The Garretson Gazette

Some COVID patients flown out of state as S.D. hospital ICU capacity dwindles

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December 9, 2020

Some COVID patients flown out of state as S.D. hospital ICU capacity dwindles

Nick Lowrey, South Dakota News Watch

South Dakota’s largest hospitals are at or above their capacity to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, forcing some of the sickest patients to be flown out of state to receive care.

The strain of a months-long surge in coronavirus cases has reduced hospital capacity to care for those with severe symptoms, making it increasingly uncertain whether the sickest South Dakotans will be able to get treatment in the state, health providers say. Meanwhile, ICU space is quickly evaporating in neighboring states as well.

Nurse Amy Farley, Monument Health-2 — Nurse Amy Farley of Monument Health in Rapid City applies personal protective equipment before aiding COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit. Hospital officials in South Dakota say rising COVID-19 cases are straining their ability to care for patients with the most severe symptoms. Photo: Courtesy Monument Health

Both the Sanford USD Medical Center and Monument Health Rapid City Hospital have reported that their Intensive Care Units are out of space. On Dec. 2, Avera McKennan reported that 6.7% of its ICU beds were available for use. Statewide, the number of available ICU beds has been steadily declining as coronavirus cases have continued to climb.

Major hospitals are still taking patients when they can, but some sick South Dakotans are being sent out of state, forced to use expensive urgent transportation systems to get care hundreds of miles away from their families.

COVID-19 patient Robert J. Sliper of Lead, South Dakota, was flown on an airplane in mid-November to Greeley, Colorado, because there wasn’t enough room in local hospitals, according to an emotional letter written by his son Mike Sliper. The letter, which Mike Sliper posted to Facebook on Nov. 18, detailed Robert Sliper’s life and the anguish his family felt watching him get loaded onto a plane to fly 340 miles to a hospital they couldn’t visit.

Robert Sliper, a Navy veteran and mining engineer who graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, died in Greeley on Nov. 13 at the age of 84, the post said.

Robert Sliper loading onto plane — Robert J. Sliper of Lead, S.D., is loaded onto a plane that took him from the northern Black Hills to Colorado for treatment of severe COVID-19 symptoms in November. Sliper, whose family was told there was no critical-care hospital space available for him in South Dakota, died shortly after arriving in Greeley, Colo. for treatment, his son reported on Facebook. Photo: Mike Sliper Facebook page

Sliper’s body was brought back to South Dakota for his funeral. “We want to bury him in the state that he loved so much but near the end didn’t have room for him,” Mike Sliper wrote.

In South Dakota, hospital critical-care capacity was limited long before COVID-19 hit. Rural residents in need of intensive care already were frequently expected to travel up to hundreds of miles by plane, helicopter or ambulance to get lifesaving treatment at major healthcare centers in Sioux Falls or Rapid City.

As the pandemic has stretched on, South Dakota’s three major hospitals — Avera McKennan and Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls and Monument Health Rapid City Hospital — are now struggling to find or make space to care for the most ill COVID-19 patients and others with serious health problems.

Hospitals are so full, and ICU bed availability is changing so fast at large hospitals, that data reported on the state Department of Health COVID-19 webpage often doesn’t reflect reality, said Dr. Srinivas K. Gangineni, the ICU medical director at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. The result is that the state’s largest, best-equipped hospitals can’t always guarantee they’ll have space to care for the most critically-ill COVID-19 patients on any given day.

“To be honest, I don’t look at the Department of Health website,” he said. “The data I can give you right now, it could be different in 15 minutes.”
Sioux Falls-based Avera Health system, which owns Avera McKennan Hospital and dozens of smaller hospitals in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, is well into its coronavirus surge plan, said Dr. David Basel, vice president of clinical quality. Avera McKennan has nearly doubled its ICU capacity by postponing some non-emergency surgeries, cross-training hospital staff to work with COVID-19 patients and repurposing some hospital space for intensive care.

Most of the hospitals affiliated with Avera Health, including in South Dakota and neighboring states, are “at, near or above” their capacity to treat COVID-19 patients, Basel said.

Officials with Sanford Health were not made available to speak with News Watch for this story.

Hospital capacity data reported by the state Department of Health suggest there is plenty of room in hospital ICU units to handle more patients. The DOH reported on Dec. 2 that statewide about 16% of adult ICU beds in the state were available for use. Roughly 35.2% of all staffed hospital beds were available for use, the department reported.

But much of South Dakota’s open ICU space is in smaller, more rural hospitals that don’t have the staff or equipment to care for the most ill patients, including those with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Those most critical patients tend to stay in hospital beds and intensive care for weeks and often require a level of care that can only be found at major medical centers, experts say.

“A lot of our hospitals would be comfortable caring for a patient with pretty normal lungs after surgery. But these COVID patients are really, really sick and have really complex lungs, and they take an additional skill set,” Basel said. “Not all ICU beds are created equal.”

The states surrounding South Dakota are also seeing strains on hospital capacity. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced on Nov. 9 that the state’s hospitals had reached 100% of capacity. By Dec. 2, North Dakota’s hospitalization rate had fallen, and roughly 13% of the state’s capacity to treat COVID-19 in hospitals was available.

Hospitals in South Dakota and across the country are also undergoing challenges providing critical care due staffing shortages due to illness and burnout. Across South Dakota, hospitals were enduring long-term shortages of doctors and nurses long before the pandemic. Now, hospitals are seeing dozens of staff forced to take time off due to the virus.

That has left some hospital administrators worried that they may have enough beds but not enough staff to care for critically ill patients if the number of coronavirus cases begins climbing again.

South Dakotans who need hospital-level care, including intensive care, can still get it, though they may be sent far from their homes, including to hospitals in other states. But hospital capacity has tightened across the country amid the nationwide coronavirus surge, limiting options elsewhere. Nationally, more than 98,000 people were in hospitals and diagnosed with COVID-19 on Dec. 2; more than 19,000 coronavirus patients were in intensive care.

As the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to climb nationally and remains high in South Dakota, healthcare providers worry that holiday travel and the nascent 2020-21 flu season could cause another surge in hospitalizations. The state’s hospitals may be forced to shut down clinics and restrict or ration care for chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension to free up doctors and nurses to treat COVID-19 patients. Even then, hospitals may reach the limit of their ability to care for everyone who gets sick.

“I don’t know what that limit is, but if cases were to double for another month or two, we would be making some hard decisions,” Basel said. “We’ve had reports that there are areas in Iowa where they are starting to really look at whether it’s good to put individuals who are over 75 with COVID-19 on ventilators. We’re not at that point, and I hope that we never get to any type of point like that. But there may come a day.”

Patients transferred out of state

Rose Mary Kor, who lives outside the Black Hills city of Custer, was rushed to the Emergency Room at Monument Health Custer Hospital on Nov. 2 after struggling to breathe for nearly a week. Kor, 70, said she thought her asthma had been acting up. Then, after an emergency X-ray, doctors told Kor that she had pneumonia due to COVID-19 and needed immediate hospitalization at a more well-equipped facility.

The problem was that Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, where critically ill patients from Custer are usually sent, was full and couldn’t accept new COVID-19 patients. Kor had to choose whether to be flown to a hospital in Gillette, Wyoming, or a hospital in Casper, Wyoming. Both options were more than 140 miles from her home.

“I was in disbelief,” Kor said. “The hospital in Rapid City is not small. The question in my mind was, ‘Why are they not prepared for this?’”

Kor is not alone in her experience. Several other South Dakotans from East River and West River who belong to a closed COVID-19 discussion group on Facebook have shared similar stories of loved ones being diverted to hospitals far from their homes.

Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is the flagship hospital for the Monument system in western South Dakota and offers the highest level of care available in the region. The hospital’s 33-bed Intensive Care Unit has essentially been full through much of November, Gangineni said.

Monument Health took steps to prepare for surges in COVID-19 patients. Some hospital staff volunteered to work extra shifts, nurses have cross-trained to work in the ICU and the hospital is working to add six new ICU beds. Those new beds likely will come online in July 2021, Gangineni said. In the meantime, as patient volumes remain high and are expected to surge again following the holidays, Rapid City Regional’s ICU will have to continue diverting at least some patients to other hospitals.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations rose sharply during November in almost every part of the U.S and was still growing at the end of the month. On Dec. 2, the nationwide number of COVID-19 hospitalizations stood at 98,691.

On Nov. 24, members of the Iowa Hospital Association warned that hospitals in and around Des Moines had been down to three open ICU beds during the week before Thanksgiving. Media reports in Minnesota during the last week of November warned of similar shortages.

State data in Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska have shown sharply rising numbers of COVID-19 cases through the middle of November. Meanwhile, the number of ICU beds has been dwindling in those states.

Ultimately, Kor chose to go to Casper, where she spent nearly two weeks at the Wyoming Medical Center with a high-flow oxygen mask helping her body function. The oxygen mask worked, and Kor narrowly avoided being placed on a ventilator. Still, the experience was painful.

“It was like sticking your head out of a car window at 80 miles per hour for two weeks,” Kor said. The trip took an emotional toll as well. “I was very lonely,” she said.

On Nov. 15, Kor was discharged from the Wyoming Medical Center. A family friend had to drive six hours to pick Kor up and bring her back to South Dakota.

Kor’s lungs still are not functioning properly, and she needs supplemental oxygen. She is tethered to a machine by a 50-foot hose for most of the day and struggles to breathe when walking around her home. Kor also worries about how much her COVID-19 transportation and hospitalization will cost.

Patients with COVID-19 in western South Dakota face a challenging set of circumstances if they need care they can’t get locally. Community hospitals tend to be isolated and usually send their most critically ill patients to Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. But if that hospital is full, the nearest comparable hospital is more than 100 miles away and in a different state.
“I don’t want to say we’re in the middle of nowhere, but if you look at tertiary care centers around our hospital, there aren’t that many,” Gangineni said.

Transfers from smaller hospitals to larger, better-equipped hospitals across state lines are routine in the healthcare industry. Small, rural hospitals can’t afford the equipment or the specialized staff necessary to care for severe heart attack or stroke victims, for example.

“That’s not unusual. Probably the majority of people in our Sioux Falls hospital were not from the immediate Sioux Falls area a year or two years ago,” Basel said. “We don’t pay too much attention to state lines. It’s more whether we’re sending patients to our closest hospital with the necessary resources for that individual patient. Within our family of hospitals, we certainly see people going back and forth across state lines a lot.”

Rural hospitals easing some burdens

One bright spot in terms of hospital capacity is that some rural hospitals have increased their ability to care for COVID-19 patients. When the pandemic began, Avera Health system hospitals started sending all of its COVID-19 patients to Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls because there were more specialists and space at the larger hospital.

Through the summer of 2020, rural hospital staff became more comfortable treating COVID-19 patients; supplies of personal protective equipment increased; and new treatment options were developed, Basel said. Now, roughly two-thirds of Avera Health’s COVID-19 patients are cared for outside of Sioux Falls, and only the most critically ill patients are sent to Sioux Falls.

The Huron Regional Medical Center was one of the first rural South Dakota hospitals to see a surge of COVID-19 patients. Consequently, the independent hospital pioneered some of the emergency remodeling that other smaller hospitals later used to treat coronavirus patients safely, said Erick Larson, hospital president and CEO.

“Utilizing temporary walls and additional HVAC equipment and venting, we were able to create negative pressure isolation areas. Now, the COVID unit is sealed off from the rest of the patient care areas,” Larson said.

The hospital’s COVID-19 unit has enough space for 14 patients at a time, with space for up to four patients in intensive care. The Huron hospital’s staff also created a new five-stage surge plan and secured a steady supply of personal protective equipment by working with the state health department and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospital staff also formed small groups, or pods, that work closely together but separately from other staff as a way to prevent widespread exposure to COVID-19 if someone gets sick, Larson said.

Since September, Huron Regional has been caring for up to 10 COVID-19 patients at a time without having to cancel non-emergency surgeries, Larson said. The hospital’s capacity has been improved through the use of telemedicine as well. Huron Regional participates in Avera Health’s E-Care network. The network allows doctors and nurses in Huron to consult with specialists in Sioux Falls via video conference, which reduces the need for patient transfers.

Huron Regional so far has not had a problem finding space in larger hospitals in Sioux Falls for patients who need more specialized care, Larson said.

“Our teams are well connected to both Avera and Sanford and work together with their staff on a regular basis to get patients to the appropriate care as quickly as possible,” Larson said.

COVID’s toll on health workers could impact hospital capacity

Right now, one of Huron Regional’s biggest concerns is having enough staff to care for patients in its beds, Larson said. Through the end of November, between ten to 15 of Huron Regional’s 300 staff members were out of work on any given day due to COVID-19. Some workers were sick; others took care of sick relatives or were exposed to the virus and needed to quarantine.

“Like most health care facilities, we do not have a lot of extra staff, so the teams must take extra shifts, and other departments have allowed their nursing staff to cross-train and work on the medical floor and in the COVID unit,” Larson said.

Much of South Dakota was critically short of nurses and doctors long before COVID-19. As coronavirus infections have surged, hospital systems such as Avera Health have seen their workforces shrink due to the virus. At any given time, 200 to 300 of the roughly 17,000 employees spread throughout the Avera system aren’t working due to coronavirus exposure infection or because they are taking care of a sick family member, Basel said.

“A lot of people are working in different areas than they normally would. We’re asking for volunteers to either take double shifts or to come in and work extra shifts in the hospital,” Basel said.

Monument Health Rapid City Hospital’s ICU has been fortunate that none of its physicians have gotten sick, Gangineni said. The hospital also has a plan in place to bring in another doctor if needed. Nurses, though, are in shorter supply.

“We’re stretched thin. A lot of these patients have very high acuity, plus our traditional ICU patients have a very high acuity as well. We’ve had to flex and work shorthanded from time to time. Usually, on a typical day, there are three to four nurses that are working extra shifts,” said George Sazama, director of the nursing unit at the ICU in Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.

In Iowa and North Dakota, some hospitals have relaxed their rules and have started allowing staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 but aren’t showing symptoms to continue working with coronavirus patients. The move was made in response to severe shortages of healthcare workers at all levels. So far, South Dakota hospitals have not implemented similar measures.

One of the most significant issues facing hospitals in terms of their capacity and staff wellbeing is the length of time COVID-19 patients tend to spend in the hospital. Some coronavirus patients are spending 60 days or more in hospitals, Sazama said. Typically, patients spend a few days at most in an ICU, not weeks or months.

“It’s a huge change,” Sazama said. “Usually, we live our days minute to minute, hour to hour; our patients’ condition typically changes that quickly. But dealing with COVID, they don’t change minute to minute or hour to hour, and typically they kind of get into a rut … They’re so sick that you can’t really do anything.”

Though new drugs have been approved for use early on during a COVID-19 infection, few treatments are available for the most critically ill. Such patients are put on oxygen and often must be sedated so a tube can be inserted into their airways to pump oxygen directly into their lungs. Some patients can be rotated onto their stomachs as a way to improve their oxygen intake. But for the most part, many patients must rely on their bodies to fight off the disease.

“That takes a toll on staff, seeing how sick some of these patients get, how they stay sick for days and weeks, and sometimes months,” Sazama said. “These are the patients that a lot of people write-off as the 2% who are going to die from COVID. I don’t think people outside the hospital know how difficult that is and how much mental and emotional trauma that’s causing when they make those comments, when they think that way.”

Tilberg Controlled Burn showcases Garretson Fire Department Skill

Carrie Moritz

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December 9, 2020

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Tilberg Controlled Burn showcases Garretson Fire Department Skill

Captured in a little time lapse photography is the homestead farmhouse on the property of Todd and Mary Tilberg of rural Garretson. The Garretson Fire Department puts in a high amount of training hours for such a small volunteer fire department, and that’s to their credit. They have been using this home for Fire and Rescue training purposes for some time now, and this weekend conditions were right to do a controlled burn. It took the home about an hour to burn down to cinders, during which time each wall fell in one at a time with precision, the mark of expertise. The GFD crews worked excellently to contain the blaze, so it did not spread to surrounding trees or outbuildings.

2020-21 Wrestling starts at Flandreau Invitational

Carrie Moritz

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December 9, 2020

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2020-21 Wrestling starts at Flandreau Invitational

by Oran Sorenson, Assistant Coach

The Blue Dragon wrestling squad kicked off the 20-21 season in a good way last Saturday, placing 6 out of 6 contestants entered. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and a preseason injury, we were not able to enter all of our wrestlers currently working out. With that said, our boys who were able to compete made our local fans quite proud. Due to winter activities being held indoors of course, there is a limit on the number of fans allowed from each school.

GHS Wrestling — **Jaden Richter 1st, Jayse Miller 2nd, Trevon Cross and Marty Welch 3rd, Tayson Swatek and Braxton Rozeboom got 4th. Great initial successes for the first tournament of the year!** Photo by Kristen Westover

Wrestler of the week honor this week would have to be bestowed on sophomore Jaden Richter, our lone champion at the long running Flier Invitational in the 220 lb. weight class. Richter would kick start his 2^nd season in this varsity sport going 3-0 for the day. In round one Jaden won by decision 5-2 over Justin Granum of Deuel Co. In the semis Richter pinned his opponent from an A school, Tyler Reck of Madison. His toughest match of the day would be in the finals where he faced an opponent who he had lost to twice last year, number one seeded Chase Reed of host Flandreau. Richter would prevail with a pin in 4:49 to earn the gold and top spot on the risers for the medal ceremony. According to head coach Tyler Sorenson, “Jaden has a great attitude and listens very well. I am really happy with his performance and know that this is the first of many good things that can happen for this young man.”

Also earning his way to the finals was junior Jayse Miller in the 126 class. After a first-round bye, Miller pinned Karsten Hamilton of team champion Howard in the semifinal round in 1:49. Jayse would end up earning the silver after an 8-1 loss to a tough Isaac Henry of Madison.

The Blue Dragons had two participants finish 3^rd in the tournament. The first was newcomer to Garretson, Trevon Cross. Cross is a senior who had earlier wrestled for Dell Rapids. According to Coach Jason Bohl, “Trevon is a real positive kid who knows how to work hard, he can help our team a lot. Even more important, Trevon is a real good kid and solid role models are always welcome.” In a GHS uniform for the first time and wrestling at 138, Cross pinned his opponent from Chester in round one. In round two the tables were turned when Trevon was pinned by runner-up Sam Olson from Madison. Cross would end the day with two more pins over opponents from Viborg Hurley and Sioux Valley to win the consolation finals and bring home the bronze. Finishing 3^rd was 8th grader Martin Welch, who entered this week at HWT. After a first-round bye, Welch would lose to a tough Viborg Hurley opponent by fall. In the consolation finals Martin would earn a quick pin in 22 seconds over another opponent from the same program of Viborg Hurley.

Also picking up team points to help the short-handed Blue Dragons to a very respectable fourth place team finish were juniors Braxten Rozeboom at 132 lbs. and Tayson Swatek at 145. Braxten would lose in round one to the eventual champ from Howard, Riley Genzlinger by fall. After one bye and a victory by pin, Rozeboom would again be pinned in the consolation round by a respectable Joseph Weiss of Elk Point-Jefferson. Tayson had a nice win over Jack Neises of Howard in round three and an 8-0 major over a Chester opponent. But two losses to the same opponent, first in round one then again in the consolation finals destined this Blue Dragon to 4^th.

“Over all, while we did make some early season mistakes, it was fun seeing our boys have some success, and we only hope with hard work and belief in our program, these boys will continue to improve to move on to even greater accomplishments in the all-important later season when it really counts, “said coach Tyler Sorenson summarizing the teams first outing.

News for 12-10-20 (Subscribers)

Online Edition

Carrie Moritz

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December 9, 2020

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This Week's Issue

Click this link to download and read Issue #49 Full Version

The Parade of Lights will be this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. along Main Avenue from 2nd Street to 5th Street. After, participants are encouraged to enjoy Light the Park with Santa! The Meals on Wheels program has taken back off in Garretson, and the City Council split on a vote to allow setback variances on the lots in the new housing development. The winter sports season has also begun, with wrestlers placing well in their first match of the season, plus more!

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Obituary: Roger A. Johnson, 62

Obituaries

Carrie Moritz

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December 9, 2020

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Roger A. Johnson, 62, of Sioux Falls, died on December 5, 2020 at Prince of Peace Transitional Unit, Sioux Falls. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment will be at Hillsview Cemetery in Westport, SD in May 2021.

Roger Allen Johnson made his stage debut on May 2, 1958 in Aberdeen, SD, being born to Ben and Lola (Bain) Johnson. He answered his final curtain call on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at the age of 62 years.

Roger and his family moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1961, and then to DeSmet, SD in 1970. He moved back to Sioux Falls, SD in 1977 to attend college, and made it his permanent home.

Roger enjoyed entertaining others from a very young age. His vibrant imagination developed into a love of impersonation and passion for the theatre. He began his drama training while attending DeSmet High School, graduating in 1976. He participated in both plays and musicals, as well as fulfilling various duties with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant. He continued acting while attending Augustana College, until his graduation in 1982. After that, he began performing through the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse and the Worthing Dinner Theatre, developing many lasting friendships. Our family favorites were his roles in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Grease, while his personal most cherished role was that of portraying Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men.

Roger worked part time as a security guard at First National Bank and part time at George Boom Funeral Home while attending college. After college, Roger worked for Citibank as a Credit Analyst for twenty years. He was currently working for Cigna Home Delivery Pharmacy as a Certified Pharmacy Technician, also for 20 years.

In his free time, Roger enjoyed game night with friends and weekly Sunday dinners out as a group. Perhaps his habit of always being late was actually an opportunity to make a grander entrance. He loved gourmet foods and trying new things, and was proud to be considered a coffee connoisseur. He was grateful for those who allowed him to experiment with their taste buds. He also enjoyed reading, attending movies, and taking long drives. He was often referred to as the Gentle Giant.

The pride and joy of Roger’s life was his family and friends. He was an amazing uncle to his 12 nieces and nephews. While being a kid at heart, his imagination and improv abilities led them on many spectacular adventures. He introduced them to the superhero realm, and they all shared his love of Superman and fear of kryptonite. He gave them the freedom to be whomever they chose. They are all professional zombie hunters, vampire slayers, jedis and trekkies because of him.

Roger’s favorite holiday was Halloween, and he always made sure each child had the exact costume they dreamed of. He would trick or treat with them, often in full costume himself. He also loved Christmas, introducing his nieces and nephews to the art of gingerbread cookie baking and decorating. He was a very generous person, and enjoyed gifting others.

He is survived by his parents, Ben and Lola Johnson of DeSmet, SD; siblings Denise (Eldon) LaBore of Florence, SD; Pam Gutzmer of Garretson, SD; Keith (Amy) Johnson of Worthington, MN, and cherished friends Tim Strong and Beth Rusch, and Scott and Sarah DeRuyter. His legacy will live on through his 12 nieces and nephews, and 19 great nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Herman and Mildred Johnson, and Ernest and Etta Bain, his brother, Ben Jr, and his nephew Zachary Eichstadt.

We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and the kindness shown during this difficult time.

COVID cases trend down from peak as leaders ask residents to “Finish strong”

Carrie Moritz

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December 4, 2020

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COVID cases trend down from peak as leaders ask residents to “Finish strong”

By Carrie Moritz, Gazette

As the promise of a vaccine hits the horizon, COVID-19 case numbers have been increasing around the United States. Just over two weeks ago, South Dakota was battling North Dakota for the number one spot per capita in the number of cases, and November was the deadliest month so far since the first death from COVID was announced in March.

The number of deaths in November more than doubled, going from a total of 425 on October 31 to a total of 946 on November 30. Most of those lost were over the age of 80 as uncontrolled community spread led to outbreaks in South Dakota nursing homes. Experts warn that uncontrolled community spread and overwhelmed hospitals will lead to more preventable deaths, similar to what was seen in Italy and New York earlier this year.

Deaths haven’t been the only thing to worry about with COVID, either. More data has been coming in with regards to “long-haulers,” those people who are still suffering from side effects or health problems after having COVID-19. It is estimated that while nearly 40% of people may have mostly asymptomatic cases, anywhere from 10-30% of people may still be suffering from a host of issues even 3 to 6 months later. These issues are varied, and include continued fatigue, an inability to concentrate, psychological issues, an increased incidence of strokes, headache, problems sleeping, and more. These issues appear to affect people of all ages. Some long haulers may only have mild cases during their initial phase, but are still seeing lingering effects months later.

On Tuesday, it was reported via Facebook that Garretson kids’ wrestling coach, baseball coach, GFD volunteer firefighter, and Brandon schoolteacher Cody Linneweber’s heart stopped on Monday as a result of COVID. He was able to be revived and his family is asking for prayers as the community rallies around him.

As the weather turns cooler, people move indoors, and “pandemic fatigue” sets in, the pandemic has become harder to control. Nearly all states in the US have seen an increase over the past month. North Dakota crossed the threshold of over 10% of its population being diagnosed with COVID last week, and Minnesota and Iowa have seen a sharp rise in cases over the past few weeks.

To help reduce the spread, several communities in South Dakota have implemented mask ordinances and are encouraging residents to follow all CDC guidelines, such as distancing, stopping gatherings, and handwashing. Family gatherings for Thanksgiving were discouraged.

The message appears to be working. Over the past week, diagnoses of new cases have continued to fall.

However, that does not mean South Dakota, or even Garretson, is in the clear. Active cases continue to be well over what they were during the summer, and several Garretson community members have been impacted by the virus.

During the summer, the entire state had an average of less than or around 1,000 active cases per day. On Tuesday, the number had fallen from a high of 19,360 active cases on November 15 down to 14,088. Minnehaha County, which continues to be most heavily impacted in terms of total numbers, had over 3,000 active cases. All told, over 20,000 people in Minnehaha County have been diagnosed with COVID-19, which is 10.7% of the total county population.

At a press conference on Monday, Avera’s Dr. David Basel warned that numbers could increase again within the next two weeks due to Thanksgiving. Both he and Sanford’s Mike Wilde warned that their ICU’s are at or past capacity, and have been for several weeks now. The South Dakota Department of Health states that as of Tuesday, 53% of staffed adult ICU beds statewide were full of COVID patients. After taking into account those ICU beds taken for other conditions, only 17% of South Dakota’s staffed adult ICU beds remained available. Hospitalizations remained well above 550 patients throughout the end of November, only falling below that over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“I was thinking yesterday as I was watching the Vikings pull it off- which is very rare,” said Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken on Monday. “The Vikings have a history of not finishing well. So as we move into December, I just couldn’t help but think about how important diligence will be to us in finishing well over the next couple months. Sometimes I think people see positive trending and positive information and they want to let their guard down.”

He noted that there are several more months of mitigation that are going to have to occur before the promised vaccines are widely available. He reiterated the need to wear masks and work hard to protect others.

Light Up the Park 2020 has begun, drive in & enjoy (Preview)

Carrie Moritz

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December 4, 2020

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Light Up the Park 2020 has begun, drive in & enjoy (Preview)

light the park 2020 — *The Garretson Fire Department display for 2020 went all out, dazzling park-goers.*

The 2^nd Annual Light the Park began last Thursday as Christmas season 2020 started. Located at Split Rock Park, the displays this year are working hard to out-do themselves from 2019. The drive through the park is even bigger and brighter than the year before.

The project started as a fundraising idea for the new shade structure by the playground. The Grow Garretson committee that formed to raise funds for the bench effort saw a need for a second shelter, and came up with the plan to light up the park for the holidays in 2019. It was a success, allowing the team to raise enough funds for the cement pad. Now, it has its eyes set on the shelter itself.

“It isn’t a wooden shelter,” said Grow Garretson Light the Park committee member Carrie Moritz. The committee plans to install a steel structure that can withstand the wind speeds, snow loads, and train vibrations that will be encountered at that location. It will also match the playground. But with that comes a cost, and the committee is working hard to seek out grants and raise funds. They recently were the recipients of an Alliance Communications “Keep the Change” grant for $2,500 which will go towards picnic tables and waste receptacles in the shelter.

Light the Park has been their biggest fundraising effort so far, and 2019’s success and the enthusiasm from the community brought them back for another year.

“We had most of our display sponsors and decorators from last year sign back up again this year,” Moritz said. “Due to the response, the committee made several more spaces available, and all were taken. We’ve been so grateful to all the people who volunteered to help make this a resounding success.”

Getting a project of this magnitude off the ground isn’t without its difficulties, however. The team had issues with an electrical pole at the entrance, and encountered more than a few strands of lights that refused to stay lit.

Luckily, the City was more than willing to work with the committee. They loaned the team their generator and trailer for the first weekend, and tapped Steve’s Electric to upgrade the electrical pole. The City also provided employee help and planning.

“[City Finance Officer] Anna Uhl and committee member and city councilor Jodi Gloe were great. They picked up a lot of supplies for us and helped us plan a couple of the larger spaces. Zach Uhl also helped decorate, and we kept all the other guys on their toes while we were getting set up,” said Moritz.

In all, Moritz said there were eighteen teams that decorated. Several local businesses sponsored spaces, with some using a new option this year, which was to sponsor a decorating team.

“We had a few organizations that were willing to provide the décor and the volunteers for the larger areas, and we had businesses that wanted to contribute last year but didn’t have the volunteers,” said Moritz. “This was a great way to get both the volunteers and the businesses involved.”

Continued on Part 2 - Mailed subscription or higher level account required to view

Light Up the Park 2020 has begun, drive in & enjoy

Carrie Moritz

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December 4, 2020

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Light Up the Park 2020 has begun, drive in & enjoy