Archive for 2025

Letcher Town Board proceedings

January 6th, 2025

Mayor Mark Chada called the meeting to order with Sean Gromer, Angie Larson, and Angie Meier in attendance. 

A motion was made by Larson, seconded by Gromer, carried, to approve the December 16th, 2024, minutes as read.

A motion was made by Gromer, seconded by Larson, carried, to approve the financials as presented.

A motion was made by Larson, seconded by Gromer, carried, to approve wages for 2025 as listed:

Mayor – $140.00 per meeting;

Trustee – $120.00 per meeting;

Finance Officer – $19.50 per hour/Annual Report – $600.00;

Water Superintendent/Tester – $700.00 per month;

Water Meter Reader – $150.00 per month;

Custodian – $19.50 per hour;

Maintenance Worker – $700.00 per month;

Lost Time – $30.00 per hour;

Mileage Reimbursement – $0.67 a mile;

Grounds/Summer – $12.00-$18.00 DOE

West Nile – $100.00 per person a time.

A motion was made by Larson, seconded by Gromer, carried, to approve the Official Newspaper and Lawyer for the Town of Letcher for 2025 as listed:

Official Newspaper – Sanborn Weekly Journal;

Lawyer for 2025 – Tim Bottum with Morgan Theeler LLP;

Old Business: 

The Board went over the water sample results.   

New Business:  

Discussion was held on summer help. The Board will be placing an ad in the paper at the end of March. 

The Board went over dates for meetings for 2025: January 6th and 20th, February 10th and 17th, March 3rd, 17th and 24th, April 7th and 22nd, May 5th and 19th, June 9th and 23rd, July 7th and 21st, August 4th and 18th, September 8th and 22nd, October 6th and 20th, November 3rd and 17th, December 1st and 15th.

Discussion was held on Election information for the newspaper and circulating petitions. The election date is April 8th, 2025. Petitions may be picked up on January 31st. Petitions are due back on February 28th, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Mark Chada’s term is up for re-election. It is a three-year term.

A current listing of the Letcher Volunteer Fire Department personnel has been received. The current listing is:  Curtis Adams, Sean Gromer, Aaron Roth, Chuck Amick, Cassidy Hinker, Ken Stach, Clay Amick, Cote Hinker, Carter Star, Darin Amick, Ed Hoffman, Bob Steckel, John Blindauer, Mark Jensen, Brett Stekl, Rod Clarambeau, Shanna Jensen, Kurt Stekl, Andy Ettswold, Sam Kretschmar, Lacey Swenson – EMT, Melanie Ettswold – EMT, Matt Meier, Cindy VanLaecken – EMT, Melissa Ettswold – EMT, Rich Moe, Murray VanLaecken, Denny Fouberg, Shawn Moody, Todd Welch and Jeremy White

A motion was made by Larson, seconded by Gromer, carried, to approve the following claims for payment: 

General and Water/Sewer:   USDA – $156.00 – Tower Loan, On-Site – $98.39 – Surveillance, Davison Rural Water – $3,350.90 – Water Used, Dina Shefner – $590.81 – Gravel, Menards – $51.91 – Credit Card Repairs, Miedema Sanitation – $30.00 – Garbage Removal, NorthWestern Energy – $1,284.89 – Utilities Electric:  Lagoon – $0.00, Community Center/Fire Hall – $175.88, Rossy Park – $26.34, LSY – $39.42, Water Plant – $164.04, Water Valve – $38.38, Lift Station – $59.80, Street Lights – $781.03, Planning & Development District III – $459.00 – 2025 Dues, Public Health Lab – $30.00 – Water Sample, Runnings – $115.97 – Grounds Supplies, Sanborn Weekly Journal – $34.12 – Advertising Minutes, Santel Communications – $254.39 – Utilities – Phone and Internet:  Office – Phone: $30.77, Internet: $95.50. Community Center – Phone: $25.92, Internet: $55.00, L/S Phone: $47.20, US Bank – $6,289.72 – December – Quarterly Sewer Loan Payment, $6,289.72 – Quarterly Sewer Loan Payment, United States Treasury – $3,234.46 – Payroll Taxes, Angie Meier – $698.22 – Finance Officer Wages, Ed Hoffman – $1,469.34 – Reimbursement for Hotel/Mileage for Water Meetings Attended and Water Sample Wages, Sean Gromer – $646.45 – Water Maintenance Wages, Tori Hoffman – $138.52 – Water Meter Reader Wages. 

The next board meeting will be held on January 20th, 2025, at the city office.

Angie Meier

Finance Officer

Published once on January 23, 2025, at the total approximate cost of $44.00 and may be viewed free of charge at www.sdpublicnotices.com.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held an open, public meeting in Mitchell to allow all concerned citizens to have their chance to voice their opinion about a proposed CO2 pipeline to be constructed in southeast South Dakota, including the counties of Sanborn, Beadle and Davison. The meeting was the first of six scheduled by the PUC to allow for public input before they make a decision about the application submitted by Summit Carbon Solutions for a permit to construct a CO2 pipeline that will run through approximately 16.3 miles of the southeastern corner of Sanborn County.

Gary Hanson, Vice-Chairman of the PUC in South Dakota, spoke on behalf of the Commission. He opened the meeting and stated that, according to state law, the commissioners and their attorney are not allowed to discuss this matter outside of the open, public meeting, so if there is anyone who wants to say something about the subject, they have to say it at a public open forum, or they won’t be heard. 

Once all the legalities were read and explained, representatives for Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS) were given 20 minutes to explain their reason for submitting the application for the pipeline. JD Meyers, a farmer from Iowa who has worked with SCS, did most of the talking for the company as he explained the need for capturing CO2 and all the benefits it would have, not only for the farming community, but also for the entire state’s economy, as it will create jobs and help the ethanol industry expand and grow. Meyers stated that the most important factor to take into consideration is that the demand for ethanol is decreasing, so the ethanol industry is working on capturing CO2 through the pipelines to keep the need for the corn that farmers are growing for the industry. They are doing this to expand the industry and, thus, keep corn growers in business. 

Of course, the main concern most people who are against the pipeline have is the safety, or lack thereof, in having the pipeline constructed so close to people’s homes and fields where animals graze and live.

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!

Media and political values

By Parker Senska

Bryan Lutter’s letter to the editor in Dec. 19’s issue brought up the clear bias that news networks like Fox News and CNN have. I’d like to use this as a jumping off point to discuss the core values of conservatives and liberals and how they’re used by media to persuade the audience.

A study by psychologists Jon Haidt and Jesse Graham showed that liberals and conservatives usually place higher importance in different values. For instance, equality and fairness tend to hold a higher importance for liberals, while one of conservatives’ primary values is respect for authority. This isn’t to say that conservatives don’t value equality at all, nor that liberals can’t respect authority, but one side usually places more importance in one than in the other. 

When you listen to slanted news stations like Fox News and CNN, those reporters are going to be speaking to their target audiences and their core values, meaning you’ll be more inclined to agree with the information being given to you in the language that reflects your own, Fox News for conservatives, CNN for liberals.

A study by Robb Willer, a professor of Sociology, Psychology, and Business at Stanford University, showed conservatives that read a pro-environment essay using words that targeted their core beliefs of sanctity and purity found themselves more convinced than the conservatives who read a similar essay that instead focused on protection from harm, a core value that liberals generally hold.

I noticed these ideas being applied by advertising campaigns during the 2024 election as well. No to H argued to keep South Dakota pure from Californian ideas, and Yes to H combatted this by appealing to conservatives’ value of patriotism, stating how veterans who are registered as third party are currently unable to vote in the Republican primary, even if the veterans lean conservative.

It’s important to get multiple viewpoints, yes, but don’t limit yourself to mainstream echo chambers when there is a spectrum of thought out there to provide you with perspectives you would otherwise miss. 

Also, be wary of where you get your news from, whether they be biased or give flat out nonfactual information, especially in this age of artificial intelligence. (No, Facebook, where any ding-a-ling with Internet access can post something as “fact,” is not a reliable source.) Fact check things you read and hear. Yes, it takes more work than just taking someone at their word (as well as willpower if what you hear aligns with your own values and bias), but that’s part of your duty as a voting citizen: to be informed!

  • Weather

    Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed
  • Upcoming Events

    February 2025
    Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
    January 26, 2025 January 27, 2025 January 28, 2025 January 29, 2025 January 30, 2025 January 31, 2025 February 1, 2025
    February 2, 2025 February 3, 2025 February 4, 2025 February 5, 2025 February 6, 2025 February 7, 2025 February 8, 2025
    February 9, 2025 February 10, 2025 February 11, 2025 February 12, 2025 February 13, 2025 February 14, 2025 February 15, 2025
    February 16, 2025 February 17, 2025 February 18, 2025 February 19, 2025 February 20, 2025 February 21, 2025 February 22, 2025
    February 23, 2025 February 24, 2025 February 25, 2025 February 26, 2025 February 27, 2025 February 28, 2025 March 1, 2025
  • Recent Posts

  • Contact Us

    Ph/Fax: 605.796.4221
    Email: swj4221@icloud.com

    PO BOX 218
    Woonsocket, SD 57385
  • Archives