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Thanks to a $500,000 grant, Fort Pierre’s historic Railroad Depot has taken another big step towards home.

The grant, awarded Thursday by the state Department of Transportation, will be used to move the depot back from the ranch near Faith, where it has been for almost 50 years, to Fort Pierre where it will be renovated into a tourist and visitor attraction.

Gary Grittner, chairman of the Bring It Home Committee, says the project couldn’t be this far ahead without the grant.

Total cost of the move and renovation is at $750,000. Grittner says cash on hand and promises of in-kind contributions total about $125,000. He says that will help meet the matching requirements of the grant.

While officials believe the depot will be a major tourist attraction for the city, Grittner says the goal is to make it part of a historic awareness effort for the entire Pierre-Fort Pierre area.

The depot, first used in the early 1900s, was purchased by Shirley Miller and moved to his ranch near Mud Butte in 1964. Miller has agreed to let the depot be brought to Fort Pierre, where it will be located near the Casey Tibbs monument along Highway 83.

The move had originally been planned for 2011 but was delayed because of the flood. Work is scheduled to be done this spring. Grittner says foundation work at the site will be done first followed by bringing the depot back home.

Weaver, who is finishing his first term on the commission, has announced that he will run again for a second term in the June 5^th election. Weaver is a former Pierre city building inspector and currently the facilities manager for BankWest. He says being a county commissioner has been a different type of challenging, interesting experience for him.

During his first four years on the commission, Weaver found himself working mainly on helping the county complete the new jail. Weaver says he is proud to have been able to use his previous career experiences in helping with that project.

Weaver is currently in his second consecutive year as commission chairman. If re-elected, Weaver says he wants to work on several issues that stress cooperation between local governments.

Weaver’s announcement now means both incumbents, whose terms are up this year, will run for re-election. The other incumbent is Roger Inman.

Today is first day to circulate petitions for this year’s Fort Pierre City Council races.

To be decided in the April 10^th election will be the races for Mayor, and one council seat in each of Ward One, Ward Two and Ward Three.

Bill to give access to records of former Governors

Legislation, prompted by discussion of what could be done with the gubernatorial records of the late Governor Bill Janklow, has been introduced that would provide for better access to the records of former Governors and Lieutenant Governors.

House 1233 has been introduced by Governor Dennis Daugaard’s office. The proposed legislation states that the records of any Governor and Lieutenant Governor are the property of the state and should be transferred to the state archivist upon leaving office.

The bill also allows the state archivist, only after holding a public hearing, to enter into agreements to transfer such records “to a museum, institution of higher learning, or other suitable repository within South Dakota upon determining that such repository will allow for the preservation, study, and public access of such records…”

Daugaard says the bill was introduced after Janklow, before he died, was working to get his gubernatorial papers sent to the University of South Dakota. Daugaard says officials found that there was no real process for such a transfer.

The legislation also says that once transferred, public access to the record will be subject to the state’s public records statues.

The former Governor or Lieutenant Governor can have the right to approve or deny the release of any record exempted from the public file provisions. All documents, according to the proposal, shall be opened to the public upon either the death of the former officeholder or 10 years from the date after leaving office, whichever happens last.

Chamber cracker barrel today

South Dakota’s Legislature is not in session today, but that doesn’t mean the District 24 legislators won’t be busy.

Pierre’s only scheduled legislative cracker barrel of the session takes place this morning in the Pierre Chamber of Commerce’s community room. The chamber’s Governmental Relations Committee will host the event, where Sen. Bob Gray and Reps. Tad Perry and Mark Venner will discuss legislative issues.

Elsewhere in South Dakota, cracker barrels are held on Saturdays. But Chamber CEO Laura Schoen Carbonneau maintains this event gets more of a crowd even though it is a work day for most.

Today’s event runs from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

Clean those sidewalks

About one week after the last snowfall to hit the city, Pierre’s Community Resource Officer is reminding people to clean snow and ice off their sidewalks.

Police Officer Brandon Boyd says city ordinance requires snow and ice to be removed from sidewalks within 48 hours after every accumulation on the sidewalks. He says the ordinance states that:

*** Snow and ice shall not be deposited on any sidewalk;

*** Snow and ice shall not be deposited so as to obstruct or interfere with the passage or vision of vehicular or pedestrian traffic; and,

*** Snow or ice shall not be deposited upon any public street or alley except in the Central Business District where buildings are constructed on the property line along any street.

Boyd says people who are unable to remove snow from their sidewalks should contact the Capital Area United Way to see if they qualify for the “Scoop It” program.

Indoor soccer tournament coming to town

Pierre becomes the state Capitol of indoor soccer this weekend.

An estimated 70 teams consisting of more than 550 players, ranging in ages eight to 19, are coming to Pierre for a United Futfal tournament, being held for the second year in Pierre. Organizer Chris Derry says this is the biggest indoor soccer tournament ever held in Pierre.

About 18 Pierre teams are involved in this weekend’s tournament. Derry, who has long been involved in soccer at both the state and local levels, says it is nice for the local players and parents, who travel a lot, to be able to play at home.

The tournament runs from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon in four gyms – the two at the Georgia Morse Middle School, Jefferson Elementary School and the Pierre Boys and Girls Club.

SC Booster Club to host cook-off Saturday

It is time again to see who will be the soup and chili cook-off kings in Stanley County.

The Stanley County Booster Club Saturday is hosting its sixth annual Soup/Chili Cook-off. Contestants this year are Fort Pierre Sale Barn, River Cities Transit, Tack Shack, City of Ft Pierre, Sutley’s, Farm Credit Services of America, Stanley County School Board and Shane's Pharmacy.

Competition begins at 5 p.m. Saturday in the upper deck of the Parkview Gym in Fort Pierre during the basketball doubleheader with Cheyenne Eagle Butte.

Tickets are $3 for a bottomless cup and one vote. All proceeds go towards the wish list that the booster club grants each fall. People with questions can call Becci Scott, 280-5835.

Network for Women hosting legislative day

The South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women is hosting the seventh annual Women 4 Women Day Monday in Pierre.

Women from across the state will be at the state Capitol to participate in the committee process, watch the House and Senate in action, and visit one-on-one with their legislators.

The South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women was founded in 1984. It is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization made up of individuals and women’s organizations that promote issues for women.