Opinion

It’s been a tough year for pretty much everybody. The global pandemic has changed our lives in ways we could not have imagined last Thanksgiving, and our celebrations may look a little different this year. Tough times can be, well, tough.

Ever since as a child I read Willa Cather’s My Antonia, I’ve had a strong dislike for wolves. You might recall the bride being thrown to the wolves on her wedding night.

From Belle Fourche, Buffalo, and Bison to Aberdeen, Groton, Webster, and Parkston I recently had the chance to sit down with so many South Dakotans.

The threat of Chronic Waste Disease (CWD), a fatal deer and elk disease caused by an abnormal protein called a prion, appears to be further endangering our South Dakota deer population. We know almost nothing about CWD.

On Veterans Day, I spoke at the dedication of Patriot’s Plaza on the campus of the University of South Dakota. This memorial honors all who have served our country, while highlighting the three USD alumni who have received our nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

was bled to have been reelected by my colleagues to serve as the Republican whip, or assistant majority leader, the second-highest position in Senate Republican leadership.

One of the things I appreciate most about those who served is that they didn’t rely on someone else to protect freedom. Veterans didn’t assume someone else would make the sacrifices so our kids could sleep safely in their beds every night. They raised their hand. They said yes to the call.

Some years ago, I can’t exactly remember when, it was suggested by some “foreign” radical thinkers that the Great Plains be fenced off from the rest of the country and turned into a buffalo preserve. They had western North and South Dakota in mind, as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20th, it was my privilege to pheasant hunt the Mitchell area with 15 gentlemen hunters. The day was cold and rainy, but we were dressed appropriately and had a fine time.

The hops have been cut and baled, the aronia berries shaken from their bushes and frozen and the flax swathed. No, agriculture isn’t all corn and beans in South Dakota. In the September/October issue of South Dakota Magazine, we feature a handful of farmers who grow more unique crops.