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Dreckmans face adversity with hope and community support

Carrie Moritz

September 28, 2023

Dreckmans face adversity with hope and community support

Carter Dreckman’s unique genetic disorder only affects 500 people worldwide

Carrie Moritz,

Garretson Gazette

The past 24 months have been world-changing for Luke and Paetyn Dreckman, whose son, Carter, was diagnosed in August 2022 with CTNNB1 Syndrome. CTNNB1 Syndrome is a genetic disorder that keeps him from using or producing enough of a protein, beta catenin, that gives him symptoms very close to those of cerebral palsy. Currently, there aren't any medical treatment options, but there could be. In order to move forward with testing, researchers need more funding.

toddler wearing red glasses and smiling in gait trainer — Carter got his first gait trainer, a type of walker that helps him move around, just a few short months ago and has enjoyed it immensely. // photo submitted by the Dreckmans.

When 23-month-old Carter was born, he seemed to be healthy.

"I had a completely normal pregnancy," said Paetyn, Carter's mother. "He always measured small, but that was about it."

Both parents said that looking back, they could see the signs- for instance, he had trouble eating, and it took a month before he would really open his eyes. But it was only at their four-month checkup when things really seemed amiss. Carter wasn't yet trying to sit, and hadn't accomplished rolling over at that point. While their pediatrician was okay with taking a wait-and-see approach along with some therapies to encourage his development, she ensured that within a couple months the Dreckmans were going in for an MRI and genetic testing.

The pediatrician was attempting to find out if Carter had cerebral palsy, the result of brain injuries or neurological development problems which cause issues with muscle tone, eating, and development. An MRI can often find those issues, but Carter's MRI came back normal.

However, the genetic test showed that Carter had a deficiency on the CTNNB1 gene. This gene is relatively unknown, but a mutation on the CTNNB1 gene causes symptoms that are very similar to cerebral palsy.

"In fact, they're trying to encourage people with a cerebral palsy diagnosis to go back and get genetic testing, because they're so intertwined," said Luke, Carter's father. "With CTNNB1, your brain function is 100% normal. It's just that the relay from your brain to your extremities or whatever is lost in translation there [at the brain stem]."

CTNNB1 Syndrome is caused when a mutation or deletion occurs on the CTNNB1 gene, which encodes a protein called beta catenin. Beta catenin helps cells "stick together" and communicate. It is not an inherited disorder, and the mutation or deletion happens spontaneously during fetal development. Only 430 to 500 people worldwide have been diagnosed with CTNNB1 Syndrome. It doesn't have a catchy name, and the families of those diagnosed are faced with explaining what this strange-sounding mutation means.

Currently, researchers believe it affects around 1 in 35,000-to-50,000 people worldwide, but its first diagnosis didn't occur until 2012, which means most people with confirmed cases are under the age of 15, with a majority under the age of 7. This is because diagnosis must occur via genetic testing, which didn't become widely available worldwide until fairly recently.

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Auditor Anderson rebuked for trying to insert off-agenda items at commission meeting

Carrie Moritz

September 28, 2023

Auditor Anderson rebuked for trying to insert off-agenda items at commission meeting

By Dave Baumeister

County Correspondent

SIOUX FALLS – Things became heated toward the end of this week’s Minnehaha County Commission meeting with the last agenda item of a service agreement with Elections Systems and Software, LLC.

County Auditor Leah Anderson brought the last item to the commission with a memo that stated the following: “Every three years, Minnehaha County enters into an Agreement for Election Services, which determines what the county will pay for Ballot Layout, Coding, Voice File Services and Ballot Printing Services with Election Systems & Software LLC (ES&S).

“The sum of these services for the Primary and General Election in 2022 was $123,678.64. This total expense exceeds my spending authority and therefore I am unable to sign this Agreement.”

But with this simple item to pay a bill for services from ES&S over the next year, it became unclear whether or not Anderson wanted to make changes which might render this agreement unnecessary.

At first, Anderson presented the bill with the recommendation that would “authorize the chair (Jean Bender) to sign a service agreement with Election Systems and Software, LLC."

However, as she went on, Anderson brought up that many changes could be made in how the county conducts elections.

She did mention she would like to “experiment with random hand counting of ballots at the precinct level, to go along with tabulations."

But commissioners were confused as to where Anderson was going in her statements.

“Is this a part of your motion?” Commission Chair Jean Bender asked Anderson. “Why are you bringing this up now? You are trying to address other issues in the statement that you made.”

“Correct,” Anderson said.

Bender and Commissioner Dean Karsky both said they needed more time too look at what Anderson was saying, and that this was not the time to consider those things.

Bender pointed out that none of this was in Anderson’s memo to the commission for this week’s agenda.

Even still when Bender opened the agenda item up to public comment very few of the several people who spoke referred to the bill on the agenda.

Most talked about the need for “hand counting ballots."

One member of the public even turned to the audience, raised her hand in the air and proclaimed she would be willing to stay all night to hand count ballots.

After over 20 minutes of comments, Bender returned the commission back to the original motion.

“I’m going to take the conversation to where it started, which was a motion by the auditor (Anderson) to approve services from Elections Systems and Software.”

“This is a system that has been well-vetted out by our secretary of state…The sole motion before the commission right now is whether to approve these charges for the system that the county has been using for a long time, and any concerns about the election should be addressed by the audits put in place by the legislature.”

Karsky asked Anderson, “Are you forfeiting your role as the election officer to the county commission?”

“I am not forfeiting my role as auditor,” Anderson said. “I was told my role in making decisions was not…I’m not the governing board.”

“You’re very conveniently not the governing board this morning, that’s for sure,” Bender retorted.

Commissioner Joe Kippley had much more to say when he chastised Anderson: “If the auditor has an affirmative agenda, I would say ‘Bring it.’

“I really don’t appreciate what is (effectively) smuggling in other issues to what I think is routine (business): warranties on equipment and paying for election services to print ballots.”

“I just don’t get this Pontius Pilate washing my hands ‘I’m just a tribune to the people, and I will let the public commentors come up and smuggle in all of these issues,’ which quite frankly have been litigated in the courts.”

“We’ve seen defamation against voting machine companies come back with hundreds of millions in verdicts, so I don’t think we want to get in the business of defaming ES&S.”

Kippley continued: “I really don’t like the way this was set up and brought before us. I don’t have a lot of patience for the nonsense around the election fraud stuff.”

“Every election in our free society has a losing side. And that losing side needs to learn how to lose.”

Kippley went on look back at the elections of 2000, 2004, 2016 and now 2020, which, he pointed out, all had similar problems. He then made the motion to pay the bill to ES&S, which was unanimously approved.

No further comments were made by Anderson or anyone else regarding this matter.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 9 a.m. in the commission meeting room on the third floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building.

Garretson FFA Hosts Safety Around Agriculture for Youth in 4th Grade

Carrie Moritz

September 28, 2023

Garretson FFA Hosts Safety Around Agriculture for Youth in 4th Grade

Article Submitted by Ms. Alysha Kientopf, Garretson FFA Advisor

National Farm Safety and Health week was September 17th-23rd. The 2021 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 453 fatalities. Fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry. For this reason, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week. This annual promotion initiated by the National Safety Council has been proclaimed as such by each sitting U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. National Farm Safety and Health Week is led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), the agricultural partner of the National Safety Council.

two high school male students talking with female elementary student raising hand — Ag Students, Jayden Meyer and Reece Connely, talk about the dangers of playing around, near, and in grain bins, grain wagons, and other large agriculture equipment through a wide variety of demonstrations. //photo submitted

To honor this week, the Garretson FFA hosted a Safety Around Agriculture for Youth (SAAY) Program for the 4th graders at Garretson Elementary on Wednesday, September 20th. The Agriculture Structure class broke into teams and developed 20-minute safety presentations highlighting Chemical, Metal Fabrication, Grain, Power Tool, and Tractor Safety, which in small groups the participants rotated through each session. The class felt these were the most common areas of concern for youth when it comes to Safety Around Agriculture in our area.

During Chemical Safety the students tried to identify chemical- like items compared to edible/consumable items that look alike in their color and consistency, while understanding the importance of being cautious handling unmarked items such as liquids that could be hazardous. These items could be pesticides, insecticides, household cleaners, etc. that look like some beverages and snacks that we enjoy consuming.

Participants had the opportunity to try on all the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is important to wear when welding, alongside learning about how to be careful around the gas tanks. Along with Power Tool Safety, the importance of properly utilizing tools and equipment was shared. Demonstrations of loose clothing getting caught in a power drill and how quickly getting your finger (hot dog to represent) cut in the blade of a compound miter saw can happen were some helpful visuals for the 4th graders to understand safety a little better.

male elementary student sitting on ATV with adult standing next to vehicle — Tom, a volunteer with Farmers Union of South Dakota, teaches how to ride inclines and terrain safely on an ATV. 4th Grader Easton Schwabach took a turn on the hydraulic simulator to practice what he learned. //photo submitted

Grain Safety consisted of showing the youth how quickly a person can become engulfed in grain when not being safe around grain bins or wagons. Demonstrations to show the challenge of breathing in these situations and educating them the reasons why grain bins and farm equipment are not safe to play around and in, which lead into the Tractor Safety rotation. Participants watched a short video and then saw how quickly an actual Power Take-off Shaft moves and can hurt someone if they get caught into it. A dummy was used for this visual with a bale shredder hooked behind a tractor.

Lastly, we had the Farmers Union of South Dakota Farm Safety Trailer join us this year too. Rocky Foreman and his helper Tom shared great knowledge about ATV safety and reiterated grain bin, electrical, and PTO safety in the trailer. They were a great addition to making this educational day a success. Garretson FFA and the Garretson Agricultural Department hopes to continue to expand this program into bigger things with the 4th Grade teachers at the Garretson School; expanding it into a full day event and partnering with other businesses and organizations like Farmers Union in the years to come.

two high school students talking to elementary students — Brecken Weir and Jakob Gnadt share their knowledge about safety around welding, especially the importance of wearing proper protective equipment. //photo submitted

Brecken Weir and Jakob Gnadt share their knowledge about safety around welding, especially the importance of wearing proper protective equipment. //photo submitted

Drive Your Tractor to School with GHS FFA

Carrie Moritz

September 28, 2023

Drive Your Tractor to School with GHS FFA

Article Submitted by Ms. Alysha Kientopf,

Garretson FFA Advisor

students standing in a line in front of tractors — Participants of Drive Your Tractor to School Day with their tractors from (L to R) are Dyaln Waltman, Isaac Stoterau, Austin Graff, Tanner Baatz, Brecken Weir, Levi Top, and Jakob Gnadt. //photo submitted by Alysha Kientopf

As harvest season is upon us and National Farm Safety and Health Week was September 17th-23rd; Garretson FFA brought back Drive Your Tractor to School Day after many years. Seven Garretson High School and Garretson FFA Members woke up and left for school a little earlier on Wednesday, September 20th to drive their tractors or lawn mowers to school.

The students initially wanted to bring this tradition back as it is a great way to get students involved and show-off their tractors. Some want to see what their tractor can do — horsepower-wise. From vintage to brand new, students had the chance to look at how models have changed, and all the equipment can do.

As parent and community member Patrick Waltman shared, “Yet, another reason why I love this town”, as he drove by the back parking lot of the school and shared a photo of the tractors lined up on social media, just confirmed the value of reviving this tradition.

The ultimate objective for the event was to show support to our local farmers and remind community members to be supportive of our farmers when they are on the road by slowing down and being patient as they are slower moving. We want to keep our community members and farmers safe this harvest season as our local farmers work hard to help bring our food supply from the farm to our tables.

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Minutes of the Minnehaha County Commissioners for Sept. 26, 2023

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