A Pierre man has
pleaded not guilty to sending chicken feces to the Dewey County Treasurer.
Tom Parsons, 49, entered the plea to a single count of
Injurious Articles as Nonmailable Friday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge
Mark Moreno in Pierre Federal Court. A trial date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors say Parsons, following a dispute with the county
treasurer over a vehicle registration, placed the registration card in chicken
feces and mailed the material to the official in a zip-lock bag. The first-class mail piece was sent from the
Pierre Post Office.
Parsons faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a
$100,000 fine or both.
Following a discussion on conditions, Moreno
released Parsons on a personal recognizance bond with supervision meaning he
has to remain in contact with the parole office. Parsons also can have no
contact with postal service employees except for regular transactions during
the normal business day.
Highway Patrol kicks off safe travel campaign
A new safe travel campaign is being started by the state
Highway Patrol this Memorial Day Holiday.
“Obey the Sign and Avoid the Fine” is a summer-long
safe-travel campaign designed to reduce highway crashes and increase safety.
The campaign includes a high-visibility highway saturation patrol, involving virtually
all uniformed troopers, on Monday, which
is Memorial Day.
In a press release, Colonel Craig Price says the top two
priorities for the campaign will be speed and alcohol. He says officials believe
that focus will have the largest impact on reducing fatal crashes.
The Patrol also plans to promote the campaign through public
education via the use of social media. Safe-driving messages also will be
displayed on state Department of Transportation permanent and portable message
boards on interstates and other high-traffic areas in the state.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Updated at 1:10 p.m.
Candidates debate experience, new perspective
Whether the Pierre City Commission needs a fresh perspective
or proven experience was the centerpiece of Thursday night’s candidate forum.
Incumbent commissioner Jeanne Goodman is being challenged by
Troy Bowers for the one open seat in the June 4 election.
In the one-hour forum, the two agreed on many issues and
disagreed on others. Bowers says the city should be more helpful in bringing
new businesses to the city and do a better job in offering more affordable
housing.
Bowers says a new face is needed on the commission; one who
is not willing to just accept the norm.
But Goodman says she has a proven record of working on city
issues such as the flood recovery and improving the infrastructure. She says
the next decade will be important for the city’s progress regarding development
of all kinds.
The two candidates will meet in an on-air KCCR candidate
forum at 9 a.m. Friday, May 31.
Board candidates demonstrate few differences
Only a few differences were evident among the three Pierre
School Board candidates Thursday night.
Cari Leidholt, Mike Mehlhaff and Paul Turman are running for
the two seats open in the June 4 election. Leidholt is an incumbent and the
other two challengers.
During the one-hour forum, the three candidates all agreed
that a quality education should be the district’s top priority. They also agreed
that the district should not provide weapons to teachers aspossible under the state’s school sentinel law and all three want to keep moving forward with the discussion on a possible new
elementary school.
Leidholt, who is the current school board chairman, says she
is proud of her record in her first three years on the school board. She hopes
that service will convince voters she deserves another term.
Mehlhaff says as a board member, he wants to be an advocate
for the students and a willing listener for the public.
Leidholt and Mehlhaff graduated from Pierre;
Turman from Fort Pierre.
Turman, who is an official with the state Board of Regents, has worked at
various levels of education. He says that combination of experience means he
will bring a different perspective to the board if elected.
The three school board candidates will participate in an
on-air KCCR Forum at 9 a.m. Monday,
June 3.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Good morning from the KCCR Newsroom....
Phone problems at the
Stanley County Courthouse
Offices at the Stanley
County Courthouse are experiencing telephone problems this morning.
If citizens can’t get
through, they are urged to call again.
Crews are now trying to
repair the problem.
Funeral services set for
Nye
Funeral services have now
been scheduled for a Pierre man who was found dead Wednesday after not being
seen since Saturday night.
LeRoy Nye, 81, had left
his son’s home in St. Lawrence late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
After an extensive search, Nye’s body was found Wednesday night near a pond in JerauldCounty.
Visitation is from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. tonight at the Isburg Funeral Chapel in Pierre with a prayer service at 7 p.m.
Services start at 1 p.m. Saturday at the FirstUnitedMethodistChurch in Pierre. Burial is in the Pleasant HillCemetery.
Wind Advisory today for Pierre-Fort Pierre
Hang on. The wind is going
to blow today.
There is a wind advisory
for Pierre-Fort Pierre from 7 a.m. today to 7 p.m. tonight Central Daylight Time.Winds could be gusting up to 45 miles an hour today.
The winds could also bring
showers today and throughout this holiday weekend. The best chance of rain is
Saturday night and Sunday night.
The four Presidential mascots, left to right, Washington, Jefferson, Roosvelt and Lincoln try to push their bus to state Capitol Thursday afternoon (Courtesy photo)
Mascots making friends on road trip
They don’t say much – they are stone faced after all – but everybody
else seems to be talking about the state Department of Tourism’s Presidential
mascots.
The mascots, looking just like the Mount Rushmore
quartet of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, stopped in Pierre
Thursday on the first day of their 18-day bus tour. The tour, which will stop in
places like Omaha, Kansas
City and Chicago, is designed to encourage
people to come to South Dakota to
see the real Mount Rushmore and other tourist attractions.
At the state Capitol Thursday, the mascots posed for photos
with Lt. Governor Matt Michels, the Governor’s staff and the general public.
Michels says his favorite has to be Lincoln.
Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says out of the four mascots, Roosevelt
always seems to be the crowd favorite. Michels says he can understand why.
The mascots, who have been in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
parade the last two year,have become an
important part of the state’s tourism efforts, according to Hagen.
Traffic light system at intersection being removed
Starting today, the
intersection of Dakota
Avenue
and Pierre
Street
will have a whole new look to it.
Three-way stop signs are
being installed at that intersection. The familiar existing stop lights will be
permanently removed from service.
Starting Tuesday,
installation of new storm sewer pipe will be installed west of the intersection
near Fort
Street. There
will be no parking allowed on either side of Dakota Avenue in that area and one
way traffic will be maintained as long as possible.
Utilities Division
Director Brad Palmer says officials hope to keep traffic moving as much as
possible.
Drivers are asked to
consider using an alternative travel route at all possible to avoid the construction
area. The project is expected to be done by October 1.
When the project is done,
Palmer says the three-way stop signs at the intersection of Pierre Street and Dakota Avenue will remain.
Pierre's business manager-finance officer resigns
Pierre city officials are looking for a new business
manager-finance officer.
Twila Hight has resigned
to take a job with the Pierre
firm of Stulken Petersen Lingle Walti and Jones LLP.
Hight has been with the
city for four years. She had come to the city hall from state government. She
is expected to remain with the city until late June or early July.
City officials are now
advertising the position.
Flags posted across Missouri RiverBridge for holiday
The flags will be flying
across the Missouri
RiverBridge this Memorial Day holiday.
The American and South
Dakota State Flags will be posted across the bridge for the holiday. The Flags
Across the Missouri River Bridge is a Pride in America and fundraising program promoted by the Pierre-Fort
Pierre Exchange Club.
The flags on this holiday
are sponsored by Trusted Choice – Independent Insurance Agents.
Pierre man arrested for assault
A 24-year-old Pierre man was arrested Thursday morning after allegedly
strangling a woman.
Brent Larvie was arrested
for Aggravated Assault Domestic after officers responded to a call at a local
hotel.
Pierre Police Captain
Elton Blemaster says the report indicates that the victim, 21, was almost at
the point of losing consciousness after being strangled. Blemaster says the report
does not indicate if the woman required medical treatment.
Hartley retires from state
Highway Patrol
A top official of the
state Highway Patrol has retired.
Major Randy Hartley spent
25 years in the Patrol and had been the assistant superintendent of the Highway
Patrol.
Hartley has been assistant superintendent
for field operations, supervising the patrol's district headquarters in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and Rapid City. He also supervised the Motor Carrier Division and
was responsible for SWAT, the canine program, Capitol Protective Services,
executive protection, accident reconstruction and aircraft operations.
Hartley began his career in Presho and served as a trooper in Brookings
before being promoted to sergeant in 1999 and transferring to Rapid City. He received a promotion to major in 2008 and
became assistant superintendent of the Highway Patrol.
Hartley also served as acting superintendent from June 2010 until January 2011.
Colonel Craig Price says in a press release that Hartley was committed to
protecting the citizens of South Dakota.
Weather from Weathereye Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Windy, with a
south southeast wind 17 to 22 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the
afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph.
Tonight:
Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Breezy, with a east southeast wind
15 to 20 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust
as high as 29 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 9 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy,
with a low around 59. East wind 11 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation
is 60%.
Sunday:A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. East southeast wind 13 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night:A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Memorial Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.
End of KCCR/KLXS News for 5/24/2013. Copyright 2013 - KCCR/KLXS Radio, Pierre, SD 605/224-1240. Material cannot be published, broadcast, edited or distributed without permission from KCCR/KLXS-Riverfront Broadcasting Web site developed and hosted by Factor 360