south dakota
South Dakota Department of Education cuts indigenous history, culture from draft standards
Educators and other South Dakotans working to craft new state social studies standards said Tuesday that Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration deleted elements dealing with Native American history and culture from their draft standards, according to the Associated Press. Members of the group, appointed by South Dakota’s Department of Education to review the standards, said the […]
COVID-19 Taskforce encourages testing before Thanksgiving break
Last fall, the University of South Dakota’s COVID-19 cases peaked at 243 according to the USD COVID-19 Dashboard. This year, the highest peak has been 24 in early September. South Dakota has a total of 5,961 cases overall, according to the South Dakota Department of Health website. Kevin O’Kelley, the head of USD’s COVID-19 Taskforce, […]
USD accounting students recieve 7 out of 9 CPA scholarships
Several USD accounting students received seven out of nine of the South Dakota Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Society scholarships. The process began early this year and students found out in June and August. USD student Haley Duffield, who received the Accounting Excellence scholarship, said that she had gotten an email from Beacom for the scholarship […]
Pandora Papers reveal South Dakota’s role in the global financial system
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has recently begun publishing the Pandora Papers—11.9 million leaked documents showing the offshore accounts of 35 world leaders and more than 100 billionaires, celebrities and business leaders. The publication of these papers drew new attention to South Dakota’s role in the global financial system. Much of the Pandora […]
Opportunity Center stakeholder meetings held, planning for Opportunity Center continues
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Volante’s Bennett Clary and Miles Amende contributed for this article. The third and final Opportunity Center stakeholder meeting was held Oct. 25, in which members of the Opportunity Center Task Force met with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Environmental Club to gather input on how the center should operate. Laura McNaughton, university President Sheila Gestring’s chief of staff, said the plan is for the […]
Brothers collaborate to DJ, produce for EDM group
When USD student Liam Mechling was introduced to dubstep by his older brother, he had no idea where it would take him. One year ago, however, he was asked to DJ a private Halloween party at Terry Peak in the Black Hills, and the rest, he said, is history. Liam Mechling is now a DJ […]
SDBOR Representatives meet with student organization leaders
Before the Senate Bill 55 task force meeting on Oct. 14, at 4:30 p.m., a meeting was held between members of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) and several student organization presidents to discuss how the soon-to-be-established Opportunity Center would impact USD. General Counsel Nathan Lukkes explained the Opportunity Center and answered a majority of the […]
Vermillion School District to build new elementary school
Early this month, Vermillion voters approved a bond issue for $26 million to construct a new elementary school. The election, in which 74.8% of voters approved the bond, is the first step toward making the school a reality. Vermillion Public Schools Superintendent Damon Alvey said the new school is necessary because of both the old […]
Climate change’s impact on South Dakota
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September was the third warmest September on record for North America. The climate of South Dakota is changing and will continue to change in the coming years. The Earth is beginning to see the effects of pumping fossil fuels into the air, and with that, the entire […]
Former Executive Director Summoned after Noems Daughter Denied Certification
In July, Governor Kristi Noem summoned Sherry Bren, the former executive director of the South Dakota Appraiser Certification Program, to her office to discuss appraiser procedures after her daughter, Kassidy Peters, was denied her certification to become a real estate appraiser. Peters was at the meeting as well. In Nov. Four months after, Peters obtained her licenses. After the meeting […]