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Groton Daily Independent
Friday, Aug. 25, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 056 ~ 20 of 65
Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said the lawsuit is “nothing more than an attack on all those who stood up for the tribe in this historic ght, packaged as a legal claim.”
ETP said the company “has an obligation to its shareholders, partners, stakeholders and all those nega- tively impacted by the violence and destruction intentionally incited by the defendants to le this lawsuit.” The 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline began operating June 1, after months of delays caused by legal wrangling and on-the-ground protests. Police made 761 arrests in North Dakota between August
and February. ___
Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter/com/NicholsonBlake
South Dakota drought conditions relatively stable over week
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Drought conditions in South Dakota have remained relatively stable over the past week.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows 72 percent of the state in some form of drought, down slightly from 76 percent last week.
Areas of severe or extreme drought total 43 percent, down from 47 percent. The pockets of extreme drought in the west went from 6 percent to 7 percent.
The Drought Monitor says precipitation was above normal for much of the Dakotas over the week, but signi cant long-term dryness still exists. Lack of well water is an issue in some areas of South Dakota.
Excerpts from recent South Dakota editorials By The Associated Press
Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, Aug. 24
Allied Art Fund shouldn’t be cut by city
Among the cuts in Mayor Allender’s proposed $164 million budget is $27,000 for Allied Arts Fund Com- munity Investments, which last year received $102,000 from the city.
As with the mayor’s desire to eliminate all funding, or $40,000, for the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, this will hurt an organization that receives a relatively small amount of money that ripples through Rapid City in ways that make a real difference in people’s lives.
The Allied Arts Fund distributes grants to groups that include the Black Hills Chamber Music Society, Black Hills Dance Theatre, Black Hills Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills, Rapid City Concert Association, Dakota Artists Guild and the Black Hills Pow Wow Association — all organizations that contribute to the culture and quality of life here while surviving on tight budgets.
GiGi Lage, executive director of the Allied Arts Fund, uses city funds to help generate contributions from foundations and businesses. She told the Journal that for every dollar it receives from the city, there is a return of $4.85. In 2016, area nonpro ts received $141,087 from the arts fund.
Lage said if the city council approves the budget cut, it could harm a number of organizations and initia- tives like the artist’s guild educational programs offered to fth-graders.
One complaint you hear about Rapid City is there is too little for youth to do, which is often a recipe for trouble. Youths who have too much free time on their hands are more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol, which can lead to a lifetime of problems and place a greater demand on law enforcement, the courts and the jail, which already consume a signi cant portion of Rapid City’s and Pennington County’s budgets.
In a proposal that calls for a $4 million increase in spending and four or ve new full-time positions that will pay far more than $27,000, it is dif cult to understand why the mayor doesn’t place more value on an organization that does so much for the community with so little money.
The Allied Art Fund has demonstrated it is a responsible steward of the city’s appropriation and that it can leverage the money to help people of all ages who create art, enjoy the arts or want to learn about the arts.