Page 10 - Bob Everson News Today

From the historic impeachment of South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to the approval of a $500 million soybean plant in Mitchell, 2022 had no shortage of impactful stories.

“We’re doing a lot of manual removal of the solids from the wastewater. These new upgrades will be a lot safer for our workers,” Wastewater Supervisor Jon Vermeulen said of the north plant project.

“A big thing is pedestrian movement. It will allow a safe scenario for them to cross the street,” Schroeder said.

The downtown business owner's concerns center around the slope of the sidewalk and placement of the stair feature in the concrete boulevard.

After voters rejected legalizing recreational marijuana in South Dakota during the early November election, it has some city council members curious on whether it will alter plans for Mitchell's medical dispensaries.

Although Mitchell's sales tax increases are perplexing as the nation saw inflation rise as high as 9.1% this year - a jump that hasn’t been seen since 1981 - City Administrator Stephanie Ellwein said the city’s ability to collect remote sellers tax has been pivotal for Mitchell.

The locations the city is eyeing to build the gun range are northwest of the former Kelley property and an area near the city landfill

“This is more of a detailed approach in targeting hot spots that would give you the best bang for your buck as far as removing nutrients from Firesteel watershed,” said Public Works Director Joe Schroeder, who explained how the NRCS program works with farmers.

Unlike the mayors of Sioux Falls and Rapid City, who recently voiced their opposition to recreational marijuana, Mitchell Mayor Bob Everson is staying neutral on Initiated Measure 27 and said taking a stance on a ballot measure before an election is not one of his roles.

"It hasn’t even been open for more than a few years, which makes it all the more frustrating,” McCardle said.