As the Executive Director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, I am connected with every public-school district in South Dakota as well as a handful of private schools. I am here to tell you that they are all doing the absolute best they can to keep the students and staff members safe in their schools.
I can also tell you they are stressing on many levels.
The superintendents, and in some cases the principals, are the ones who are helping to track down the close-contact tracing when a positive case gets reported to them. They are making these calls to parents and guardians during the school day, in the evenings, and in a lot of instances on the weekends. They are in contact with the Department of Health as soon as they get notice of a case that is brought to their attention.
Do you all remember 5 or 6 months ago when as parents you, or we, were all wanting nothing more than for our students to be back in school? We wanted things to be back to normal. Well, here we are. I will tell you that your school board, administrators, teachers and support staff are doing everything they can to do just that.
I have done a few media interviews and the analogy I have used is that we needed to get this airplane into the air. Once we had it there, we knew we would need to fix the engine, repair a wing, but at least we were flying. Your school is trying to do everything they can to keep the airplane in the air at whatever “level” they can. (masks, in-person, masks in passing, hybrid with some online and some in person, etcetera.)
I am not making this political, so please do not attack the guy who is hearing from the people working in these schools. If wearing a mask for the day, or part of the day will help to keep the airplane in the air, isn’t it worth a try? If taking a “breather” for a day helps the school to come back full time in a day or two or next week, isn’t it worth a try?
Keeping the teachers and support staff healthy and in the schools is paramount right now. I had a conversation earlier this week with a superintendent from one of the AA schools who told me they were 9 subs short in the high school on Monday and 5 short in the elementary. I asked how they were able to have school with that many vacancies? I was told that the teachers covered for each other that day and they got through the day, but that could not be sustained for very long. This is the reality many can and will be facing and the reason we need to do all we can to keep everyone safe. It is going to be the teachers and support staff shortages that will eventually force the change in delivery. I am sure many of you have heard of the adjustments that have had to be made in Lemmon, Burke, Selby, Pierre, and various other schools due to teachers becoming a positive case and the district not having enough substitutes. In some cases, it is to just let things settle down a little to get on top of it.
Again, this is not a political post, this is a plea.
No one, and I mean NO ONE wants to stay in school more than the educators! This is what we do. We missed the students, we missed the energy, we missed activities, we missed doing OUR JOBS in front of students! We all want to keep them IN THE SCHOOLS!
The alternative is one that no one wants to think about. Just think back to Friday March 13, 2020. That is the day we went to online learning at home. Let us do all we can TOGETHER so we do not have to go back to March 13.
If you get a chance, just throw a "Thank You" to an educator in passing, they will appreciate it.
Sometimes, a legacy runs in the family. Whether it’s car mechanics, farming, or racing, the legacy is passed down parent to child, generation after generation. For Michelle, Brent, Payton, Linkin, and Hudson Kuik, it’s track racing.
Linkin Kuik, a fourth grader at Garretson Elementary, is a two-time National Champion in Quad Racing after winning the 90 shifter class at the Midwest Extreme Dirt Track Nationals Competition in Indianapolis, IN on September 13. Kuik, along with his brother Hudson and sister Payton, are continuing a family tradition with dirt track racing. Submitted photos.
“Racing has been in our family forever,” said Michelle Kuik. “I used to race motocross and [my husband] Brent used to race also all around the country doing TT. Their grandpa used to race dirt bikes and quad, aunts have all raced, uncle races, and cousins.”
And now, that legacy has been passed down to the next generation. Brent and Michelle’s children Payton, Linkin, and Hudson all race four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, also known as Quad racing. They have a couple practice tracks at their home north of Garretson, and are members of the Sioux Valley Cycle Club (SVCC), a dirt track located near Renner. This means they can get several hours in per week of practice, and this has served the family well.
On September 13, 9-year old Linkin took home his second Nationals Championship trophy from the Midwest Extreme Dirt Track (MWEDT) competition held in Indianapolis, IN.
“Linkin has won several different championships ranging from ice, short track and motocross,” said Michelle. “He races the 90 shifter class at the MWEDT (this is the class he won the United States National title in) and the 90 liquid cooled TT at SVCC. Linkin also started on a bigger quad this season at SVCC. He's riding a 300cc quad in the schoolboy JR. class and is doing very well.”
His siblings have been excelling, as well.
Payton, age 15 and a sophomore at Garretson High School, also races track and cross country. She competes in the women’s TT at SVCC when it doesn’t conflict with her sports schedule.
“Our local track usually has about 15-20 women at a race so she’s got a lot of competition here and has gotten quite a bit of experience,” said Michelle. “She’s gotten a couple podiums this season which is a huge accomplishment in that class!” Payton is hoping to get more racing in next year on tracks out of state.
Hudson, age 7 and a second grader at Garretson Elementary, just started on the racing circuit, but he snagged a 2nd place on Saturday, September 10 and 5th place on Sunday at the MWEDT Nationals competition in the yard stock class and the mini stock class. This was his first year traveling for the MWEDT Nationals competition.
“The rule in our house is you can’t start racing until you are 5 years old so they all started when they were 5,” said Michelle. This means Hudson only has two years of practice under his belt, making this a big accomplishment, especially as this is a competition that matches up competitors from all around the United States.
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Garretson School held its annual homecoming week last week, starting with coronation on Monday, and ending with a parade and football game on Friday. Due to road construction, the route differed from previous years, and elementary students were spectators instead of participants. The Garretson Blue Dragons won their game against the Flandreau Fliers with a final score of 31-3.
More homecoming parade pictures can be found on Part Two (on-line subscription required).
The legacy of dirt track racing ATV's has been passed to a new generation, with the Kuik youth finding success at local and national competitions. We give you the full low-down on the COVID-19 numbers in South Dakota, and the Garretson School Board makes its staff and employees essential workers. Plus, Homecoming photos and updates on fall sports!
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Though GHS Homecoming coronation was scheduled at the athletic complex that night, the Garretson School board wasn’t able to enjoy it, as they were in session and working.
All board members were present save Ruth Sarar, who joined the meeting via video call. After they approved the consent agenda, including financials and minutes approvals and surplus property items, they talked about the first milestone of the meeting- the 2020-21 Budget that they must pass at of before Oct. 1st.
Having received the last bit of taxation data from the Minnehaha County Auditor, they were ready to pass the budget. One worry this budgetary season was whether or not the state legislature and the Governor would host a special session and erode away the 2% increase of school funding statewide that they had previously passed. Under state law the legislature must give SD schools a cost of living increase of either 3 % or factor in the rate of inflation, whichever number is smaller. This law, however, has been ignored in the past by the state government.
Supt. Guy Johnson said that this year, the special session that will happen will likely focus on how to spend the federal dollars assigned to South Dakota as part of the COVID-19 relief package, rather than trying to cut school funding.
The Garretson School District is still utilizing the tax opt-out that was passed a few years ago, but this is the second year in a row that they’ve not dipped as deeply into that well as they might, utilizing only $350,000 of the potential $500,000 that they could ask for.
In other good budgetary news, they have fully paid off their bond redemption for the athletic complex. Supt. Johnson noted that local taxpayers will have a noticeable reduction in their property taxes.
Board President Nordstrom said that the school had had many priorities with getting the school’s budget in line. Mainly, the school and the community around it needed to improve services in childcare and increase housing, and though sometimes it feels like that sort of work goes slowly, the community has made discernible progress on all these fronts.
The board passed the budget unanimously.
Next, Supt. Johnson asked the board for a resolution to declare the staff of the Garretson School as essential workers. This would include all teachers, support, janitorial, kitchen and all staff. This would allow workers to keep working their jobs, even if a close family member or a person in their household had tested positive for COVID-19.
Supt. Johnson explained that one teacher had a spouse who had tested positive. This teacher was also the primary caregiver for their spouse, and they stayed home and taught their classes remotely. This, however, also required a substitute in the building to supervise the students. The substitute teacher pool is quite shallow at present, with only a few individuals to draw upon when needed.
The situation is much worse in the Sioux Falls School District. Supt. Johnson said he was worried about school classroom sustainability. With the precautions the district was already taking, he did not see spread to other staff and students to be as likely, though he admitted it would be a calculated risk.
“Calculated risk” is a phrase that could easily be applied to any and all school activities until a vaccine is widely available and distributed to all staff and students.
The motion was made, but nearly died for a lack of second. Board President Nordstrom exercised his rarely-used privilege to do so, and asked, both as per protocol and seriously for more discussion. The issue went around the table. Many board members had reservations about this measure, but in the end, they agreed to pass it. In the discussion, it was noted that all of the students, from preschool & kindergarten to high school, have been taking the mask mandate seriously, and the teachers and staff have been proud of the students and their perseverance under difficult circumstances.
There were no policy items for second reading and passage, but there was a first reading on personnel record and the release/transfer of that confidential information to make it conform with new standards in state law as recommended by the Associated School Boards.
The policy committee would be reviewing the equal educational opportunity, compulsory attendance and alternative instruction policies next.
An item added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting was now discussed. Supt. Johnson started with calling the board’s attention to a letter he’d received that day from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota. See the attached letter:
TO: School Board Presidents, Vice Presidents and School District Superintendents FR: ASBSD and SD COSA Board of Directors DATE: September 14, 2020
There has been quite a buzz after DOE stated during the weekly Zoom meeting on Thursday, September 10, that only the school boards could decide whether or not to exclude from school attendance students who had been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
The relevant statute is SDCL 13-28-7.3.
SDCL 13-28-7.3. Exclusion of student for risk of infectious disease or communicable parasite-Readmission. A school board or school superintendent may, with the concurrence of the county health officer, exclude from school attendance a student who is determined to be a risk or nuisance to the health of other students or school employees due to the presence of infectious disease or communicable parasite. A student may be readmitted when the school board or school superintendent with the concurrence of the county health officer, determines that the state of communicability or infectiousness no longer exists.
First, SDCL 13-28-7.3 expressly states the school board or the school superintendent may, with the concurrence of the county health officer, exclude a student from school. Therefore, the school superintendent, just like the school board, has the statutory authority to exclude a student with the concurrence of the county health officer.
Second, the statute is clear that the concurrence of the county health officer is required in order for a school board or superintendent to exclude a student for an infectious disease reason such as COVID-19. Counties may establish (but are not required to establish) a county health department, and full-time health departments are under the immediate direction of a health officer. SDCL 34-3-1. Every public school district needs to contact the county auditor of the county in which the district is located (and if the district overlaps into two or more counties, then the county in which the majority of students reside, SDCL 13-5-14), and ask if the county has a county health officer. If the answer is yes, the school needs to contact the health officer and discuss the officer's desired protocol when the school seeks concurrence. In each case, a follow-up "thank-you" email (and "cc'ing" DOE and DOH) is recommended, not only to show appreciation for whatever was learned, but also to provide evidence of the school district's attempt to comply with SDCL 13-28-7.3.
If there is no county health department (which means there is no county health officer), ASBSD and the SD COSA Board of Directors recommend that schools use DOH's notice to the school that a student has had close-contact in absence of a county health officer's concurrence.1 If the DOH investigator is not willing to put in an email to the school the name of the student and the date the DOH recommendation was given to the parents, the DOH school contact person needs to document the date and time of the DOH phone call, the name of the student having been in close contact and resulting in the DOH recommendation to self-quarantine for 14 days, and the date the DOH recommendation to self-quarantine was given to the parents.
If the school has received written notice from DOH or written documentation of the DOH phone call that a specific student has been told to self-quarantine (even if it is more of a recommendation than a requirement), ASBSD and the COSA Board of Directors think the notice from DOE to a school that a student should be self-quarantined for 14 days would constitute concurrence by DOH for excluding the student from school.
1 (ASBSD was informed on Friday, September 11, 2020, that DOH will continue to do contact tracing.)
Admittedly, SDCL 13-28-7.3 requires concurrence from the County Health Officer. However, presumably the intent behind the concurrence being required is in order for a health professional to be involved in the decision exclude a student from attendance due to an infectious disease. DOH's Recommendations for Temporary Exclusion from a School Setting states in part "COVID-19: exclude based on current CDC and SD Department of Health guidance, see doh.sd.gov." https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/assets/SchoolExclusion.pdf.
ASBSD and the COSA Board of Directors think the written notice from DOH of a student being recommended to self-quarantine for 14 days due to close-contact would provide protection for a school district should the school district get challenged after excluding a student from attendance without concurrence from a county health officer. [see SDDOH- WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU'VE HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH A POSITIVE CASE ["Instruct 14 days of self-quarantine from date of close contact exposure"] https://doh.sd.ROv/documents/COVID19/COVID contact tracing.pdf
The question has also been asked "what is the liability exposure of a school board should it decide not to follow DOH recommendations and the school lets a student who had close-contact remain in school?" ASBSD and the COSA Board of Directors think that a Plaintiffs attorney would certainly make not following DOH and CDC recommendations an issue. A school board would definitely need able to present sufficient justification as to why DOH and CDC recommendations were not followed. Arguably, not being able to get from DOH the name of a student who had close contact and/or not being able to get a county health officer concurrence because there is no county health officer may provide a defense for the school. A related question is whether a school could utilize a "quarantine room" for those students who have been identified as having close-contact. The answer, of course, a school could do that, but in addition to that action being inconsistent with DOH and CDC recommendations for self-isolation, there could be issues of staffing/supervision and those students being in close-contact with similarly situated students (i.e., other students who also had been in dose-contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19).
Third, ASBSD and the SD COSA Board of Directors think that while a school board policy is not required, school boards should consider adopting a motion/resolution as to how the school district will address the issue of students who had close contact (if it is not already addressed in the school's re-opening plan). There are essentially two possible motions: (1) to follow DOH guidance and recommendation related to Temporary Exclusion from a School Setting "COVID-19: exclude based on current CDC and SD Department of Health guidance, see doh.sd.gov ( https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/assets/SchoolExclusion.pdf), or (2) motion to do something different than the DOH guidance, setting forth with specificity, what the school district will do when a student has had close contact, and the reasoning/justification for not adopting the DOH recommendation. As the school board motion, if passed, becomes the rule for and within the school district, school superintendents and principals would have the responsibility of implementing and applying rule after the school is on notice that a student has been identified as having close-contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
As with other matters, ASBSD and the SD COSA Board of Directors strongly recommends that school districts consult with their school attorney regarding SDCL 13-28-7.3.
Wade Pogany, ASBSD Executive Director Kelsey Parker, SD COSA President
cc: SD COSA Members
Supt. Johnson explained that this means that the SD State Department of Health was now saying that they had no legal authority to exclude a student from a school setting if they tested positive for COVID-19. This is a complete 180-degree shift from their stated policy and practice.
This caused both anger and frustration all around the conference table, with board member Rachel Hanisch, a practicing lawyer, banging the table in frustration and outrage. More or less, state government was passing the buck in favor of local school districts taking the responsibility.
“This is frustrating and a complete turnaround from what their stated position has been since the pandemic began,” said Johnson. “My only conclusion is that they’ve been told to align their position to the stated position of the Governor. It looks politically motivated, but who knows, perhaps they had a legal team look into this and discovered that they don’t actually have the authority to quarantine someone from school. But, we are not without recourse. School boards do have this authority, so I would ask and recommend to the board that you make a resolution that allows us to follow part 1 of guidance outlined in said letter, for the temporary exclusion for a school setting for reasons of COVID-19, based on current CDC and SD DOH guidelines.”
This was passed unanimously.
Supt. Johnson shared with the board that he and the other administrators and school staff have been the boots on the ground for the SD DOH contact tracing, often working with local health providers and Department of Health officials to do the actual leg work of contact tracing. He said, bluntly, that promises were made by state government officials, and not kept. Planning was good, but execution was poor.
Supt. Johnson continued with his administrative report. He began with reports on the distance learning programs, which he was pleased to report was going as well as could be expected. The program is small, but it’s been very helpful and essential to some families. If a student does get sick, they can still participate in school. Unexpected side benefits of the early dismissal on Wednesdays is that some struggling students have been able to get the extra attention that they need and have improved academically. For students who need to take a class period or two off for simple things like a dental or eye appointment, there is an archive of lectures the teachers can provide them so that they can catch up after the fact. Johnson said that distance learning might just be something that is continued into the future for the district because of the sheer utility.
Supt. Johnson’s enrollment report contained good news, with 478 currently enrolled. With some ebb and flow of students and families out of the district, a few enrollments were lost, but others instead chose to enroll into the district. (The Gazette actually spoke with a family who deliberately enrolled into our district because the school board instituted a mask mandate to protect students and staff.)
The district has now received COVID-19 relief funds. Supt. Johnson commented that it would have been better to have received the funding sooner (even as early as June, when the district needed to make purchases), but that they were grateful for the reimbursement.
He updated the board on the status of the HVAC & roofing projects. The HVAC only had minor items left, chiefly controls and calibration. The only portion of the roofing project left to finish was an access ladder to be installed connecting one part of the roof to another. He was certain that would be completed very soon.
President Nordstrom said how happy and grateful he was that the contractors were able to get an early start on all said projects. He said that many operations all over the region have been brought to a screeching halt because of delays in supply chains, and he was thankful that the school’s projects were completed with a minimum of delays.
The board then went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter. This being well after 7 p.m. by now, it was clear that any board member who wished to attend the GHS Homecoming Coronation would miss it, but business must come before pleasure.
Sometimes, a legacy runs in the family. Whether it’s car mechanics, farming, or racing, the legacy is passed down parent to child, generation after generation. For Michelle, Brent, Payton, Linkin, and Hudson Kuik, it’s track racing.
Linkin Kuik, a fourth grader at Garretson Elementary, is a two-time National Champion in Quad Racing after winning the 90 shifter class at the Midwest Extreme Dirt Track Nationals Competition in Indianapolis, IN on September 13. Kuik, along with his brother Hudson and sister Payton, are continuing a family tradition with dirt track racing. Submitted photos.
“Racing has been in our family forever,” said Michelle Kuik. “I used to race motocross and [my husband] Brent used to race also all around the country doing TT. Their grandpa used to race dirt bikes and quad, aunts have all raced, uncle races, and cousins.”
And now, that legacy has been passed down to the next generation. Brent and Michelle’s children Payton, Linkin, and Hudson all race four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, also known as Quad racing. They have a couple practice tracks at their home north of Garretson, and are members of the Sioux Valley Cycle Club (SVCC), a dirt track located near Renner. This means they can get several hours in per week of practice, and this has served the family well.
On September 13, 9-year old Linkin took home his second Nationals Championship trophy from the Midwest Extreme Dirt Track (MWEDT) competition held in Indianapolis, IN.
“Linkin has won several different championships ranging from ice, short track and motocross,” said Michelle. “He races the 90 shifter class at the MWEDT (this is the class he won the United States National title in) and the 90 liquid cooled TT at SVCC. Linkin also started on a bigger quad this season at SVCC. He's riding a 300cc quad in the schoolboy JR. class and is doing very well.”
His siblings have been excelling, as well.
Payton, age 15 and a sophomore at Garretson High School, also races track and cross country. She competes in the women’s TT at SVCC when it doesn’t conflict with her sports schedule.
“Our local track usually has about 15-20 women at a race so she’s got a lot of competition here and has gotten quite a bit of experience,” said Michelle. “She’s gotten a couple podiums this season which is a huge accomplishment in that class!” Payton is hoping to get more racing in next year on tracks out of state.
Hudson, age 7 and a second grader at Garretson Elementary, just started on the racing circuit, but he snagged a 2nd place on Saturday, September 10 and 5th place on Sunday at the MWEDT Nationals competition in the yard stock class and the mini stock class. This was his first year traveling for the MWEDT Nationals competition.
“The rule in our house is you can’t start racing until you are 5 years old so they all started when they were 5,” said Michelle. This means Hudson only has two years of practice under his belt, making this a big accomplishment, especially as this is a competition that matches up competitors from all around the United States.
Indianapolis is a season championship race, pitting east coast versus west coast racers against each other. This double header competition consists of both elite and amateur racers who are working hard to earn a title belt, which must be defended each year. Linkin defended his belt “against some tough competition,” Michelle wrote on Facebook. A Page dedicated to the family’s racing was created, and those interested in following are encouraged to search for Kuik Family Racing.
Left to right: Hudson, Payton, and Linkin Kuik.
The family has also traveled to Illinois and Missouri this season for races, and last year, found themselves as far away as Ashtabula, OH for competition. Luckily, they don’t have to travel alone.
“Everyone at the track is like one big family,” said Michelle. “When you are traveling that far we try to carpool the best we can. We have been able to travel with the Stegenga family from Valley Springs, SD and the Ockenga family from Hartford, SD. We have been very lucky to have them as they have helped out a lot!”
Sponsors have made their love for racing easier, as quad racing is not cheap. Besides the ATV, there’s also safety equipment.
“Some of the gear they wear are helmets, goggles, gloves, pants, jerseys, riding boots to protect their legs and ankles if they crash and we have invested in a good neck brace/chest protector this year,” said Michelle.
Both Linkin and Hudson hate crashing.
“My least favorite part of racing is crashing because it's frustrating and you feel like you failed,” Linkin said.
Hudson agreed. He hates it “because it hurts,” he said.
Along with the safety equipment, to protect riders from injury, all quads are equipped with kill switches for the engines and nets near their feet to ensure they don’t catch a foot or leg in a tire.
Linkin Kuik
Hudson Kuik
Payton Kuik
Despite the potential danger, racing is a popular sport. TT racing, which means Tourist Trophy, was coined in the 60’s or 70’s according to Michelle.
She explained, “In short track racing there are two terms, short track/oval and TT. The TT has different turns and corners and has jumps in it versus just a flat oval. It’s comparable to a road course on dirt with jumps. Their tires are also different to accommodate the harder surface (like a sprint car tire) as they don’t have big knobs on them like an off-road type tire would.”
All three children compete in TT quad, just as their father did.
Fun is a big part of why they compete. Both Linkin and Hudson have several competitors in their classes, and Michelle notes that has turned them both into great riders.
Linkin loves all the friends he’s made from different parts of the country, an experience he wouldn’t have had otherwise. When he’s racing, he gets to hang out with them. He also loves knowing when he’s had a good race and has done his best.
Hudson loves getting on the podium, because “it is a huge accomplishment,” he said. Michelle always tells her kids to do their best and to have fun, “because that’s what it’s all about,” she said.
And it’s obvious they do. Which means the legacy has been passed on to the next generation of Kuik’s, with a love for racing and competition that encourages all three kids to pursue their dreams.
Since the first death from COVID-19 in South Dakota was recorded on March 10, 2020, much of the state has waited with bated breath for the effects of the virus to hit the state as hard as it did New York, California, and Washington.
Until the middle of August, South Dakota’s cumulative case rate for COVID-19 was fairly predictable, raising at a rate of approximately 2,000 cases per month, which was relatively low compared to the rest of the United States. That has changed in the past month, with rates more than doubling from prior averages. Graphic courtesy of KELO.
However, South Dakota appeared to sidestep most of its effects, even after a hotspot happened at Smithfield Foods in April. Overall, from March until August, the South Dakota Department of Health reported a confirmed daily case count that hovered around 50-100 new cases per day, and relatively few deaths. By August 1st, only 8,867 people out of a population of around 885,000 people had been diagnosed with Sars-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A few counties in the state hadn’t had a single case, and several didn’t have a single active case at the time. Due to mitigation measures taken early on, precautions that were still occurring, and a small, rural population, until August 1, the virus was slow to spread. In the past six weeks, that has changed.
According to the South Dakota Department of Health, of those relatively few cumulative cases, 134 people, or 2%, had died as a result of the virus, either from its effects of creating a cytokine storm (an overreaction of the immune system) or from the side effects such as pneumonia, heart attacks, or stroke, which have been listed by the CDC. A majority of the deaths have been in people older than 65. Across the United States, over 200,000 people have died as a result of having COVID-19.
Each of those deaths meant a loved one was lost, and each positive case meant another person had the possibility of suffering from a severe shortness of breath, fatigue, cough, loss of taste or smell, or other side effects that are often compared to the worst of the flu. Scientists are finding that up to 30% of those who acquire the virus still have symptoms several months later, and according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), many are showing lung damage that was not present prior to the virus. The NIH also notes that a higher tendency towards blood clotting is also being discovered. Since this is a novel virus, scientists, epidemiologists, and public health officials are still learning whether these side effects will continue and for how long.
Despite that, South Dakota, as a whole, considered itself to be very lucky, and at the behest and blessing of Governor Kristi Noem, plunged ahead with Sturgis, college openings, and school openings.
A Fourth of July event at Mount Rushmore, which was attended by President Donald Trump, and the continuation of the Sturgis motorcycle rally, were panned across the United States, with many worried these events could be superspreaders.
The Fourth of July event didn’t lead to a surge in cases, but many across the state continued to apply mitigation measures, with communities (including Garretson) canceling summer celebrations and events and encouraging outdoor activities.
With so few cases, the pressure continued to build to keep reducing precautions. According to the Black Hills Pioneer, 62.9% of Sturgis residents stated they were against holding the motorcycle rally, but in June the city council opted to move ahead with the event. Approximately 450,000 people attended, coming from all over the United States, and polarization between those convinced it would lead to far more infections and those who didn’t want any precautions grew wider.
As of September 8, the South Dakota Department of Health reported that 124 people in South Dakota were confirmed to be positive and directly linked to the Sturgis rally. According to the Associated Press, 290 people across 12 other states had been diagnosed positive, and one person had died. Each of those cases was directly linked to attending the rally. These numbers appeared exceedingly low, leading many to believe the superspreader event didn’t happen.
But after that, the positive case numbers linked to Sturgis became less distinct. Symptoms can appear up to two weeks later, and asymptomatic spread could mean that contact links were broken.
A study conducted by the Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies at San Diego State University estimated much higher numbers by utilizing cellphone data and extrapolating from other superspreader events, and estimated that over 250,000 positive cases were due to the rally, according to one of its lead authors, Andrew Friedson. They estimated public health costs of the rally to be 12 billion dollars.
Governor Noem and the South Dakota Department of Heath immediately refuted the study, calling it fiction and an attack on personal freedoms to attend the rally.
Pennington County, which houses Rapid City, had daily active case numbers that averaged around 135 active cases from July to August. It shot to 428 active cases on September 1, and as of September 22, were still at 299. Meade County, where Sturgis is located, went from 16 active cases on August 5 to 158 on September 1, and as of September 22, were at 97.
Epidemiologists and public health officials are still studying COVID’s viral spread. A wedding in Maine attended by just over 100 people was directly linked to 170 cases after attendees spread the virus to a nursing home and a county jail. In April, an outbreak at Sioux Falls’ Smithfield Foods was linked to 1,300 cases, with 929 employees and an additional 210 contacts being diagnosed with the virus. Four people died as a direct result of that outbreak. In the past week, 116 residents and staff of the South Dakota women’s prison were diagnosed positive. The jail houses 140 women.
Public health officials continue to put the R0 (pronounced R-naught) of the virus above 1, even as high as 2 or 3, according to ABC News. This means that the virus passes easily. While using R0 can be problematic due to limitations, it means that for every one person who gets sick, they are likely to infect 1-3 more people. Part of why this occurs is because up to 40% of all people could be asymptomatic, which means they get the virus but don’t present symptoms. Among those who do get sick, most are highly contagious in the day or two before they do have symptoms.
The opening of colleges and schools after the rally, along with a resumption of indoor activities and precaution reductions around the state, have likely contributed to South Dakota’s cases more than doubling. Those 8,867 cases have turned into 19,189 confirmed cases in less than two months. Hypothetically, if South Dakota had followed the same trajectory it had maintained until August 1, there would only have been around 13,000 new cases by mid-September (using an average of 2,000 new cases per month).
Hospitalizations averaged around 59 people per day throughout July, but have spiked rapidly in the past two weeks. Photo courtesy KELO
Hospitalizations, which lag behind increases in positive cases by up to four weeks, went from an average 60 people per day throughout the entirety of the pandemic so far, to 110 people on September 14, and 178 people on Tuesday, September 22.
It can be easy to pretend that by living in a small community such as Garretson, especially when case numbers by ZIP code are not released, that it will continue to remain relatively unaffected. Many of the cases in Minnehaha County are attributed to Sioux Falls. This may cause residents to let down their guard, believing that they will not become infected, or if they do, that they won’t be badly affected.
The daily positive case rate for Minnehaha County in the past 14 days shows a slight upward trend and a case positivity rate of 8.9%, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. Officials note that rates below 5% mean the spread is slowing. The 14-day positivity rate for South Dakota has been between 11- 14%. Graphic courtesy South Dakota Dept of Health
Unfortunately, this may change all too soon. As numbers increase throughout South Dakota, the likelihood of it spreading through Garretson and impacting the residents increases substantially. Extrapolating from the data already shown, of those who do get infected, approximately 6% will be hospitalized, and 1% are not likely to survive it. An older population such as Garretson’s may be impacted even more heavily.
To reduce the spread, the community can work together. Taking precautions such as masking, handwashing, distancing, and staying home will help, even if it feels burdensome. In this way, residents can help reduce the possibility that they’ll give their neighbor a virus that has been described by many as “something you don’t want to get.”
Sources: South Dakota Department of Health, CDC, John Hopkins University, National Institutes of Health, Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies at San Diego State University, KELOLAND News, ABC News, The Guardian, USA Today, Black Hills Pioneer, Argus Leader.
The legacy of dirt track racing ATV's has been passed to a new generation, with the Kuik youth finding success at local and national competitions. We give you the full low-down on the COVID-19 numbers in South Dakota, and the Garretson School Board makes its staff and employees essential workers. Plus, Homecoming photos and updates on fall sports!
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Just wanted to let you all know about the new pergola that will be giving our patrons some shade in the baby pool area. The Pergola was constructed by Jeff Sasker. (Sasker Construction). The funds to build the pergola came from a generous memorial donation on the behalf of Ralph Schreurs plus grant money from the Prairie Rose Foundation. -contributed by Tad Heitkamp
