Fury, said the governor concluded the state economy had “fully recovered” from the pandemic and that a state of emergency was no longer needed.

The unemployment rate had fallen to pre-pandemic levels, the tourism industry had rebounded and “our COVID peak was long in the rearview mirror,” he wrote in an email to News Watch.

“This spending was not necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” Fury wrote.

‘Some of us couldn’t recover’

That explanation, however, doesn’t sit well with Michelle Alexander, 63, of Rapid City, who lives on a fixed income that includes monthly SNAP benefits.

Alexander said she and others she knows suffered from pandemic-related job and financial strife that remain to this day and that the added SNAP benefits were highly needed well after July 2021.

“People lost their jobs and fell behind, and some of us just couldn’t recover,” Alexander said recently as she waited in a line of cars at a Feeding South Dakota monthly food distribution event in Rapid City.

Feeding South Dakota, a leading state food charity, estimates that about 25,000 South Dakota children currently don’t get enough to eat. The organization saw a 20% increase in families visiting its mobile distribution sites from June 2022 to July 2023, roughly the time period when many pandemic-era assistance programs came to an end and inflation began to rise.

“The SNAP program is the most effective anti-hunger program in the United States,” group spokeswoman Stacey Andernacht wrote to News Watch in an email. “It helps people buy the food they need to lead healthy lives while also stimulating economic activity.”

Small boost, big benefit

Alexander said she suffers from joint problems in her knees that made it impossible to work her regular job in retail. She needs surgery but cannot afford a $625 test for a possible allergy to metals that has so far prevented her from getting knee surgery.

Alexander said she received about a $40-a-month bump in her monthly SNAP benefit during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing her food stamp allowance to $281 a month. When the emergency allotments ended in August 2021, her monthly benefit fell to about $240, she said.

“That extra $40 could buy me a couple 5-pound chubs of ground beef to survive on,” she said.

Alexander was shocked to learn the state turned down additional food stamp funding, especially given the hard times people endured over the past three years. The rising cost of food, housing and other monthly expenses have added to the financial burdens of people on fixed incomes, she said.

“Maybe she (Noem) had other things to do than help people who are having a hard time struggling with food money. “It seems like she’s out to help the big guys, farmers and ranchers, more than people who can fall behind pretty easily.”

Noem’s office defends rejection: ‘More … is often not a good thing’

Fury denied a News Watch request to interview Noem but said in his email to News Watch that “federal funding often comes with strings attached, and more of it is often not a good thing.”

News Watch has previously reported on how South Dakota returned $80 million of federal pandemic rental assistance and didn’t apply for $7.5 million in 2022 and 2023 for low-income children during summer.

Fury also pointed out that Noem was the only governor in the country to reject an offer from the Trump Administration for extended unemployment benefits for state residents in August 2020.

“Governor Noem absolutely believes that the federal government’s wasteful spending, much of it at the behest of President Biden, is the single largest cause of the inflation crisis that our nation finds itself in,” Fury wrote in his email.

“The federal government bailed out other states for their unconstitutional decisions, and the American people are paying the price every day at the grocery store, at the gas pump and with every purchase that they make.”

State gets billions from Uncle Sam for other programs

But the SNAP money represents a fraction of the federal largesse sent to South Dakota before, during and since the COVID-19 pandemic.

News Watch earlier reported that from March 2020 to January 2023, the state government received about $4.2 billion in pandemic emergency funding.

Another $9.6 billion in federal aid was provided to local governments, health care facilities, educational institutions, businesses and individuals in the state.

Furthermore, South Dakota took in $121.8 billion in federal funding from fiscal years 2008-2022, receiving $9.3 billion over the past 12 months alone, according to USAspending.gov.

The top federal funding sources to South Dakota are the Social Security Administration, followed by the U.S. departments of Health, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Transportation.

State took in $60 million in added food benefits

Starting in April 2020, the USDA allowed states to apply for emergency increases in SNAP allotments as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress. SNAP is federally funded but is administered by social service agencies within each state.

Overall, the emergency allotments taken through July 2021 totaled $60.4 million. In the first month of the program, the state received $3.5 million in additional benefits for roughly 23,000 households, but those figures rose in the final month to $5.4 million for about 34,600 households.

Records from the South Dakota Department of Social Services show that before the pandemic, in January 2020, about 37,000 households accounting for 78,000 people received $9.9 million in SNAP benefits, an average of $266 per household. Roughly 38,000 of those recipients were children under 18.

About 35,000 SD households benefited from added SNAP

In July 2021, when South Dakota ended its emergency funding, about 35,000 households received $11.4 million in monthly SNAP benefits, plus the additional $5.4 million in emergency funding.

The additional funds pushed the average monthly SNAP payment from $333 to $498 per household, according to state and federal records. About half of the SNAP recipients that month were children.

In fiscal year 2022, about 47 million U.S. recipients of SNAP benefits received about $80 billion in regular benefits topped off by another $40 billion in emergency allotments, according to the USDA.

When availability of emergency allotments ended in March 2023, 32 states were still accepting the money, USDA records show.

Research is ongoing into the outcomes of the emergency SNAP benefits as well as for a new assessment method that generally increased SNAP benefits in 2021.

An August 2022 research article by the Urban Institute noted, however, that the emergency SNAP benefits kept 4.2 million Americans out of poverty in 2021 and reduced child poverty by 14% in states that accepted the emergency payments.

Rejection of federal funding puts strain on the state’s charities

State Sen. Reynold Nesiba, D-Sioux Falls, said Noem’s decision to reject the federal SNAP funds removed a small but critical revenue stream to low-income families during tough times caused by COVID and inflation.

The SNAP program is part of the congressional Farm Bill and is run by the USDA because it helps people but also supports the agriculture and grocery industries, he said.

“It’s in the Farm Bill for a reason,” said Nesiba, an economics professor at Augustana University who serves on the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee.

“It’s always been a program about making sure families have access to food but also as a benefit to those grocery stores where people shop and to maintain stable food prices for our agricultural producers.”

Saying no to the federal SNAP funds also put a strain on the state’s charities that provide food to families, he said. Donors and volunteers who support those groups had to chip in more.

“It’s also a real problem for those of us who care about hungry people,” Nesiba said. “That would have been an extra $100 million dollars that either families or nonprofits or people who donate will have to step up with to meet that need.”

Nesiba said he’s unsure why Noem decided not to accept the additional federal funds.

“I suspect that her logic was that if there’s less benefits it will serve as an impetus for people to go to work. But driving people to work through hunger is an idea we should have given up hundreds of years ago,” he said.

Out of touch with state needs?

Nesiba said he wasn’t surprised the governor turned down the additional SNAP benefit funding.

He theorized that rejecting the additional SNAP benefits and the other low-income federal housing and food funding might not have been a deliberate political decision by Noem but rather came as a consequence of her frequent out-of-state travel.

Those moves are indicators that Noem is out of touch with the needs of South Dakotans living on the margins, Nesiba said.

“I think partly the governor is not spending 50 hours a week being governor because she is distracted and focused on lifting her national profile,” Nesiba said. “She’s not giving as much attention or having as many conversations with people across the state to learn how these various programs would affect people in South Dakota. And I wish she was more focused on that.”

COVID infection and fatality data also indicate that the pandemic was still causing health issues in July 2021.

According to the Coronavirus Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, South Dakota saw its peak death count from COVID in late November 2020 (25 weekly deaths, 1,082 cases) and a peak in active cases in late January 2022 (7 weekly deaths, 2,605 cases).

Overall, as of March 2023, the university said South Dakota had reported 279,000 COVID cases and 3,190 deaths.

Newell grocer would have benefited is OK with early end

Howard “Howdy” Hobernicht has spent 50 years in the grocery business and has owned the small Newmart Grocery in downtown Newell since 1999.

Hobernicht, 70, said his store brings in a steady revenue stream from customers with SNAP benefits, and he was aware of the additional purchasing power those customers brought during the first year or so of the pandemic.

Hobernicht said he supports SNAP as a way to help people who need it, and he was fine with the additional money provided during 2020 and part of 2021. His store needed the extra revenue to pay for inventory and hard-to-find equipment during pandemic supply chain challenges. He also is trying to recoup a significant loss of revenue caused by the opening of a local Dollar General store.

However, Hobernicht supports Noem’s decision to stop taking the emergency payments before the federal program ended.

“On the surface, it seems bad that we didn’t take it, but I think there’s plenty of resources available without it,” Hobernicht said. “I don’t want people to become dependent on it.”

Store owner sees high need in community

Annie Orth, the owner and manager of Merkel’s Foods, a third-generation family-run grocery store in Mobridge, is more troubled by Noem’s decision.

Orth said her business relies in large part on customers who use food stamps, including locals and residents from the nearby Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Orth said the emergency boost in SNAP benefits helped both her store and low-income families make it through financial hard times during the pandemic. Aside from some initial logistical challenges in ordering and inventory control, the additional SNAP benefits were a major benefit to Merkel’s and the regional economy, Orth said.

“We definitely benefited from that during the pandemic,” she said. “We felt a stronger sense of purpose in our community, where we were no longer just a business trying to make money, we were a business providing a big service to our population.”

‘Maybe that pride took us too far’

Orth realized that additional COVID SNAP benefits had ceased in 2021, but she was surprised to learn that South Dakota ended its involvement early and turned down millions in available benefits for low-income families.

“That’s very foolish because it will never not be needed,” she said. “Whether it was for the pandemic or right now, $300 of groceries is not the same as it was five years ago.”

Orth said it is possible Noem was so proud of the state’s hands-off approach to the pandemic that she refused the additional funding out of pride. Orth is also aware that the federal free meal program for all school students ended in 2022, and that the state turned down the federal summer meal money for low-income students.

“We were super proud of ourselves during the pandemic, and maybe she (Noem) was too proud to accept help,” Orth said. “Maybe that pride took us too far and we didn’t take the available benefits.”

The loss of the added SNAP benefits coupled with high prices due to inflation and other increased costs has made it hard for many families to afford to buy adequate food, even well after the height of the pandemic has passed, Orth said.

“It doesn’t make sense because if there’s money available, you take it. You help the community and you help the state,” she said. “I don’t know that they (state government leaders) get to see how things are in small communities or on reservations. The benefits create economic growth for the whole community, so why not?”

— This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org.

Public Notices published October 19, 2023

Public Notices

Carrie Moritz

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October 19, 2023

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Minutes of the Garretson School Board Dist. #49-4 for Oct. 9, 2023

SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES

Regular Meeting Garretson School District #49-4 6:00 p.m. October 9, 2023

Present: Board President Shannon Nordstrom, Board Member Tana Clark, Board Member Wyatt Compton, Board Member Jodi Gloe, Superintendent Guy Johnson, & Business Manager Jacob Schweitzer. Others present: Elementary Principal Katie Hoekman, MS/HS Principal Chris McGregor, Jacki Liester, Garrick Moritz, Amy Pullman, & Sherri Schoenfish. Board Vice President Andy Hulscher was absent.

At 6:02 p.m., the Board convened in the Library for its regular meeting of the Garretson School Board. All votes are unanimous, unless specifically noted in the minutes.

President Nordstrom led the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guests and visitors.

President Nordstrom called for any additions or corrections to the Board agenda. There were no additions or corrections presented.

There were no comments made during the Open Forum portion of the meeting.

Action 24-031: Motion by Clark, second by Compton, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried.

Action 24-032: Motion by Gloe, second by Clark, to approve the following consent agenda items as presented. Approval of September 11, 2023 regular board meeting minutes, approval of payments for September 2023 claims, approval of the financial statements for September 2023, approval of September 2023 payroll, and approval of September 21, 2023 fuel quotes, Diesel Fuel from Palisades Oil - $3.789, and 10% Ethanol from Palisades Oil - $2.969. Motion carried.

GARRETSON SCHOOL DISTRICT #49-4

CLAIMS PAID OCTOBER 9, 2023

GENERAL FUND

4N6 FANATICS.COM, LLC, ORAL INTERP./SPEECH SUBSCRIPTION, $200.00; A-OX WELDING SUPPLY CO., INC., AG. CYLINDER RENTALS, $61.75; ALLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INSTALL CAT 5E WIRING, $1,745.80; ALLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, OCTOBER 2023 INTERNET & PHONE SERVICES, $766.00; BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY, STOCK MARKET GAME TEAM FEES, $10.00; BRANDON ACE HARDWARE, INDOOR INSECT KILLER, $11.99; BUILDERS SUPPLY CO., KEYS/LOCKSETS, $2,161.50; CASH, MEAL MONEY- ELEMENTARY STAFF CONFERENCE, $896.00; CHS INC., FIELD SPRAYING, $414.00; CITY OF GARRETSON, GAS/SEWER/WATER, $883.34; CLIMATE SYSTEMS, INC., MULTIPLE ROOMS OVERHEATING- MAINTENANCE, $1,468.75; CORE EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE, 2023-2024 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE COURSE, $325.00; DAKOTA TIMING, LLC, TIMING SERVICES FOR HOME CROSS COUNTRY MEET, $1,230.00; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- ACCOUNT CREDIT, ($28.51), FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- AUDIO CABLE, $12.99; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- BUSINESS MANAGER COMPUTER MONITOR, $69.99; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, $138.75; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- DOG MAN/CAT KID COMIC CLUB COLLECTION, $104.03; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- ELEMENTARY SUPPLIES, $8.49; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- ELEPHANT & PIGGIE COMPLETE COLLECTION, $117.49; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- IBUPROFEN, $27.15; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- LIBRARY BOOK, $9.49; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- SKIN SOOTHING PROTECTION, $41.30; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- STORAGE BINS, $24.49; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, AMAZON- TRAINING VEST JERSEYS FOR P.E. CLASS, $146.00; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, HOTELS.COM- HOTEL ROOMS FOR ALL-STATE CHOIR, $1,071.12; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, LAKES BAR & GRILL- BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEETING MEAL, $87.50; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, MIDWEST SCIENTIFIC- HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE SUPPLIES, $936.43; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, SMORE- NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE, $179.00; GARRETSON GAZETTE, 2023-2024 SALARIES/SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES PUBLICATION, $475.84; GARRETSON SCHOOL DISTRICT CUSTODIAL ACCOUNT, SEPTEMBER 2023 IMPREST ACCOUNT REIMBURSEMENT, $14,380.49; HARVE’S SPORT SHOP, BASKETBALLS/VOLLEYBALLS/SOCCER BALLS, $2,215.62; HAUFF MID-AMERICA SPORTS, FOOTBALL PANTS/PENNANT FLAGS/SOCCER SOCKS, $2,026.40; HEALTHEQUITY, HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT CONTRIBUTIONS/FEES, $2,944.68; HILLYARD, CLEANING/MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES, $4,080.62; HORACE MANN, AUGUST 2023 ADMIN. FEES/SEPTEMBER 2023 PAYROLL ACH’S, $531.13; HOWE, BETSY, IMMUNIZE SOUTH DAKOTA CONFERENCE- REIMBURSEMENT, $150.00; INNOVATIVE OFFICE SOLUTIONS, LLC, BINDERS/DESKTOP TRAYS/PENCIL SHARPENERS, $165.63; INTERSTATE ALL BATTERY CENTER, IPAD SCREEN REPAIR, $125.00; LOST & FOUND, STAFF TRAINING- 8/22/2023, $1,300.00; LYNN, JACKSON, SHULTZ & LEBRUN, P.C., LEGAL SERVICES, $142.00; MIDWEST BUS PARTS, INC., PARKING BRAKE, $191.26; PALISADES OIL, CO., BULK FUEL, $4,400.80; PERFORMANCE PRESS, INC., CUME FOLDERS, $261.09; POPPLERS MUSIC, INC., BAND MUSIC, $1,318.95; REALLY GOOD STUFF, LLC, CLASSROOM RESOURCES/SUPPLIES, $35.72; RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT REPAIR, ICE MACHINES- PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, $822.54; RIDDELL ALL AMERICAN SPORTS CORP., FREIGHT/HANDLING, $373.62; ROLL-OFF PROS, 12 YARD ROLL-OFF FOR FLOORING, $440.00; SCHOLASTIC INC., ELEMENTARY- SCHOLASTIC NEWS, $1,616.82; SCHOOL SPECIALTY, LLC, ART ROOM SUPPLIES, $35.77; SCHRANK, MATT, FLIGHT TO APPLE LEARNING ACADEMY- REIMBURSEMENT, $483.00; SIOUX VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT #05-5, CROSS COUNTRY MEET ENTRY FEE- 9/26/2023, $35.00; WAGEWORKS, SEPTMEBER 2023 ACH FEES, $5,270.16; WASTE MANAGEMENT, OCTOBER 2023 GARBAGE & RECYCLING SERVICES, $686.75; WINTERTON, GARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXAM- REIMBURSEMENT, $150.00; XCEL ENERGY, JULY-AUGUST 2023 ELECTRICITY, $6,745.99;

TOTAL GENERAL FUND, $64,524.72

CAPITAL OUTLAY FUND

ACCESS SYSTEMS, OCTOBER 2023 SERVICES/PRINTER SERVICES, $1,362.29; HAUFF MID-AMERICA SPORTS, VOLLEYBALL JERSEYS, $1,466.50; INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN GROUP, INC., SPORTS COMPLEX PROJECT- PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, $7,285.21; LION ELECTRIC, ELECTRIC BUSES, $1,123,802.97;

TOTAL CAPITAL OUTLAY FUND, $1,133,916.97

SPECIAL EDUCATION FUND

CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY, AUGUST 2023 TUITION, $2,435.94; ISI, LLC, SEPTEMBER 2023 INTERPRETER SERVICES, $7,872.50; LIFESCAPE, AUGUST 2023 SERVICES/TUITION, $3,474.00; PRAIRIE LAKES EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE, SEPTEMBER 2023 SERVICES, $2,777.81; SCHOOL SPECIALTY, LLC, CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, $758.92;

TOTAL SPECIAL EDUCATION FUND, $17,319.17

FOOD SERVICE FUND

LUNCHTIME SOLUTIONS, INC., AUGUST 2023 FOOD SERVICES, $12,714.73;

TOTAL FOOD SERVICE FUND, $12,714.73

CUSTODIAL FUND

FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, INFINITE CAMPUS- SCHOOL LUNCH ACCOUNT PAYMENT, $112.30; FIRST BANK & TRUST CREDIT CARD, WENDY’S FLOWERS- FLOWERS, $166.40;

TOTAL CUSTODIAL FUND, $278.70

TOTAL CLAIMS: $1,228,754.29

IMPREST CHECKS

SEPTEMBER 2023

GENERAL FUND IMPREST CHECKS

BEELER, NATHAN, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/19/2023, $128.14; BEELER, NATHAN, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/25/2023, $128.14; BERESFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT #61-2, CROSS COUNTRY MEET ENTRY FEE- 8/25/2023, $125.00; BERESFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT #61-2, JUNIOR VARSITY VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE- 9/29/2023, $50.00; BOHL, JASON, FUEL- CROSS COUNTRY- REIMBURSEMENT, $87.85; CANTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #41-1, VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE- 8/26/2023, $75.00; CARLSON, GRANT, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/14/2023, $126.36; CHAMBERLAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT #07-1, CROSS COUNTRY MEET ENTRY FEE- 9/14/2023, $50.00; DELL RAPIDS SCHOOL DISTRICT #49-3, CROSS COUNTRY MEET ENTRY FEE- 9/18/2023, $100.00; DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, BACKGROUND CHECKS, $389.25; DONNELLY, PATRICK, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/25/2023, $92.44; ERICKSON, RICHARD, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/22/2023, $237.20; GRAVES I.T. SOLUTIONS, CLOUD STORAGE/CONTRACT/LAPTOP BATTERY/TECH. SUPPORT, $7,555.00; GRIPENTROG, BRENDA, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/14/2023, $173.02; JJ & ZAK, STUDENT EMAIL FIELD/NOTIFICATIONS ADD-ON, $200.00; JOHNSON, TROY, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 8/25/2023, $159.92; JORGENSON, JEFF, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 8/25/2023, $145.16; KOKESH, DAVE, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/22/2023, $165.68; KSB SCHOOL LAW, TITLE IX EMPLOYEE TRAINING, $125.00; KUSLER, KEITH, JESSE JAMES CROSS COUNTRY MEET OFFICIAL- 9/5/2023, $145.40; LARSEN, VICTOR, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/14/2023, $92.44; LARSON, TODD, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/22/2023, $162.44; LUVERNE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, CROSS COUNTRY MEET ENTRY FEE- 9/9/2023, $75.00; MAY, TIM, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 8/31/2023, $119.72; MAY, TIM, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 9/28/2023, $119.72; OTTO, JUSTIN, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/8/2023, $154.52; PIERSON, DEAN, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 9/12/2023, $114.68; PIERSON, ROD, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 9/12/2023, $156.92; PIETILA, STEVE, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/22/2023, $161.36; REISDORFER, JASON, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 9/28/2023, $139.58; ROUFS, JAY, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/8/2023, $136.52; RUDA, STEVE, VOLLEYBALL OFFICIAL- 8/31/2023, $142.64; RUNIA, DAN, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 8/25/2023, 150.20; SCHMIG, PAUL, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 8/25/2023, $172.16; SEITZ, JASON, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/8/2023, $135.44; SHAFFER-CROSTON, KIM, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/19/2023, $163.84; SPENCER, DAVE, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/22/2023; $161.72; STOWERS, RON, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/8/2023, $167.12; THOMAS, TIM, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/25/2023, $97.92; VANDER WAAL, DERRICK, SOCCER OFFICIAL- 9/19/2023, $151.20; WASTE MANAGEMENT, SEPTEMBER 2023 GARBAGE & RECYCLING SERVICES, $836.75; WINTER, KATHRYN, LENGTHEN CHEERLEADING SKIRTS, $105.00; ZALME, MARK, FOOTBALL OFFICIAL- 9/8/2023, $188.24;

TOTAL GENERAL FUND IMPREST CHECKS, $14,380.49;

TOTAL IMPREST CHECKS: $14,380.49

Financial Report

The Business Manager presented a financial report of cash balances, expenditures, and receipts for the month of September 2023 as listed below:

Cash Balances as of September 29, 2023: General Fund: $165,338.74; Capital Outlay Fund: $2,301,200.15; Special Education Fund: $130,573.10; Capital Projects Fund: $207,001.51; Food Service Fund: $300,458.00; Driver’s Education Fund: $10,212.22; Preschool Fund: ($11,581.29); Custodial Fund: $71,923.33.

Expenditures: General Fund: ACH Fees, $112.40; Claims, $57,936.78; Payroll, $314,029.96; Capital Outlay Fund: Claims, $30,763.65; Special Education Fund: Claims, $26,151.21; Payroll, $56,657.42; Capital Projects Fund: Claims, $122,271.84; Food Service Fund: Claims, $78.94; Preschool Fund: Payroll, $9,017.17; Custodial Fund: ACH Fees, $8,633.57; Claims, $80,723.78.

Receipts: General Fund: Local Sources, $17,178.66; Intermediate Sources, $1,147.96; State Sources, $178,894.00; Capital Outlay Fund: Local Sources, $5,830.34; Special Education Fund: Local Sources, $3,504.88; State Sources, $15,411.00; Food Service Fund: Local Sources, $22,912.40; Preschool Fund: Local Sources, $8,200.00; Custodial Fund: Local Sources, $47,728.31.

Old Business:

None

New Business:

There were no conflicts of interest.

Action 24-033: Motion by Gloe, second by Compton, to approve the fiscal year 2023 annual report. Motion carried.

President Nordstrom volunteered to be the district’s delegate at the Associated School Boards of South Dakota Assembly.

Action 24-034: Motion by Gloe, second by Clark, to approve an exception to the handbook policy regarding participation of sixth grade students in school sponsored activities, allowing the district to include sixth grade students on the junior high boys’ basketball teams this year. Motion carried.

Action 24-035: Motion by Clark, second by Gloe, to declare an emergency and authorize the Superintendent to move forward with the installation of a replacement boiler. Motion carried.

The following information items were presented to the Board; Policy KLB: Public Complaints About Curriculum or Instructional Materials and Policy KLB-E: Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials.

The First Readings of the following were presented to the Board as a part of the policy adoption process: Policy BDDD: Quorum (new policy) and Policy KBAA: Public Records.

The Second Readings of Policy BDDH: Public Participation at Board Meetings (review), Policy JECAA: Admission of New Residents and Students from Unaccredited Schools (review), Policy JECAA-R: Placement of Students Who Have Attended an Unaccredited School or Alternative Program (delete), and Policy JECAA-E: Grade Placement Committee Report - Override Recommendation (delete) were presented to the Board.

Action 24-036: Motion by Compton, second by Gloe, to adopt Policy BDDH: Public Participation at Board Meetings and Policy JECAA: Admission of New Residents and Students from Unaccredited Schools and delete Policy JECAA-R: Placement of Students Who Have Attended an Unaccredited School or Alternative Program and Policy JECAA-E: Grade Placement Committee Report - Override Recommendation. Motion carried.

Administration provided the Board with four administrative reports:

a. Superintendent’s Report - Superintendent Johnson discussed the arrival of the electric buses on September 29th, as well as training for the bus drivers and a handful of folks from the fire department. He gave the Board a summary of the October 6th in-service, which consisted of reviewing NWEA/map testing data as well as smarter balance testing data. He informed the Board that the reviews from the staff on the in-service were very positive. Lastly, Superintendent Johnson added he would be attending a school law conference in Chamberlain.

b. Prairie Lakes Educational Cooperative Report - No report.

c. Elementary Principal/Curriculum Director’s Report - Principal Hoekman informed the Board of an Interim Testing Training that look place on September 15th. Next, she mentioned that all the elementary classes spent some time with Transportation Director Tim Nelson to go over bus safety and Deputy Jason Aanenson visited each classroom to introduce himself. On October 4th, Principal Hoekman added that the Department of Transportation came to the school for National Walk and Roll school day. She also informed the Board that Parent/Teacher Conferences would take place on October 18th & October 25th. She then made the Board aware of a Title I Parent Information Meeting that the school would be hosting on October 19th. Lastly, she gave the Board an update on the school’s curriculum plan and discussed a curriculum director’s meeting on October 10th.

d. Middle School/High School Principal Report - Principal McGregor gave the Board a brief recap of the Artificial Intelligence training that he and four teachers attended on September 19th in Harrisburg. He then added that the FFA National Convention is October 31st-November 4th. Next, Principal McGregor informed the Board that there will be Financial Aid Night Presentations on each of the Parent/Teach Conference days, October 18th, and October 25th. Lastly, he touched on his monthly principal meetings.

Action 24-037: Motion by Gloe, second by Compton, to go into executive session, pursuant to SDCL 1-25-2, subsection 1: A Personnel Matter. Motion carried. The Board entered executive session at 6:55 p.m.

President Nordstrom declared the Board out of executive session at 7:33 p.m.

Action 24-038: Motion by Gloe, second by Clark, to adjourn at 7:33 p.m. Motion carried.

Approved by the Garretson Board of Education this _____ day of _________, 2023.

Board President,

Shannon Nordstrom

Jacob Scwietzer,

Business Manager

Published at the total approximate cost of $171.89 and can be viewed for free at www.sdpublicnotices.com. 10-19-23-1tc

NOTICE OF AUDIT OF THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY

Notice is hereby given that the records and books of account of Minnehaha County, South Dakota, have been audited by the Department of Legislative Audit for the year ended December 31, 2022, and that a detailed report thereon, containing additional information, is filed with the county auditor of Minnehaha County and the Department of Legislative Audit in Pierre, South Dakota for public inspection.

This notice is published in compliance with the provisions of SDCL 4-11-12.

Russell A. Olson, Auditor General

Department of Legislative Audit

Published twice at the total approximate cost of $15.34 and can be viewed for free at www.sdpublicnotices.com.

10-19-23-2tc

NOTICE OF AUDIT OF THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OF GARRETSON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 49-4

Notice is hereby given that the records and books of account of Garretson School District No. 49-4 of Minnehaha County, South Dakota have been audited by ELO Prof., LLC for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. A detailed report thereon is available for public inspection, during normal business hours, at the business office of the School District, and also available at the Department of Legislative Audit in Pierre, South Dakota or on the Department of Legislative Audit website at https://legislativeaudit.sd.gov/reports/reports.aspx

The following findings and recommendations provide a brief description of a significant deficiency and a material weakness in internal control that are described in more detail in the audit report.

Finding: A significant deficiency in internal controls was noted due to a lack of proper segregation of duties.

Recommendation: We recommend that the School District officials be cognizant of this lack of segregation of duties.

Finding: A material weakness in compliance resulted from budgeted expenditures exceeded the total means of finance and available fund balance in capital outlay fund.

Recommendation: We recommend that the budgets be monitored closely and supplements be implemented if necessary.

-ELO Prof LLC

Published twice at the total approximate cost of $37.70 and can be viewed for free at www.sdpublicnotices.com.

10-12-23-1t

Notice of Hearing: for Adult Name Change

CIV: 23-2936

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA) SS COUNTY OF MINNEHAHA)

IN CIRCUIT COURT

SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

In the Matter of the Petition

of William Lee Croiser,

For a Change of Name to

Jaci Rose Anderson-Hudspeth

CIV: 23-2936

Notice is hereby given that a Verified Petition for Adult Name Change has been filed by William Lee Croiser, the object and prayer of which is to change Petitioner’s name from William Lee Croiser to Jaci Rose Anderson-Hudspeth.

On the 28th day of November, 2023, at the hour of 11:00 a.m. said Verified Petition will be heard by this Court before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Mammenga, at the Court Room in the Minnehaha County Courthouse, City of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, or as soon thereafter as is convenient for the court. Anyone may come and appear at that time and place and show reasons, if any, why said name should not be changed as requested.

Dated this 13th Day of October, 2023 at Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Attested by,

Angelia Gries, Clerk of Court

Published four times at the approximate cost of $50.69 and can be viewed for free at www.sdpublicnotices.com.

10-19-23-4tc

News for 10-19-23

News

Carrie Moritz

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October 18, 2023

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The Garretson High School Marching Band had a great competition season, and the Harvest Festival was a success this past weekend! Plus, weapons were found in a student's vehicle and a pallet grinding operation west of Sioux Falls still doesn't have an answer on their permit; local musings and historical photos; and football and cross country had their final competitions of the season, plus more!

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October 18, 2023

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The Garretson High School Marching Band had a great competition season, and the Harvest Festival was a success this past weekend! Plus, weapons were found in a student's vehicle and a pallet grinding operation west of Sioux Falls still doesn't have an answer on their permit; local musings and historical photos; and football and cross country had their final competitions of the season, plus more!

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Weapons found in student vehicle

Carrie Moritz

-

October 16, 2023

0

On Monday, the Garretson School District released a notice via text message to all parents and guardians that a student had brought weapons onto school grounds. The student was subsequently taken into custody, and the district stated that at no time were any other students in danger.

The weapons were found in a vehicle after another student reported a sighting to the School Resource Officer, Jason Aanenson, who works with the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department.

The sighting turned out to be a .22 long rifle, which was located in the front seat of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, a knife, a pellet gun, a "look-alike" toy gun, and several different types of ammunition were also found.

Due to the amount of weaponry, the student was taken into custody and the matter passed to the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department.

The Garretson School Handbook explicitly prohibits weapons on campus, stating "The possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in school buildings, vehicles or on school premises is a Class I misdemeanor and is strictly prohibited by this policy. (This does not include law enforcement officers.) A dangerous weapon is defined as: any firearm, air gun, knife, instrument, object, destructive device, explosive material or substance, whether animate or inanimate that is calculated or designed to inflict death or serious bodily injury. This definition also includes “look-alike weapons” which are defined as any item which resembles or appears to be a weapon, including, but not limited to, squirt guns, water rifles or pistols, slingshots, toy guns, toy grenades, and other similar items."

Consequences for this action could be grave, with the handbook continuing, "Any student who brings an item fitting the above definition on to any school premises, vehicle, or building leased for any school function, activity, or event may be expelled for not less than twelve months and will be referred to law enforcement authorities. Any student who threatens to inflict death or serious bodily injury by way of written message, verbal message, telephone message, or e-mail message will be subject to the same consequences. The Superintendent shall have the authority to recommend to the school board that the expulsion requirement be modified on a case-by-case basis but may not increase the length of the period of expulsion."

In the text message released from the Garretson School District, the reporting student was commended for their effort. "We appreciate that one of our students reported to the resource officer as soon as he was aware of the weapons. It underscores the importance of the idea that if you see something, say something."

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