Latest news with #DivisionofParksandRecreation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GFP wants Purple Heart vets to use state parks for free
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — Members of the U.S. armed forces who suffered wounds and received Purple Heart decorations may soon get into South Dakota state campgrounds and rec areas for free. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission on Thursday approved granting lifetime entrance permits to Purple Heart recipients. The commission also decided that Purple Heart recipients can stay at state campsites for half-price. The commission took the actions Thursday during a meeting in Aberdeen. The changes came at the request of Connie Stone, who filed a petition asking for them. She is coordinator for veteran services at South Dakota State University in Brookings. The South Dakota Legislature's Rules Review Committee will have final say on whether the rules take effect. The six lawmakers are scheduled to next meet on Tuesday, June 10 in Pierre. The commission's pending entrance rule states: 'A resident of this state who is a recipient of the Purple Heart is also entitled to a free lifetime park entrance license. The resident shall fill out a form provided by the Division of Parks and Recreation and mail it to the Pierre office with a photocopy of the Purple Heart citation or award certificate.' A companion pending rule would reduce the fee for camping. It states: 'A resident of this state who is a recipient of the Purple Heart is also entitled to purchase a camping permit, campsite electrical service, and camping cabin permit for one-half price upon completion of a form provided by the Division of Parks and Recreation accompanied by a photocopy of the Purple Heart citation or award certificate. These discounts are for the use of the recipient only, and are not transferable.' Al Nedved, deputy director for the state Division of Parks and Recreation, spoke in support of the proposed rules on Thursday. He said approximately 150 to 200 Purple Heart recipients currently live in South Dakota. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DEM is still looking for a few more good lifeguards
Scarborough North State Beach in Narragansett. (File photo courtesy of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management) About 90 lifeguards have already been hired to work at Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) beaches ahead of the summer 2025 season. But more are still needed. 'DEM is actively recruiting for seasonal positions and continues to accept applications throughout the season,' Chief Public Affairs Officer Kim Keough said in an email confirming the number of guards hired so far. 'We are still hiring for all seasonal roles, especially our lifeguard positions and encourage anyone interested to apply!' Keough said DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation aims to hire over 100 lifeguards for the summer. DEM's seasonal employment webpage still has a posting for seasonal state lifeguards — pay is listed as $18.75 to $19.25 an hour — and seasonal supervising lifeguards — paying $19.50 to $20.00 an hour. To help with recruiting, DEM offers up to $1,000 in incentive bonuses — a $500 sign-on bonus for those hired by June 27 and an additional $500 for those who remain on the job through Sept. 1 All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR, including infant, child, and adult. Lifeguards will be on duty and bathrooms and concessions will be open at Scarborough North and Salty Brine state beaches in Narragansett on Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, and remain open weekends only until daily operations begin Memorial Day. All other state beaches, except Roger Wheeler, will officially open daily Saturday, May 24 and remain open until Labor Day. Beachgoers can plan ahead and buy their 2025 state beach season parking passes to all eight Rhode Island State beach parking lots. Online pass sales can take up to 24 hours to validate. New this year, returning customers with unchanged registration and contact information can bypass the verification process. They allow parking at all eight state beaches but do not guarantee entry. Parking is first-come, first-served. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ban on spreading human remains reinstated at Bear Butte State Park
Bear Butte is near Sturgis in western South Dakota. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Lawmakers reinstated a rule Tuesday to prohibit the spreading of human remains at Bear Butte State Park in western South Dakota. The rule was originally set in 2002 after tribal leaders worked with the Department of Game, Fish and Parks to ban the practice. Bear Butte, called 'Mato Paha' in Lakota, is a spiritual site for Native American tribes. The 4,426-foot solitary mountain on the plains near Sturgis is a national historic landmark, and the area surrounding it became a state park in 1961. A ceremonial area and special campground are reserved for religious purposes, and visitors are asked to respect the area. The department and lawmakers inadvertently repealed the ban in 2019 when they changed several other rules simultaneously, said Jeff VanMeeteren, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation with the department. Tribal leaders requested the mistake be fixed, he said. 'Bear Butte is a sacred worship area by the tribes, and the leaving of human remains is just not an acceptable thing in their culture,' VanMeeteren said. South Dakotans can spread burial ashes at other state parks, VanMeeteren told lawmakers, as long as they get a burial permit and seek permission from the department. The legislative Rules Review Committee unanimously approved the change. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
