Vermillion City Council proceeds with business improvement district

The Vermillion City Council approved a resolution to proceed with a second Business Improvement District at their meeting held on Monday, April 16. A Business Improvement District (BID) is an area of drawn-out boundaries and businesses within the boundaries are required to pay additional taxes that help fund projects inside the area. The idea behind a BID is […]

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Cherry Street sees new emergency stoplight technology

Stoplights on Vermillion’s Cherry Street have been fitted with new technology to trigger emergency lights which will help emergency vehicles proceed without accidents. Opticom, the new technology, is activated when the emergency vehicles are approaching an intersection with its emergency lights and sirens on. The Opticom technology will change the lights from two to three […]

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‘The Heights’ development project aims to bring growth for USD and city of Vermillion

An empty lot south of Alumni Street is in the process of becoming the new Dakota Commons Development District to feature residential student housing and commercial building space. Eagle Construction Inc., a Sioux Falls construction company, is planning to develop a 210-bed mix-use student housing complex and a separate 5,000 square foot commercial building, along with 232 parking spaces known as “The Heights.buy […]

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Vermillion City Council agrees to sponsor the WNIT tournament game

The Vermillion City Council agreed to use $5,000 of the Bed, Board and Booze (BBB) fund to allow the university to host a Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) Basketball game at their meeting on Monday night. The university has an opportunity to host a WNIT tournament game this coming Thursday as they advance into the […]

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City council proclaims Feb. 8 as ‘Love Vermillion Day’

At the bimonthly Vermillion City Council meeting, a proclamation declared Feb. 8, 2018 as ‘Love Vermillion Day’ along with allocating money to purchase new vehicles for the city and for the police department.  Love Vermillion Day will be celebrated at the men’s basketball game against Fort Wayne on Thursday evening. The proclamation praised Vermillion for its […]

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City ordinance would increase fire safety for Greek houses

Sororities and fraternities around campus could be subject to additional fire safety regulations under an ordinance Vermillion’s City Council is currently considering. Members of the city council heard the first reading to amend Ordinance 1336 Monday night, which would require all existing and future Greek houses in Vermillion to install a key lock box on the exteriors of the facilities. […]

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Beer tax pits business owners against City Council

Before a heated informational session Monday evening, mayor John Powell turned to a few other members of the Vermillion City Council. “I might get impeached tonight,” Powell said jokingly. The City Council is proposing an ordinance for a five percent malt liquor mark-up to help fund renovations to Prentis Park. The mark-up would be charged […]

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City Council approves food pantry funding

The Nov. 16 City Council may have adjourned in a matter of 11 minutes, but many recent developments in the city include increased funding for a program targeting low-income residents in the area and a multi-million dollar renovation in Vermillion’s Prentis Park. Funding for food pantry With the harvest season coming to a close, produce donations to […]

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USD graduate becomes one of City Council’s youngest members

Local government is seeing a bit of youthful ambition with the summer election of a recent University of South Dakota graduate. Parker Erickson, 23, graduated from USD in May with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. Four months later, he is one of the youngest council members in Vermillion’s history. Erickson grew up in the […]

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