The Transformation Project, a Sioux Falls based 501(c)(3) working to educate, support and empower trans youth and their families, was just given a $145,000 grant after being "found and vetted" by the San Fransisco based non-profit, wayOUT. The grant, funded by a Hollywood Gala, came on the heels of HB 1057, which The Transformation Project lobbied against during the 2020 legislation session. While the bill failed to pass, it managed to gain national attention, and according to the Washington Post made South Dakota "the unlikely epicenter of a transgender uprising on the American Great Plains."
The Gala and auction, hosted by Billy Eichner in Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 12, 2022, was made possible through significant Hollywood buy-ins. Items were donated from Legendary Entertainment's Executive Gesumino Rulli, along with FOX, Lionsgate Entertainment, MarVista Studios, NBC Universal and even the Kellie Clarkson Show.
Additional partners included Fiji Water, Amazon, Facebook, In-N-Out Burger, Hasbro Games, and donations from the Travel Industry. Jet Blue, Lyft and various Hoteliers partnered to provide vacation packages for the auction.
According to Alexander Moore, National Marketing Chair of the wayOUT, they specifically look for, and closely vet LGBTQ+ organizations within conservative areas and states to fund-raise for.
In total, a check for $145,000 was presented to The Transformation Project's Founder, Susan Ann Bill.
Ironically, Bill is a registered republican in the State of South Dakota. A former Mary Kay salesperson, Bill began getting politically involved after her ten-year-old wrote her an eight page letter, explaining that he felt trapped in the wrong body.
Similarly, HB 1057 failed to pass due to republican-led opposition, even drawing criticism from Gov. Kristi Noem. Democrats in South Dakota have failed to gain momentum, until recently, but currently do not have the numbers to stop or pass legislation like HB 1057. Clearly republican does not equal conservative in South Dakota, and yet, wayOUT still decided to aim their sights on the "conservative state."
State Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison), recently elected to senate leadership, told talk radio host Bill Zortman that the media needs to pay close attention this session because the abortion debate will be coming up. "South Dakota's voters are not as conservative as the legislature," Crabtree said.
With national attention attracting out-of-state donations, large healthcare lobbies and teachers unions funding progressive lawmakers, and special interest groups currently funding an abortion measure on the ballot, the matter of South Dakota's "conservatism" is apparently up for debate. Meanwhile, the state is on the radar and in the cross-hairs of powerful donors, who want to see change, and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
“COVID-19 Vaccines- What They Are, How They Work and Possible Causes of Injuriesâ€
WASHINGTON D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson leads a round-table discussion, COVID-19 Vaccines: What They Are, How They Work, and Possible Causes of Injuries, to shed light on the current state of knowledge surrounding the vaccine and the path forward. Medical experts and doctors who specialize in COVID-19 vaccine research and treatment join Sen. Johnson at the table.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — On Monday Dec. 5, 2022 the Sioux Falls Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of 259th St and 471 Ave.
According to Sergent Joel Dalton, police arrived at 1:44pm to find a Ford F-150 had overturned in the middle of a field.
The vehicle's driver is said to have been a male, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Information has yet to be released about the driver's identity. However, police say they are currently investigating the accident and will be employing the use of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Surveillance) to accomplish this task. The UAS/Drone team will be assisting the Sioux Falls Police Department to determine the cause of the accident.
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According to a statement released today by the Sioux Falls Police Department, they are now notifying the public ahead of time, as is there policy whenever aerial surveillance aircraft are flown.
According to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, "utilizing UAS for crash-scene reconstruction can significantly reduce the data collection time at a crash scene, resulting in shorter road closure times, and officer on-scene times." In just one flight, UAS can collect hundreds of images to create accurate and detailed 2D and 3D modeling for thorough accident investigations.
The Sioux Falls Police Department began using drone assistance for crash-scene reconstruction in 2019, after thoroughly researching the program for over a year. According to flight logs, the UAS program has been used for things like tracking deer populations, and even assisting in missing person cases.
Running Short on Time? Listen to the article on SoundCloud: 3:48 minute read
Dec. 5, 2022 By Breeauna Sagdal.
The Watertown School District's Superintendent has created quite the stir among his staff and parents alike, after intrusive surveys were passed out during a mandatory in-service training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. During the mandatory training, teachers and staff listened to a four-hour-long presentation from "Equity Consultant" Wayne Felton. At the end of the presentation however, surveys were passed around to teachers and staff that asked very personal questions. Although the surveys were optional to complete, several attendees have since shared that they felt very uncomfortable at the time. Others have taken to social media, voicing concerns related to the district's general direction under Superintendent Dr. Jeff Danielson.
According to Public Action Notice 23079, Superintendent Danielson used $3,000 in taxpayer funds for Wayne Felton's speaking fee. Felton, a previous Christian minister, now travels to help educational facilities with consulting, training and strategic planning of D.E.I policies and racial incident response procedures.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has become common place on many college campuses, and is now creeping into k-12 education under the auspices of closing the achievement gap. However, according to a 2021 study conducted by Backgrounder, results showed that "the existence of Chief Diversity Officers may actually exacerbate achievement gaps between white and black students, white and Hispanic students, and wealthier and poor students. These findings are consistent with the observation that CDOs have more to do with political activism than with improving education outcomes—or narrowing achievement gaps between students."
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training is currently optional, left to the discretion of school boards and superintendents. However, the issue of political activism in the classroom is becoming a more nuanced discussion, especially within school districts that accept federal funding like Watertown, Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
LEAs (Local Education Agencies) that receive certain types of federal funding, like the school lunch program, and NCLB (No Child Left Behind) are mandated to implement federal guidelines or face repayment. Federal guidelines for program eligibility have changed often over recent years. Despite push-back from parents, federal funding was leveraged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of ensuring adherence to CDC guidelines on social distancing, masking, and may even have an impact on vaccine requirements going forward.
Under the Biden Administration, federal funding guidelines have become drastically more stringent, while definitions for violations have largely been expanded. Recently a year-long process ended, whereby the White House and U.S Department of Education redefined the Title IX anti-discrimination law in its entirety. The once simplistic civil rights law, is now 554 pages long, redefined to include gender identity, an expanded version of sexual orientation and expanded policy mandates for LEAs receiving any form of federal funds.
With the allocation of COVID-19 relief funds, centralized federal funding is now capable of bypassing state rights. In 1932, American Communist Party Founder William Z. Foster, wrote "among the elementary measures the American government will adopt to further the cultural revolution are the following: the schools, colleges, and universities will be coordinated and grouped under a National Department of Education and its state and local branches. The studies will be revolutionized, being cleansed of religious, patriotic, and other features of bourgeois ideology."
As a result, schools that were providing federally funded lunches during the pandemic, are no longer able to continue that service. It's possible that Gov. Noem has a long-term strategy however, as parents who have lost trust in public schools are creating million dollar deficits in budgets due to unenrollment. Homeschooling is currently the fastest growing educational method in the U.S, jumping from 2.3 million in 2020 to 55.292 million students today, with the top reasons reported as concerns for "the school environment," political indoctrination and teacher's union policies like "tenure."
Johnson says she is eager to begin working on stronger tribal relations, election integrity, campaign finance transparency and helping businesses to succeed
PIERRE, S.D. – Monday Dec. 5, 2022 Monae Johnson has assumed the role of Secretary of State this morning, after the resignation of Steve Barnett. Johnson, who was elected to the office of Secretary of State by a 64% landslide in the midterm election, was appointed by Gov. Kristi Noem to serve the remaining month of Barnett's term.
“Monae Johnson has the confidence of the people of South Dakota,†Gov. Noem said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “She was elected because of her promise to focus on election integrity, and I look forward to working with her on those efforts.â€
Johnson won additional voter confidence while taking a stand for campaign finance transparency, and economic prosperity when she unveiled her plans to make updates to the current Secretary of State website. With eight years of experience in the office, having served under two previous Secretaries of State, Johnson says that the website could be more user friendly for reporters, business owners and the public.
“I am truly grateful to Governor Noem for the opportunity to finish the current term as Secretary of State, and to the people of South Dakota for trusting me to serve in the role for the next four years,†Johnson said. “Tom Deadrick, my new Deputy Secretary of State, and I will immediately get to work for the citizens of South Dakota to finish up the year-end duties. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!â€
“Freedom has many branches, and we are all at different stages of our journeys. H.O.L.D. Summit is sure to have something for everyone to learn how to own their health, develop their liberties, and protect their freedom.â€
Health Freedom South Dakota is an organization that advocated for medical decisions to be put in the hands of individuals and families, not in the hands of government organizations or pharmaceutical corporations. They acknowledge the importance in technological advances such as sanitation and clean water, but also see the need to exist in balance with nature and not let modern technology reduce people’s quality of life by going too far.
Doors open at 5pm on Friday night for a VIP dinner, panel discussion with the featured guest speakers, and a presentation by Tim Grover of Rev-tac about Second Amendment rights and responsibilities. Rev-tac is a range in Jackson, NE that teaches families about safe, conscientious gun ownership in a relaxing environment that has leisure activities such as paintball and sniper competitions as well as courses in women’s self-defense, trauma management, and obtaining concealed carry permits. The H.O.L.D. Summit will also have hands-on workshops for guests to learn self-defense skills from experienced instructors sharing invaluable knowledge. Instructors at Rev-tac are made up of snipers, SWAT, competitive shooters, and seals. Their motto is, “Practice Makes Prepared.â€
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Beginning at 8am on Saturday, there will be a vendor’s market where guests can shop for Christmas presents with local merchants and a series of presentations by speakers who have unique perspectives due to their expertise in various fields and share a passion for health freedom.
Dr. Paul Thomas states on the H.O.L.D. Summit’s event page that, “The time has come to take our health and that of our children into our own hands. Gone are the days when you could blindly follow your doctor’s recommendations or count on your health plan or some government agency to put your best interests first.†The H.O.L.D. Summit aims to empower attendees and their families to know what their rights are and to protect liberty and freedom.
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The H.O.L.D. Summit will feature issues pertaining to medical freedom, but it also is about a wider variety of liberties. Some topics that will be discussed are homesteading, home schooling, legislative opportunities, and career choices. The two-day event will facilitate more community involvement for participants in the future and connect people who have shared interests with each other. The goal goes far beyond a weekend event, towards building a more resilient community long-term.
Tickets are available on the event webpage. The code "Freedom50" can be used for a 50% discount on the ticket price for a limited number of guests.
Gov. Noem Takes Action as The DOJ and Now the FBI Warns of National Security Breaches Due to Chinese Owned Telecom Companies
PIERRE, S.D.- Gov. Kristi Noem has signed Executive Order 2022-10, taking decisive action as tensions continue to mount with China. The E.O bans state government agencies, employees, and contractors from accessing the social media platform TikTok from state issued devices.
Noem's order corresponds to recent warnings issued by the DOJ and FBI, as various national security breaches have been unearthed. In addition, tensions mount as China's President Xi Jinping has taken aggressive actions, and absolute control of both the government and the military. According to ABC news, Jinping replaced most of the top leadership with his generals last month during the 19th Party Congress.
Upon seizing control, Jinping outlined a new path forward that refocuses the Country's prior emphasis on economic security, to now making China a world power by 2035. According to the Chinese Communist Party Leader, this will be accomplished and backed by creating the top ranked military in the world.
Jinping's actions, and the use of Chinese owned telecom companies to spy on Americans, have many within the U.S State Department warning of threats to homeland and national security.
During the Nov. 15, 2022 Congressional Oversight hearing on Homeland Security, FBI Director Christopher Wray told members of Congress that "under Chinese law, Chinese companies are required to essentially, and I’m going to shorthand here, basically do whatever the Chinese government wants them to in terms of sharing information or serving as a tool of the Chinese government. And so that’s plenty of reason by itself to be extremely concerned.â€
TikTok has come under recent fire, and is now facing multiple lawsuits in European countries for allegedly oversharing their user’s data.
TikTok is owned by parent company ByteDance, a Beijing-based company that has links to the Chinese government . Shou Zi Chew, who simultaneously served as the CFO of ByteDance until November 2021, began serving as CEO for TikTok in April 2021, solidifying concerns related to the influence of the Chinese parent company over the app's data management.
FBI Director Wray is one of several within the intelligence community to warn Congress, stating that they do not believe the app has the ability to protect user data.
Privacy and national security concerns continue to mount after the DOJ arrested five Chinese Nationals in March, who were recruited to spy on defectors of the CCP regime on U.S soil.
During a press conference on Oct. 24, 2022 DOJ Director Merrick Garland announced charges in three separate cases accusing more than a dozen defendants, most of them Chinese officials, of participating in schemes to repatriate critics of the Chinese government, obtain secret information about a U.S. investigation into Chinese telecom firm Hauwei and recruit spies to act as agents of the Chinese regime in the U.S.
"This case exposes the interconnection between PRC officers and Chinese companies," Deputy Attorney Lisa Monaco said during the press briefing.
Noem has said that the E.O is needed immediately in order to prevent the Chinese Communist Party's ability to gather data from state issued devices. The app is able to track user location, videos watched and commented on, as well as the data gathered off the device itself such as; personally identifiable information, contact lists, addresses, photos, health information, and even banking information.
“The Chinese Communist Party uses information that it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people, and they gather data off the devices that access the platform,†Noem said. “Because of our serious duty to protect the private data of South Dakota citizens, we must take this action immediately. I hope other states will follow South Dakota’s lead, and Congress should take broader action, as well,†Noem concluded.
EO 2022-10, signed Nov. 29, 2022, takes immediate effect and only applies to employees and agencies of the State of South Dakota, including persons and entities who contract with the state, commissions, and authorities or agents thereof. The order prohibits downloading or using the TikTok application or visiting the website on state-owned or state-leased electronic devices capable of internet connectivity.
The crowd was electric as Christian Pulisic brought the USMNT one step closer to the FIFA World Cup at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar today. Pulisic is one of only 22 Americans to score big during a World Cup.
During the play however, Pulisic collided with Beiranvand, and was removed off the field. Tim Weah nearly made the score an even 2-zip, when a referee called his goal offside. That offside call could have meant another goal for the USMNT.
Having failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, it has been eight years since the USMNT were contenders for the Finals. A big day for all watching and involved. The game continues this afternoon as 32 teams fight to secure their place in the finals, beginning Dec. 18, 2022.
Minnehaha Sheriff’s Department offers tips and tricks for safe driving
November 29, 2022- Breeauna Sagdal
Minnehaha County Sheriff's Deputies are reminding people to take it slow today. Earlier this morning, deputies responded to multiple accidents on rural county roads following overnight snows. The Sheriff's Dept. is now asking that people take their time navigating the slick conditions.
Sgt. Scott Dubbe of the Minnehaha Sheriff's Department says people should give themselves an extra ten minutes to get to work or school in the morning. "Currently the roads are looking pretty good, but overnight it will likely freeze and create icy road conditions," Dubbe said. "Make sure that you allow multiple car lengths between yourself and the car in front of you, and make sure that you leave at least ten minutes early to give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination safely."
Dubbe says that if you do find your car skidding, or sliding, to take your foot off the gas and turn into the direction of the slide, rather than try to course correct. If worse case scenario should occur, Dubbe says to call 911, put the car's hazard lights on and try to get the vehicle off the road.
"Prepare ahead of time to avoid accidents," Dubbe said. "Make sure to keep your headlights on, check your tires, drive slow and buckle-up."
Deputies in Minnehaha County are responding to multiple accidents on rural county roads. Please slow down and stay off the roadways if possible.
The Novemburn for Hope Challenge is coming to close soon and it appears that Councilman Greg Neitzert might be headed for a second year win. The challenge began last year as an awareness campaign for the Link, a Sioux Falls based emergency triage center for mental health and chemical dependency in all its many forms.
"We had raised funding for COVID-19 rental relief, and had this incredible service for the community," Councilman Marshall Selberg tells TDL. "We just needed to figure out how to merge the two concepts, and tell the community it was available," Selberg said. The service provided by the Link is saving thousands of lives in the Sioux Falls area alone.
Bill Earley is the Executive Director of the Link. Earley tells TDL that his staff members have helped to provide triage services for over 5,000 people this year, creating a sizable dent in the opioid war. "These are not numbers to us," Earley said. "The people walking through our doors are the same kids you grew up with, played sports with, went to prom with. They're brothers, sisters, sons and daughters and everyday our staff members hope and pray that another soul will walk through our doors and have that 'vie' moment."
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When people decide to fight for their lives and work towards reducing chemical dependencies, Earley and his staff call this "the vie moment." "We have many who come through our program several times, and that's okay," Earley said. "The moments we live for though, are those moments when you see a shift happen, and people begin to vie for their lives. We call this the vie moment."
The Link is one of the only emergency triage facilities in the Sioux Falls area. The program helps people to detox from opioid pain medications or street drugs, and become stable in those first steps to freedom from chemical dependency. The link also specializes in recognizing and addressing duel-diagnosis needs, which helps people to get linked to the right services while in the midst of an episode.
In an effort to help raise awareness about this program. Sioux Falls City Council members have been growing out their facial hair, specifically their side-burns. Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum actually inspired the entire event, Councilman Selberg explains. "Police Chief Thum has the best side-burns, so we decided to do something silly and challenge each other for a good cause," Selberg said. Chief Thom will be judging this year, and we will know soon who has won for sure.
Let us know who you think will win. Have you or someone you love been impacted by the opioid epidemic? Write to us and share your experience at Editor@DakotaLeader.com
The end of print, or a distaste for “biased reporting?â€
Nov. 23, 2022 By Breeauna Sagdal
Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper chain, recently announced mandatory furloughs which will require employees to take one week of unpaid leave this December. The company, which owns The Argus Leader, The Watertown Public Opinion, and The Aberdeen American News, is also seeking volunteers for buyouts according to a staff-wide email sent by CEO Mike Reed.
In addition, the company also has paused overall hiring and will temporarily suspend matching contributions to employee 401(k) accounts starting Oct. 24. The email came two months after Gannett laid off 400 employees and eliminated 400 open positions in response to year-over-year losses, and a troubling second quarter. Gannett reported a loss of $54 million dollars during the second quarter, and its shares have plummeted down by 77% over the last year.
In the company-wide email sent to the over 200 publications owned by Gannett, Reed said “these are truly challenging times. The company continues to face headwinds and uncertainty from the deteriorating macroeconomic environment which has led the executive team to take further immediate action.â€
The company-wide furlough is now impacting the "young and out of the area" journalists at The Argus Leader. A GoFundMe page has been created to help Argus Leader staff ahead of the holidays.
The Argus Leader has had significant losses this year within their own newsroom. Top investigative journalist Jonathan Ellis, and capitol correspondent Joe Sneve, have both left The Argus this year to launch their own publication, The Dakota Scout. The Argus also lost top news Director Cory Myers in early October of this year, along with Mackenzie Huber. Huber has joined colleague Seth Tupper to launch the SD chapter of Searchlight, which functions as an independent state newsroom.
In addition to losing some of their top local staff, Gannett will say goodbye to President Maribel Perez Wadsworth at the end of this year. Wadsworth was the first woman of color to serve as the publisher of USA Today, prior to being named the President of Gannett. Her announcement came on the heels of the Gannett Co. Board of Directors eliminating the role of former CEO, Paul Bascobert, to streamline its operating structure.
Since then, Michael Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of the overall public entity, Gannett Co., has assumed the responsibilities of both Wadsworth and Bascobert. According to a timeline of events, these decisions came rapidly after a negative second quarter, and revelations related to subscription losses.
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According to a transcript obtained by the Washington Post, Gannett's editorial staff met in April to scale-back opinion and election coverage. “Readers don’t want us to tell them what to think,†the editors, who come from Gannett newsrooms across the country, declared during the internal presentation. “They don’t believe we have the expertise to tell anyone what to think on most issues. They perceive us as having a biased agenda.â€
"Not only are editorials and opinion columns 'among our least read content,' the committee said, but they are 'frequently cited' by readers as a reason for canceling their subscriptions.'"
Going into the third quarter amid steep losses, one of the biggest questions has been; How much improvement could the company achieve in a short time-frame? The answer came early this month with an identical third quarter loss of $54 million and a 10% year-to-year revenue decline. CEO Mike Reed told analysts, as he had in August, that he does not expect revenue to head back up until sometime in 2024.
It's not all bad news for Gannet however. The company hit a milestone in paid digital subscriptions which could signal where things are headed for the media giant and its over 200 print dailies. By the end of the third quarter Gannett hit 1.98 million digital subscribers, and passed the 2 million mark since then. On Sept. 30, Gannett had an increase of 28.5% in digital subscribers compared to the same period a year ago.
According to Reed, cost controls have taken root as the U.S headcount fell by 6.5% during the quarter with 468 employees leaving the company and another 400 open positions left unfilled. In addition, with the imposed mandatory unpaid leaves and suspended 401(k) contributions Reed said "the full impact on costs will be greater this quarter and through 2023." The company is also on track to sell $60 to $70 million in real estate and other assets this year to help pay down the debt they took on when the company acquired GateHouse in 2019.
Due to the cost-cutting measures, the on-going transition to digital and a focus on digital marketing services, the company is slowly seeing a turn around. At this point the question appears to be; How quickly can Gannett fully transition digitally? With print subscription revenues off by $51 million and print advertising in a $31 million year-to-year decline, the $9 million in digital gains may not be enough to keep print alive.
Secretary of State-elect Monae Johnson names her Deputy
PIERRE, SD - Secretary of State-elect Monae Johnson has announced that
Thomas J. Deadrick will be joining her office as Deputy Secretary of State.
"As an attorney, former legislator, and former deputy, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the
position that will be invaluable to me," Johnson said. "Tom has a long history of service to our state and the
people of South Dakota, and I am thrilled to have him as part of my team."
Deadrick previously served as Deputy of Business Services from 2015-2018 under former
Secretary of State Shantel Krebs. A graduate of Platte High School, Deadrick earned a
Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery
degree from Loyola University School of Dentistry, Chicago and a Juris Doctorate from
the University of South Dakota School of Law.
He practiced dentistry in Philip, SD for five years before transitioning to law. He
practiced law in Philip and Parker, SD and served as state's attorney in Turner and Charles Mix
counties. From 1995-2014, he operated Deadrick Law Office and Platte Title Company in Platte.
A Republican, Deadrick served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2003-2010
and was Speaker of the House from 2007-2008. Since 2019, he has worked as an Assistant
Attorney General for South Dakota. Deadrick and his wife, Cindy, have two grown daughters
and reside in Pierre.
Ironically, Bill is a registered republican in the State of South Dakota. A former Mary Kay salesperson, Bill began getting politically involved after her ten-year-old wrote her an eight page letter, explaining that he felt trapped in the wrong body.
