PRESS Y &DAKOTAN - Yankton Press &...

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Volume 139 Number 219 BY CHET BROKAW Associated Press PIERRE — State Education Secretary Melody Schopp ex- pects to spend much of the upcoming South Dakota leg- islative session defending the Common Core standards that establish what students should know in math and English at each grade level. She’s ready for the battle. “We’re going to stay firm, and hopefully the message will be clear that it’s the right thing for South Dakota,” Schopp said. School districts this year began implementing the stan- dards, adopted by 45 states, but those guidelines are com- ing under increasing attacks from some lawmakers and others who argue they take away too much local control of schools. Rep. Jim Bolin, R-Canton, a retired teacher who has criticized the standards for several years, said he and other lawmakers will intro- duce bills in the legislative session starting Tuesday that seek to limit or even scrap Common Core. The effort will include pro- posals to phase out the stan- dards over several years, put the brakes on the standards pending additional study, allow parents to exempt their children from testing and pre- vent information on individ- ual students from being given to the federal government. “Fundamentally, it goes against the basic principle of American education, which is that local people who pay local taxes to support their local schools are going to be cut out of the educational process. They’re going to lose control of their local school,” Bolin said. Schopp said the federal government was not involved in the state-led effort to de- velop the standards, though federal officials have sup- ported the project. The stan- dards were developed by BY JEREMY HOECK [email protected] Perhaps more comfortable selling candy bars and other items to people across Yankton, Kyle Kleinschmit recently had to sell himself. And the so-called “Candy Bar Kid” found success doing that, as well. “I always make time to help my community, because they’ve helped me so much,” the 15-year- old Yankton High School fresh- man said. “School is the first priority, but once that is done for the day, I’m all about helping out.” A fixture on the volunteer scene, Kleinschmit was recently named Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton at the Brookings Club Corporation competition. The title recognizes “out- standing contributions” to family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, according to the or- ganization. If Kleinschmit’s community- wide accomplishments were listed on a resume, high up would be his feat of selling 2,500 candy bars in just 10 days during a juvenile diabetes fundraiser. “He’s got that knack for talk- ing to people,” his mother, Toni Kleinschmit, said. “His big thing is sales. He can sell any- thing to just about anybody.” When it came time to sell himself to an audience and a panel of judges at the Brook- ings competition, Kyle said he was “just myself” — the confi- dent, outgoing boy that sold all those candy bars. “I’m very honored, because I know it’s a big award,” Kyle said. “I’m really proud of it. I know I can give back to my community even more now, hopefully, since the word is out there.” After winning the organiza- tional competition (where he represented the Moody County Club), Kleinschmit advances to the state competition on Feb. REGION 2 | OBITUARIES 3 | VIEWS 4 | LIFE 5 | SPORTS 7 | CLASSIFIEDS 9 | MIDWEST 11 | WORLD 12 TOMORROW: City To Consider Meridian Plaza Plan Printed on Recycled Newsprint Printed with SOY INK YANKTON RECYCLING THIS WEEK: NORTH OF 15TH STREET MONDAY n January 13, 2014 Y ANKTON D AILY The Dakotas’ Oldest Newspaper | 12 PAGES | www.yankton.net Mount Marty Ballclubs Sweep Presentation College Here Saturday. PAGE 7 Breezy With Snow Late 9 a.m.: 27 | 3 p.m.: 39 FORECAST DETAILS: PAGE 2 75¢ P RESS & D AKOTAN EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two- part series examining the mixed messages young people are receiving about marijuana since its le- galization for recreational use in some parts of the United States. ——— BY ROB NIELSEN [email protected] South Dakota voters have had two oppor- tunities to legalize marijuana as a medicinal tool, and two times the effort failed. One of the main advocacy groups behind the efforts, voted on in 2006 and 2010, was the South Dakota Coalition for Compassion. The group’s former campaign coordinator, Emmett Reistroffer, said since the last electoral defeat, the group has since dis- banded. However he and others affiliated with it have continued to spearhead efforts for some form of legalization at the state level ever since. “Lately, a lot of us (who had been in- volved in the coalition) have wanted to switch gears and advocate for industrial hemp in South Dakota,” Reistroffer said. “We’re seeking sponsors in the Legislature and so far I’ve had some good conversations with folks.” As states continue to pass legislation al- lowing possession of marijuana for medicinal purposes (20 as of 2014) and recreational use (Washington and Colorado), conflicting federal stances on the drug and controversy JAMES CIMBUREK/P&D Youngsters show their stuff at halftime of the Yankton-Brandon Valley boys' basketball game on Saturday at the Summit Center. The girls were part of a dance camp hosted by the Yankton High School Dance team. For details on the game go to page 7. BY BOB MERCER State Capitol Bureau PIERRE — When Gov. Dennis Daugaard delivered his first State of the State speech to open the 2011 legislative session, he spent a third of his time on economic develop- ment. He declared he was embarking not on a one-year plan but one that would cover four years. The Republican governor returns to address the Legis- lature again Tuesday on opening day of the 2014 ses- sion. Now he is year four of that plan and of his governor- ship. He hasn’t formally de- clared his intention to seek re-election this year, but the operative assumption is he’s running. In his 2011 speech Daugaard acknowl- edged South Dakota’s economy was coming out of the recession. Labor statistics indicate the jobs lost in the recession have been re- placed and businesses kept hiring. Employ- ment was at a record high as of November. In fact, unemployment is at an extreme low in many of South Dakota’s regional hubs. Shortage of skilled workers in some occupa- tions has been described as a barrier to growth in some communities. Daugaard talked about the need for work- force development in both of his 2012 and 2013 speeches to legislators. State govern- ment has seen limited success in efforts to bring back former South Dakotans and to re- cruit people to move to South Dakota from other states. Workforce development will be a theme again Tuesday for the governor, along with many other topics as State of the State speeches typically have been, according to spokesman Tony Venhuizen. Voters in November 2012 rejected one of Daugaard’s proposals to allow a state board to give tax rebates to large business projects. Last year legislators crafted their own South Dakota Jobs package of incentives. Hanging over the 2014 session are the revelations and ongoing investigations, re- views and audits of state government’s in- volvement in the EB5 immigrant-investor program that was secretly implemented under the previous governor, Mike Rounds, for whom Daugaard was lieutenant governor. Daugaard in his 2011 State of the State Kleinschmit Named Youth Of The Year BY TRAVIS GULBRANDSON [email protected] VERMILLION — It’s been a long time coming, but work has finally commenced on two projects at the Vermillion Sanitary Landfill. Landfill manager Bob Iverson spoke to members of the Vermillion City Council about efforts to rebuild the baler building and to make a new leachate pond and col- lection system during a special meeting Monday afternoon. Iverson said crews started laying the beams in “right after Christmas.” “They’ll probably start putting up the building within the next two, two and a half weeks,” he said. “They’ll put up the building and get it heated, they’ll do all the plumbing and electric (work), and then they’ll pour all the concrete outside.” Before the building could start, approxi- mately 20,000 cubic yards of clay were hauled in to build the foundation, which had to be raised up close to eight feet, Iverson said. The main structure of the building will be held up by 10 piers that measure eight by 12 feet and are 18 inches thick. “The footings ... are 18 inches thick and two feet wide,” Iverson said. “It takes a lot of concrete to hold up this building.” Seeking A Clear Message Daugaard State Of The State Daugaard May Point To Growth, Challenges Tiny Dancers Vermillion Construction Under Way At Landfill Legislature To Debate Common Core Standards CORE | PAGE 11 GROWTH | PAGE 11 LANDFILL | PAGE 2 COURTESY PHOTO Yankton High School freshman Kyle Kleinschmit, center, was named Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton during a recent competition at the Brookings Club Corporation. Kleinschmit is pictured with Jesse Bailey, left, the lead academy teacher at the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton, and Kelsie Thoreson, Teen Court Coordinator. YOUTH | PAGE 10 MARIJUANA | PAGE 3 Advocates Taking Steps To Educate About Legalized Marijuana Around The World Annika Gordon (left) looks on as Lauren Eidsness solos during the Yankton Children’s Choir’s perform- ance of “Riu, Riu, Chiu,” a Spanish Christmas carol, at Sunday’s winter concert at the Riverview Reformed Church in Yankton. Gordon also soloed during the number. The choir presented “A Musical Journey Around the World,” taking the large crowd in attendance on a global tour with many songs sung in for- eign languages. Jaclyn Mathison is the choir’s director. To see or pur- chase images from this event, visit spotted.yankton.net/. (Kelly Hertz/P&D) ILLUSTRATION SHAUNA MARLETTE/P&D

Transcript of PRESS Y &DAKOTAN - Yankton Press &...

Page 1: PRESS Y &DAKOTAN - Yankton Press & Dakotantearsheets.yankton.net/january14/011314/011314_YKPD_A1.pdf · BY ROB NIELSEN rob.nielsen@yankton.net South Dakota voters have had two oppor-tunities

Volume 139Number 219

BY CHET BROKAWAssociated Press

PIERRE — State EducationSecretary Melody Schopp ex-pects to spend much of theupcoming South Dakota leg-islative session defending theCommon Core standards thatestablish what studentsshould know in math andEnglish at each grade level.

She’s ready for the battle.“We’re going to stay firm,

and hopefully the messagewill be clear that it’s the rightthing for South Dakota,”Schopp said.

School districts this yearbegan implementing the stan-dards, adopted by 45 states,but those guidelines are com-ing under increasing attacksfrom some lawmakers andothers who argue they takeaway too much local controlof schools.

Rep. Jim Bolin, R-Canton,a retired teacher who hascriticized the standards forseveral years, said he andother lawmakers will intro-duce bills in the legislativesession starting Tuesday thatseek to limit or even scrapCommon Core.

The effort will include pro-posals to phase out the stan-dards over several years, putthe brakes on the standardspending additional study,allow parents to exempt theirchildren from testing and pre-vent information on individ-ual students from being givento the federal government.

“Fundamentally, it goesagainst the basic principle ofAmerican education, which isthat local people who paylocal taxes to support theirlocal schools are going to becut out of the educationalprocess. They’re going tolose control of their localschool,” Bolin said.

Schopp said the federalgovernment was not involvedin the state-led effort to de-velop the standards, thoughfederal officials have sup-ported the project. The stan-dards were developed by

BY JEREMY [email protected]

Perhaps more comfortableselling candy bars and otheritems to people across Yankton,Kyle Kleinschmit recently had tosell himself.

And the so-called “Candy BarKid” found success doing that, aswell.

“I always make time to helpmy community, because they’vehelped me so much,” the 15-year-old Yankton High School fresh-man said.

“School is the first priority,but once that is done for the day,I’m all about helping out.”

A fixture on the volunteerscene, Kleinschmit was recentlynamed Youth of the Year for theBoys & Girls Club of Yankton atthe Brookings Club Corporationcompetition.

The title recognizes “out-standing contributions” to family,school, community and Boys &Girls Club, according to the or-ganization.

If Kleinschmit’s community-wide accomplishments werelisted on a resume, high upwould be his feat of selling 2,500candy bars in just 10 days duringa juvenile diabetes fundraiser.

“He’s got that knack for talk-

ing to people,” his mother, ToniKleinschmit, said. “His bigthing is sales. He can sell any-thing to just about anybody.”

When it came time to sellhimself to an audience and apanel of judges at the Brook-ings competition, Kyle said hewas “just myself” — the confi-dent, outgoing boy that sold allthose candy bars.

“I’m very honored, becauseI know it’s a big award,” Kyle

said. “I’m really proud of it. Iknow I can give back to mycommunity even more now,hopefully, since the word is outthere.”

After winning the organiza-tional competition (where herepresented the Moody CountyClub), Kleinschmit advances tothe state competition on Feb.

REGION 2 | OBITUARIES 3 | VIEWS 4 | LIFE 5 | SPORTS 7 | CLASSIFIEDS 9 | MIDWEST 11 | WORLD 12

TOMORROW: City To Consider Meridian Plaza Plan Print

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NORTHOF 15TH STREET

MONDAY n January 13, 2014

YANKTON DAILY

The Dakotas’ Oldest Newspaper | 12 PAGES | www.yankton.net

Mount MartyBallclubs Sweep

PresentationCollege Here

Saturday.PAGE 7

Breezy With Snow Late9 a.m.: 27 | 3 p.m.: 39FORECAST DETAILS: PAGE 2

75¢

PRESS&DAKOTAN

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series examining the mixed messages youngpeople are receiving about marijuana since its le-galization for recreational use in some parts ofthe United States.

———BY ROB [email protected]

South Dakota voters have had two oppor-tunities to legalize marijuana as a medicinaltool, and two times the effort failed.

One of the main advocacy groups behindthe efforts, voted on in 2006 and 2010, wasthe South Dakota Coalition for Compassion.The group’s former campaign coordinator,Emmett Reistroffer, said since the lastelectoral defeat, the group has since dis-banded. However he and others affiliatedwith it have continued to spearhead effortsfor some form of legalization at the statelevel ever since.

“Lately, a lot of us (who had been in-volved in the coalition) have wanted to

switch gears and advocate for industrialhemp in South Dakota,” Reistroffer said.“We’re seeking sponsors in the Legislatureand so far I’ve had some good conversationswith folks.”

As states continue to pass legislation al-lowing possession of marijuana for medicinalpurposes (20 as of 2014) and recreational use(Washington and Colorado), conflictingfederal stances on the drug and controversy

JAMES CIMBUREK/P&DYoungsters show their stuff at halftime of the Yankton-Brandon Valley boys' basketball game on Saturday atthe Summit Center. The girls were part of a dance camp hosted by the Yankton High School Dance team. Fordetails on the game go to page 7.

BY BOB MERCERState Capitol Bureau

PIERRE — When Gov. Dennis Daugaarddelivered his first State of the State speechto open the 2011 legislative session, he spenta third of his time on economic develop-ment. He declared he was embarking not on

a one-year plan but one thatwould cover four years.

The Republican governorreturns to address the Legis-lature again Tuesday onopening day of the 2014 ses-sion. Now he is year four ofthat plan and of his governor-ship. He hasn’t formally de-clared his intention to seekre-election this year, but the

operative assumption is he’s running.In his 2011 speech Daugaard acknowl-

edged South Dakota’s economy was comingout of the recession. Labor statistics indicatethe jobs lost in the recession have been re-placed and businesses kept hiring. Employ-ment was at a record high as of November.

In fact, unemployment is at an extremelow in many of South Dakota’s regional hubs.Shortage of skilled workers in some occupa-tions has been described as a barrier togrowth in some communities.

Daugaard talked about the need for work-force development in both of his 2012 and2013 speeches to legislators. State govern-ment has seen limited success in efforts tobring back former South Dakotans and to re-cruit people to move to South Dakota fromother states.

Workforce development will be a themeagain Tuesday for the governor, along withmany other topics as State of the Statespeeches typically have been, according tospokesman Tony Venhuizen.

Voters in November 2012 rejected one ofDaugaard’s proposals to allow a state boardto give tax rebates to large business projects.Last year legislators crafted their own SouthDakota Jobs package of incentives.

Hanging over the 2014 session are therevelations and ongoing investigations, re-views and audits of state government’s in-volvement in the EB5 immigrant-investorprogram that was secretly implementedunder the previous governor, Mike Rounds,for whom Daugaard was lieutenant governor.

Daugaard in his 2011 State of the State

Kleinschmit Named Youth Of The Year

BY TRAVIS [email protected]

VERMILLION — It’s been a long timecoming, but work has finally commenced ontwo projects at the Vermillion SanitaryLandfill.

Landfill manager Bob Iverson spoke tomembers of the Vermillion City Councilabout efforts to rebuild the baler buildingand to make a new leachate pond and col-lection system during a special meetingMonday afternoon.

Iverson said crews started laying thebeams in “right after Christmas.”

“They’ll probably start putting up thebuilding within the next two, two and a half

weeks,” he said. “They’ll put up the buildingand get it heated, they’ll do all the plumbingand electric (work), and then they’ll pour allthe concrete outside.”

Before the building could start, approxi-mately 20,000 cubic yards of clay werehauled in to build the foundation, which hadto be raised up close to eight feet, Iversonsaid.

The main structure of the building willbe held up by 10 piers that measure eight by12 feet and are 18 inches thick.

“The footings ... are 18 inches thick andtwo feet wide,” Iverson said. “It takes a lot ofconcrete to hold up this building.”

Seeking A Clear Message

Daugaard

State Of The State

DaugaardMay PointTo Growth,Challenges

Tiny Dancers

Vermillion

Construction Under Way At Landfill

LegislatureTo DebateCommon

CoreStandards

CORE | PAGE 11 GROWTH | PAGE 11

LANDFILL | PAGE 2

COURTESY PHOTOYankton High School freshman Kyle Kleinschmit, center, was namedYouth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton during a recentcompetition at the Brookings Club Corporation. Kleinschmit is picturedwith Jesse Bailey, left, the lead academy teacher at the Boys & GirlsClub of Yankton, and Kelsie Thoreson, Teen Court Coordinator.

YOUTH | PAGE 10

MARIJUANA | PAGE 3

Advocates Taking Steps To Educate About Legalized Marijuana

AroundThe World

Annika Gordon (left) looks on asLauren Eidsness solos during theYankton Children’s Choir’s perform-ance of “Riu, Riu, Chiu,” a SpanishChristmas carol, at Sunday’s winterconcert at the Riverview ReformedChurch in Yankton. Gordon alsosoloed during the number. Thechoir presented “A Musical JourneyAround the World,” taking the largecrowd in attendance on a globaltour with many songs sung in for-eign languages. Jaclyn Mathison isthe choir’s director. To see or pur-chase images from this event, visitspotted.yankton.net/. (KellyHertz/P&D)

ILLUSTRATION SHAUNA MARLETTE/P&D