In a blow to some lake residents and a boon for environmentalists, the state will not allow Big Sioux River water into Lake Poinsett.
The decision, made by the state Water Management Board, bars the Lake Poinsett Water Project District Board from raising a flood gate near Castlewood to allow overflow [...]
A new community-run thrift store will open in Wilmot this Saturday.
The Replay Thrift Store, created by the local Horizons community group, is on Main Street in the Giggliotti’s Building. A ribbon cutting will be held at 1:30 p.m., and a presentation by Martha Lanes on a recent trip [...]
Watertown Finance Officer Tracy Turbak said funding several newly-hired firefighter positions poses a problem after grant money runs out. “So in about 2013 we’re going to have essentially five full-time positions on the city’s dollar with no grant funds involved,” he told the Finance Committee on Tuesday. “So that’s something [...]
The Watertown City Council on Monday approved adopting an ordinance that regulates transferring certain on-sale liquor licenses within and for the municipality to three years after a property annexation. City Attorney Stanton Fox told the council a new sentence stating the ordinance isn’t an attempt to affect any license annexed [...]
According to news reports, we should be able to view the Leonid Meteor Shower late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Meteors should streak through the sky at about 20 to 30 per hour.
[...]Entering its final days, contractors and project officials of the 212-81 construction project are busy going over punch lists of unfinished items. Most work will be completed by the conclusion of the weekend according to Dana Gulbrandson, project supervisor of T&R Contracting.
Penalties, now at $1,800 a day, would increase to [...]
About 35 protesters marched Thursday morning against the tribal council and engaged in a heated exchange with Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate leaders over alleged wrongdoings and a surprise lockout of elderly women from their regular gathering space.
Intended to focus on the dismissal of Michael J. Roberts, the former chief executive [...]
Hot on the heels of a CNN piece, the New York Times columnist David Brooks pens an ode to South Dakota’s very own Sen. John Thune.
Lot of attention. Just remember where you came from, Senator . . .
[...]Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin is being targeted in ads after her vote last Saturday against the House health care reform bill.
According to Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a progressive activist organization dedicated to electing progressives to Congress, the group plans to spend $20,000 targeting [...]
CNN’s Dana Bash writes on the possibility of a presidential run by Sen. John Thune.
[...]Watertown Mayor Gary Williams on Tuesday told Alderwoman Nancy York the city would need permission from the federal government to relocate the bus barn because it covered the cost of constructing it. “So it would be easier to do a facelift to make it look like an attractive building,” he [...]
Worried calls to City Hall over a suspected fuel spill in the southwest part of the city last weekend are unfounded, according to the acting city engineer Sarah Caron.
The Second Street Storm Sewer project, a portion of which runs along Fourth Avenue to the Big Sioux River, runs through an [...]
The South Dakota Board of Education approved new high school graduation requirements at a meeting Nov. 2. During the 2009 legislative session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 185, which eliminated the basic, or standard, pathway to graduation. That will require many school districts, including Watertown, to revamp minimum graduation requirements.
Under [...]
The South Connector became a reality this summer, with work beginning from 29th Street East to U.S. Highway 81. Monday night, the third public meeting for phase two of the project was held at the Watertown Event Center.
Representatives from the S.D. Department of Transportation, the city of Watertown and HDR [...]
Word on the street is that former VP candidate Sarah Palin will be in Sioux Falls next month as part of her book tour.
Palin is said to be appearing at Barnes & Noble Sunday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. to sign copies of “Going Rogue: An American Life.” The book [...]
The merger is complete and official. South Dakota-based Sanford Health and North Dakota-based MeritCare Health System announced Monday the two organizations have merged to become one of the country’s largest integrated health care systems.
Operating under the new corporate name of Sanford Health-MeritCare, the southern region will continue to be known [...]
The number of housing starts in Watertown in the last two months is the highest recorded in more than two years. That may be a sign that things are improving economically in the area.
The good news may be tempered, however, by the fact some of the dwellings under construction are [...]
Many school districts are sharply raising fees for sports and other extracurriculars in what’s known as “pay to play” — a move that angers many parents. Some object imposing heavy fees for extracurricular activities. They argue the fee merely widens the gap between haves and have-nots. Others, however, say such [...]
Changes implemented recently at City Hall are part of an attempt to make the city government more user and developer friendly according to Mayor Gary Williams.
Acting Public Works Director Geoff Heig said the Ordinance Review Committee and the reorganization of the Public Works Department are two steps that have [...]
The intersection of Thirteenth Street East and Arrow Avenue will become a four-way stop effective Monday morning, November 9. That announcement was made Friday by Watertown Street Department Superintendent Mike Rye. The intersection is currently a two-way stop.
[...]Tom Hanlon, a vice president with Premier Bankcard, told the Watertown Rotary Club Thursday that credit card reform likely won’t cause any layoffs at the company’s local branch.
The legislation, to be enacted in February, will restrict the fees that subprime credit cards can charge, forcing Premier Bankcard to use interest [...]
Two people were rescued after their canoe capsized in Lake Pelican Wednesday. They were transported to the hospital and treated for hypothermia.
[...]Montana-Dakota Utilities Resources Group announced that the Big Stone II Project, a planned 500-to-600-megawatt coal-fired power plant to be located near Big Stone City, will not be built.
Is this a blow for the region? Or does it provide an opening for emerging industries like wind to establish themselves?
[...]Watertown Fire Chief Nick Swinhart on Monday assured the City Council that the department wouldn’t start building the estimated $4.056 million west fire substation before it knows whether it will receive any funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. “We basically can’t start any construction until we have that money in [...]
Reorganizing the Watertown Public Works Department will reduce staff by one full-time employee — from 16 to 15 — for those departments affected. Also, Mayor Gary Williams will oversee eight directory boards instead of the current five, which isn’t too unusual for a community the size of Watertown. The City [...]
The Watertown Parks, Recreation & Forestry Board has unanimously approved raising four of the six 2010 season ticket fees by 3.5 percent at the municipal golf course. The action followed a recommendation from the Golf Committee after its Oct. 8 meeting. Roger Adams, director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry, attributed [...]
Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson made a campaign stop yesterday in Watertown for his gubernatorial bid. Knudson said making a no-new-taxes pledge – which candidate and Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard himself has made – would be disingenuous.
With the next year’s budget shortfall maybe reaching $200 million, revenue will likely have [...]
A spokesman for Watertown’s KFC told us everyone who had their accounts charged multiple times has been credited.
Has everyone out there gotten their money back?
[...]The Watertown Public Works Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved forwarding a recommendation for reorganizing the public works department to the City Council for final approval. The action followed support from Mayor Gary Williams and Acting Public Works Director Geoff Heig who observed the workflow of the current organization and talked [...]
This weekend we are offering our electronic version of the Public Opinion newspaper for FREE … why not give our “e-Paper” electronic edition a test drive … Click here and you’ll be directed to our e-Paper edition … a complete replica of our printed newspaper, using a PDF format [...]
In the continuing see-saw battle to reduce Watertown’s unemployment rate, September’s results brought good news locally as our rate dropped to 6.5% … down almost two points from the recent historic high of 8.4% in April 2009. Full details can be found on the front page of the Weekend edition [...]
Making soccer a high school sponsored activity in Watertown is not something the school board is comfortable doing – not yet anyway.
The five member board heard comments from Doug Schooley, Watertown High School athletic director, at the October 12 meeting of the Watertown School Board. Schooley is also a board [...]
The Boys & Girls Club tackle football program for fifth and sixth graders recently completed its second season. Growth of the program has administrators looking towards expansion for next fall.
The mandatory participation, six team, 135 player league experienced the normal growing pains. The increase in numbers (up from 122 players [...]
The Watertown Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department will be turning the City Auditorium into a roller skating rink in an attempt to revive the once popular activity. Skating enthusiasts can take to the hardwood floor this Friday night (Oct. 23) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This will be the second [...]
Child advocate and author Trudy Ludwig has been touring elementary schools in Watertown promoting her books and delivering a message on how students are affected by the different forms of bullying they are faced with.
Physical, verbal and relational aggression are all forms of bullying. Cyber-bullying is on the rise, [...]
A new manufacturing plant opened in Webster last week.
Donald Bucklin Construction builds grain storage buildings and is located in the former PowderTech building on U.S. Highway 12.
The plant plans to employ about a dozen people initially.
[...]The Watertown Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved authorizing the Fire Department to proceed with mechanical and electrical engineering design for the estimated $4.056 million west fire substation. Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said the department hopes Helms & Associates of Sioux Falls can begin the process by November and complete [...]
Two members of the Watertown Finance Committee on Tuesday questioned the behavior of patrol officer Josh Kerfien who rides a 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Alderman Steve Thorson said people are concerned after seeing him practically cause accidents by abruptly pulling out into traffic. “I’m just wondering if it’s something we really [...]
The Watertown City Council on Monday unanimously approved hiring Waverly area native Chad Comes as city engineer. “So we’re real excited that Chad has decided to come home and be part of the team here at city government,” Mayor Gary Williams said. Comes, who will begin his duties on Nov. [...]
Gov. Mike Rounds made a stop in Watertown Thursday morning to listen to the concerns of business owners and community leaders.
What state problems are you most concerned about?
[...]A proposed privately-run detention facility near Florence for convicted government officials, religious leaders, law enforcement personnel and others seeking anonymity has quickly gathered opposition.
Would you support something like this in Codington County?
[...]Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard dropped by LATI Tuesday on his new campaign for governor. Daugaard, a Republican, joins three others in his primary bid: Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson, Buffalo Gap rancher Ken Knuppe and former Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman. On the Democrat side, Senate Minority Leader Scott Heidepriem is [...]
The windows are papered over and there’s a new business sign over at what used to be Mind Machine Records on the corner of Kemp and Broadway. Now you know as much as we do.
[...]The Watertown City Council on Monday approved selling the buildings and other structures acquired as part of purchasing the former Lakeland Nurseries & Garden Centers property. The council on Sept. 21 authorized RSArchitects of Sioux Falls to proceed with designing the proposed public safety facility on the site just north [...]
Takeoff of a Minneapolis-bound Delta flight was aborted Friday morning after being struck by a flock of gulls on the runway at Watertown Regional Airport. No injuries were reported. The incident – a bird strike – was similar to the one that forced a U.S. Airways flight to ditch in [...]
Voters rejected an opt-out of Roberts County’s property tax freeze Tuesday by nearly 80 percent. The opt-out would have provided up to $500,000 in revenue for the county. Now, budget cuts will need to be made to keep the county’s spending in line with revenue.
[...]Today’s Public Opinion discusses work underway by Rep. Tim Rounds (R-Pierre) to figure out how the state can lower it’s drinking age selectively and still maintain the $17.5M in federal highway funds our state receives. Full details can be found here.
Should our state lower the drinking age as it [...]
Codington county sheriff Toby Wishard is joining the “green” movement … although his version of green is a bit different, we’d dare say!
Wednesday’s Sept. 16th Public Opinion (page 5A) discussed a proposed new program by the sheriff. At the commissioners meeting the sherif discussed how he would like to find [...]
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