Murdo E-edition.pdf - Pioneer Review
Murdo E-edition.pdf - Pioneer Review
Murdo E-edition.pdf - Pioneer Review
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<strong>Murdo</strong> Coyote<br />
<strong>Murdo</strong> Coyote • December 6, 2012 • Page 6<br />
Noem Sends Christmas greetings to troops,<br />
encourages South Dakotans to participate<br />
Rep. Kristi Noem participated<br />
in an American Red Cross letterwriting<br />
campaign to our men and<br />
women overseas this holiday season<br />
and encouraged South<br />
Dakotans to participate.<br />
“Our men and women serving<br />
abroad are spending this holiday<br />
season away from their families<br />
and loved ones, and showing our<br />
gratitude for their sacrifice is especially<br />
important,” said Rep. Noem.<br />
“I know South Dakotans deeply<br />
appreciate the sacrifices the members<br />
of our military make for our<br />
freedom, and I encourage anyone<br />
wanting to say ‘thank you’ to send<br />
a letter saying so.”<br />
Anyone wishing to send a letter<br />
to our troops abroad need only to<br />
send their letter or letters to the<br />
following address before December<br />
7, 2012: Holiday Mail for Heroes,<br />
P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights,<br />
MD 20791-5456.<br />
Davis-Bahcall scholarship offers<br />
opportunities to young scientists<br />
South Dakota high school seniors<br />
and college freshmen can now<br />
apply for Davis-Bahcall Scholarships<br />
and the chance to study next<br />
summer at the Sanford Underground<br />
Science and Engineering<br />
Laboratory in Lead with worldrenowned<br />
researchers from universities<br />
across the United States<br />
and overseas, if funding allows.<br />
Applications are available on<br />
the South Dakota Department of<br />
Education’s website. Up to 12<br />
South Dakota students will<br />
receive scholarships. The deadline<br />
to apply is January 20, 2013.<br />
Select students will be invited<br />
to interview at various locations in<br />
the state for the program; scholarship<br />
winners will be announced by<br />
early March.<br />
Davis-Bahcall Scholarship<br />
recipients spend one month during<br />
the summer studying such things<br />
as physics, engineering and geology,<br />
and learning from distinguished<br />
professors from around<br />
the world.<br />
In addition to the one-month<br />
summer study, those receiving<br />
scholarships may have the opportunity<br />
to apply for pre-selected<br />
summer internships.<br />
To be eligible for the scholarships,<br />
high school seniors and college<br />
freshmen must attend public<br />
or private high schools or postsecondary<br />
institutions in South Dakota.<br />
Home-school students also are<br />
eligible. Students must have a<br />
demonstrated interest in science<br />
and intend to pursue advanced<br />
degrees in math, science, engineering<br />
or technology.<br />
The scholarships, which are<br />
funded by the 3M Company and<br />
the South Dakota Space Grant<br />
Consortium, are named for<br />
renowned physicists Dr. Ray Davis<br />
and Dr. John Bahcall.<br />
For more information, including<br />
details about the application procedure,<br />
visit the South Dakota<br />
Department of Education’s website<br />
at doe.sd.gov. Look for the<br />
“Scholarships” link in the A-Z<br />
Index.<br />
Preparing for winter<br />
by Rep. Kristi Noem<br />
As South Dakotans, we know all<br />
too well just how cold it can get<br />
here in the Great Plains during<br />
the winter months. Before the first<br />
major snowfall of the year, it’s<br />
important to take the time to<br />
make sure our families, homes and<br />
vehicles are prepared for the winter<br />
season.<br />
Organizations like the American<br />
Red Cross and the National<br />
Weather Service encourage South<br />
Dakotans to have winter weather<br />
supply kits in vehicles, as well as<br />
the home. This kit should include<br />
water, non-perishable food, a shovel,<br />
battery-powered radio, a flashlight,<br />
warm clothing and blankets,<br />
medication and emergency contact<br />
information, among other items.<br />
The South Dakota Office of Emergency<br />
Management has published<br />
a 2012 Winter Weather Preparedness<br />
Guide, to read it, visit<br />
www.oem.sd.gov.<br />
Our family has a NOAA Weather<br />
Radio, which alerts us of any<br />
potential weather threats. The<br />
weather radio warns of approaching<br />
strong winds, severe wind<br />
chills and blizzards. I would<br />
encourage people to take action to<br />
ensure they’re aware of potential<br />
weather threats, whether through<br />
the use of a radio like the one our<br />
family uses or through other<br />
means.<br />
In addition to compiling a winter<br />
weather supply kit, South<br />
Dakotans should ensure that all<br />
vehicles are winterized and that<br />
the gas tank is full to prevent the<br />
fuel line from freezing. The Red<br />
Cross also encourages homeowners<br />
to maintain heating equipment<br />
on an annual basis. So before<br />
Santa makes his way down the<br />
chimney, make sure to have the<br />
fireplace and furnace cleaned and<br />
inspected by a professional.<br />
Many communities across<br />
South Dakota are sponsoring coat<br />
drives, where individuals can<br />
donate old or extra winter coats for<br />
those who are in need. For example,<br />
Kidz-n-Coats is a program<br />
that donates winter coats to children<br />
in the Sioux Falls area. I<br />
encourage South Dakotans across<br />
the state to reach out to area<br />
organizations to see what opportunities<br />
are available in each community.<br />
Although some may grumble<br />
about snow or the falling temperatures,<br />
there are also many who<br />
enjoy snow – like my son, Booker.<br />
Not only will we make sure we<br />
have our snow shovels ready, the<br />
Noem household will also be<br />
pulling snow sleds out of storage.<br />
The winter months provide unique<br />
opportunities for families to spend<br />
time together building snowmen<br />
or ice skating, but we shouldn’t<br />
forget that cold temperatures and<br />
icy conditions should be taken<br />
seriously.<br />
Request for additional Missouri<br />
River releases threatens interests<br />
by Senator John Thune<br />
It has been a hot, dry year in<br />
South Dakota. The drought-stricken<br />
landscape and the loss of crops,<br />
hay, and pastures have made this<br />
a challenging year for farmers,<br />
ranchers, and communities across<br />
South Dakota. Even certain areas<br />
of the state that experienced<br />
excess rainfall in 2011 suffered<br />
from lower than normal rainfall<br />
this year.<br />
The drought-induced low water<br />
levels of the Missouri mean that<br />
less water is available to be<br />
released from the Missouri River,<br />
which eventually flows into the<br />
Mississippi River in St. Louis. The<br />
trickle-down effect of diminished<br />
water flows has caused economic<br />
losses for businesses along the<br />
Mississippi due to reduced barge<br />
traffic. I understand and appreciate<br />
the economic challenges faced<br />
by the businesses along the Mississippi<br />
River; however, some lawmakers<br />
and groups have recently<br />
issued requests for the president<br />
to make an emergency declaration<br />
that would allow the Corps to deviate<br />
from the Missouri River Master<br />
Manuel. The Corps’ Master<br />
Control Manual governs the<br />
Corps’ management of the Missouri<br />
River and doesn’t take into<br />
consideration the impacts of barge<br />
traffic on the Mississippi River. If<br />
the president complies with this<br />
unprecedented request, precious<br />
water would be released from the<br />
Missouri River reservoirs to aid<br />
navigation on the Mississippi<br />
River. Under existing law, such<br />
actions are not permitted by the<br />
president or the Corps of Engineers.<br />
Even more troubling is the real<br />
concern about how the release of<br />
water from the Missouri River<br />
would impact communities in our<br />
region that are dependent on this<br />
critical water source. Due to harsh<br />
drought conditions experienced<br />
along the Missouri River, a declaration<br />
from the president would<br />
have a significant negative impact<br />
on the people and businesses that<br />
depend on Missouri River water.<br />
According to the Corps of Engineers,<br />
the water levels on the Missouri<br />
are already 20 percent below<br />
the normal levels due to this year’s<br />
drought. The release of additional<br />
water from Missouri River reservoirs<br />
would only exacerbate the<br />
drought-related conditions experienced<br />
by the communities, tribes,<br />
and industries that rely on water<br />
from the Missouri River.<br />
That’s why I have spearheaded<br />
an effort joined by members of the<br />
South Dakota, North Dakota,<br />
Kansas, and Montana delegations<br />
to urge the president, the Federal<br />
Emergency Management Agency<br />
(FEMA), and the Corps of Engineers<br />
to deny any requests for<br />
water releases. Denying the<br />
requests for an emergency declaration<br />
will prevent both short and<br />
long-term consequences such<br />
actions would have on Missouri<br />
River states. I will continue to<br />
work with my colleagues in the<br />
Senate to ensure the president,<br />
FEMA, and the Corps balance<br />
their efforts to address this situation<br />
on the Mississippi River while<br />
ensuring they understand the negative<br />
impact such efforts could<br />
have on Missouri River communities.<br />
Sylvatic plague confirmed on<br />
Ft. Pierre National Grassland<br />
Tests have confirmed that<br />
Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that<br />
causes sylvatic plague, was found<br />
in fleas collected from prairie dog<br />
colonies on the Fort Pierre National<br />
Grassland. According to Ruben<br />
Leal, Fort Pierre District Ranger,<br />
testing was done at the University<br />
of South Dakota in Vermillion, by<br />
Hugh Britten, Ph.D.<br />
Plague was first detected in<br />
South Dakota in 2004 and has<br />
been migrating north and west.<br />
Since then, Y. pestis was detected<br />
on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands,<br />
Badlands National Park in<br />
2008 and on the Lower Brule Indian<br />
Reservation in 2009. To date,<br />
there have not been any confirmed<br />
cases of plague in humans in South<br />
Dakota. The Fort Pierre Ranger<br />
District personnel will continue to<br />
monitor for plague in prairie dog<br />
colonies and coordinate efforts<br />
with cooperating partners.<br />
While rare with less than 10-20<br />
infections each year in the United<br />
States, humans can contract<br />
plague from prairie dogs or other<br />
rodents. The disease is transmitted<br />
by infected fleas and is easily<br />
treatable with antibiotics when<br />
caught early.<br />
According to the Center for Disease<br />
Control (CDC) plague usually<br />
occurs in warmer seasons, but can<br />
be acquired anytime during the<br />
year. Warmer, shorter winters<br />
may also contribute as it prevents<br />
nature’s ability to decrease flea<br />
populations.<br />
Prevention is the best remedy<br />
and easy with general safety measures.<br />
First, avoid contact with wild<br />
rodents, such as prairie dogs, as<br />
they may have infected fleas. Do<br />
not handle dead rodents and never<br />
feed wildlife. It is especially<br />
important to keep pet dogs and<br />
cats away from prairie dog towns<br />
and dead rodents because they<br />
could pick up an infected flea and<br />
transmit to humans. Use flea collars<br />
on outdoor pets that may be<br />
near possibly infected areas<br />
Typical symptoms of plague<br />
resemble the flu with sudden onset<br />
of fever and chills, headache, muscle<br />
ache, nausea and vomiting,<br />
swollen lymph nodes and generally<br />
“feeling sick.” It is very important<br />
to seek medical attention<br />
early and inform the physician if<br />
you have been in a known plague<br />
area or had potential exposure to<br />
infected animals within the previous<br />
two - six days.<br />
For more information contact<br />
the Center of Disease Control,<br />
www.cdc.gov.<br />
Daugaard encourages more<br />
taxpayers, NOT more taxes<br />
The days following Thanksgiving<br />
are widely known for launching<br />
the Christmas shopping season,<br />
as retailer specials draw<br />
crowds of shoppers. The shopping<br />
days have become so ingrained in<br />
our American culture they have<br />
earned their own nicknames:<br />
‘Black Friday,’ ‘Small Business<br />
Saturday,’ and ‘Cyber Monday.’<br />
Cyber Monday (November 26)<br />
was the date on which online<br />
retailers offered large discounts<br />
and dramatically boosted their<br />
sales. Each year, Cyber Monday<br />
sets a new record for money spent<br />
online in a single day. This year<br />
was no different, with some analysts<br />
estimating more than $1.5<br />
billion dollars spent during the 24-<br />
hour period. I expect the trend<br />
held true in South Dakota as well.<br />
The 2012 Cyber Monday giftbuying<br />
binge also likely broke<br />
another record: most purchases<br />
made in South Dakota without<br />
paying sales tax.<br />
Currently, only businesses with<br />
a ‘substantial nexus’ or physical<br />
presence in South Dakota must<br />
collect sales tax on goods purchased<br />
online. Out-of-state retailers,<br />
who are not physically located<br />
in South Dakota, have no such<br />
obligation. The current system<br />
doesn’t make sense, and it even<br />
discriminates among online purchases.<br />
If you buy a new iPod at<br />
your local retailer, you pay the<br />
sales tax. If you buy it online at<br />
BestBuy.com or WalMart.com, you<br />
pay the sales tax, because those<br />
businesses have retail operations<br />
in South Dakota. But if you buy<br />
your iPod from Amazon.com, you<br />
don’t pay sales tax – simply<br />
because Amazon has no warehouse<br />
or other physical location in South<br />
Dakota.<br />
Here’s an even worse example:<br />
A customer can walk into a South<br />
Dakota business, browse the merchandise,<br />
talk to the salesman,<br />
then pull out his smartphone, scan<br />
the barcode, and order the product<br />
from an online retailer – while<br />
standing in the store!<br />
Like most South Dakotans, I do<br />
not support raising tax rates.<br />
However, I do support equity and<br />
uniformity among those who make<br />
sales to South Dakotans. If South<br />
Dakota retailers have to pay sales<br />
taxes, their competitors online<br />
should as well. This is not a new<br />
tax – it is asking online retailers to<br />
pay the tax that is already legally<br />
due on these sales.<br />
We should be constantly striving<br />
to add more taxpayers, not<br />
adding more taxes or increasing<br />
tax rates. Whether by adding<br />
online retailers to the tax rolls,<br />
encouraging business growth or<br />
getting unemployed folks back to<br />
work, we should strive to achieve a<br />
broad, stable tax base.<br />
Online shopping has given<br />
every South Dakotan access to<br />
more goods and services than ever<br />
before, if they are willing to pay for<br />
shipping. There is nothing wrong<br />
with this. We should not, however,<br />
disadvantage our local retailers or<br />
our state budget by allowing outof-state<br />
online businesses to avoid<br />
paying sales tax.<br />
We need Congress to act, and I<br />
support Congressional efforts to<br />
simplify and standardize remittance<br />
of sales taxes collected from<br />
online purchases. It creates an<br />
even playing field for our local<br />
businesses and increases tax revenues<br />
the right way- by adding<br />
more taxpayers, not more taxes or<br />
higher rates.<br />
Pictures continued from page 1<br />
Rock, Paper, Scissors!… After a quick mutual understanding<br />
on how the game was played, Bev Ball and Stacey Booth<br />
faced off in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine the<br />
winners of the group contest.<br />
Photos by Karlee Barnes<br />
Call us for<br />
all of your<br />
advertising<br />
needs<br />
Washing machine…Mrs. Ball selected a group of students from the crowd to help her with an<br />
ice breaker game that required the students to act out a common appliance or machine. The crowd<br />
then had to guess what they were acting out, and vote on the winner.<br />
Photos by Karlee Barnes<br />
<strong>Murdo</strong> Coyote<br />
PO Box 465 • <strong>Murdo</strong> SD<br />
57559<br />
605-669-2271<br />
coyoteads@gwtc.net<br />
Microwave…Stacey Booth’s group acted out a microwave, but they ended up losing in a tie<br />
breaker rock, paper, scissors game.<br />
Photos by Karlee Barnes