Latest news with #InsideKELOLAND
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside KELOLAND: Task force members highlight $600 million prison cap
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — After meeting for more than eight hours in Pierre this past week, members of South Dakota's Project Prison Reset task force have narrowed the focus of where a new men's prison should be built and how big it should be. Huron company added to prison discussion On Tuesday, task force members unanimously supported building a facility, or multiple, at existing Department of Corrections spots or at proposed sites in the Worthing or Mitchell areas. The state has previously spent more than $50 million in land purchase and design costs for a new men's prison in rural Lincoln County at a site that has now been officially rejected by the task force. The goal is to build new prison facilities to house 1,500 to 1,700 inmates with a maximum cost of $600 million. JE Dunn Construction has been tasked with bringing proposals in front of the task force at its July meeting. On this week's Inside KELOLAND, Republican Sen. Chris Karr and Democratic Sen. Jamie Smith shared what they took away from the task force's latest decisions. Karr said state lawmakers have challenged contractors and the state engineer to provide options that meet the 1,500 beds and no more than $600 million price tag. 'I look forward to hearing back at our next meeting about what they come up for us for options,' Karr said. Karr said the previous price tag for a men's prison in Lincoln County at the cost of $825 million was too high to get the necessary two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate to be approved. 'We need to do something,' Karr said, who added the Department of Corrections' design choices of a campus style prison that is built to last 100 years dicated some of the higher costs. Smith said the longer the state continues to delay taking action, the more expensive future prison needs will become. 'If we only spend the $600 million, we've got to make sure that this is the right thing to build,' Smith said. 'If we build under way too much, we're going to be having this conversation right away again.' Smith said he believes the Department of Corrections needs more space and staff to help incorporate more rehabilitation, treatment options and vocation with inmates. 'Then it's the re-entry too,' Smith said. 'We need to get all those put together to be able to help people be successful in the future.' Karr said in 2024, 63% of the men released from a state prison served less than one year. Karr said DOC is having more success with rehabilitation in Springfield and not Sioux Falls because of a lack of space. 'We're too overcrowded in Sioux Falls,' Karr said. Smith said lawmakers should consider what policies and investments the state could make to keep people out of prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Inside KELOLAND: Health and wellness
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On this week's Inside KELOLAND we are focusing on health and the benefits of working out. People in Sioux Falls have the opportunity to join others for a 100-day challenge. The Mayor's Fitness Challenge kicked off its 5th year on April 26th. 'The last four years, we really focused on miles; it was a 100 miles in 100 days is what we encouraged people to do. This year, we are mixing it up a little bit. We are asking people to try and do 100 workouts in 100 days,' Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken said. TenHaken says he hopes the change will encourage more people to get involved. Medical Director for Falls Community Health Dr. Jennifer Tinguely says there are many benefits to exercising. 'Your blood pressure can improve, your cholesterol numbers can improve, you're much less likely to develop a chronic disease like diabetes if you are exercising,' Dr. Tinguely said. Dr. Tinguely says research shows exercise can also benefit your mental health. You can find workout trackers and other resources on the Mayor's Fitness Challenge webpage. Nearly one million people are diagnosed with it every year in the United States. A Sioux Falls woman is sharing her recovery journey after she experienced a blood clot in her lungs. The role of a Doula is expanding in KELOLAND. They provide information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth. Some insurance plans and even Medicaid help cover the cost of hiring one. A Sioux Falls couple is sharing their experience of having a Doula. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vietnam veterans remember the war 50 years later
SIOUX FALLS, (KELO) – April 30 marks 50 years since the Vietnam war ended with the fall of Saigon as the United States military withdrew the last of its troops. Both Ron Anderson and Ron Obe who currently live in South Dakota enlisted in the military after high school where they would later end up overseas in Vietnam. Obe serviced ships in the area from 1967 to 1972, while Anderson worked in communications from 1957 to 1971. Both say they remember the day when they heard the news the war had ended. 'We didn't accomplish you know a victory, it was kind of why did so many people die and why are so many missing yet,' Anderson said. 'It was one of those, knee jerk moments. And I just stopped and processed it and try to understand what that meant,' Obe said. 'I think like most guys, and ladies the thoughts went back to people that you knew that were no longer with us.' Obe says he did not get a warm welcome home when he returned. 'I remember walking through the airport and wearing my uniform because back then you had to travel wearing your uniform and, people spit at you, called you a lot of names, and, it was not a very welcoming thing,' Obe said.58,044 American solders died during the nearly 20 year long war. Something Anderson says he and other veterans are still healing from. 'There are people still struggling with the war. And a lot have PTSD and it just never ends,' Anderson returning, both Obe and Anderson have found fellowship in the Vietnam Vets Legacy Vets MC, a group that allows Vietnam vets to talk about their experiences and remember those who didn't return. 'It's how many brothers and sisters didn't come home and so we keep that alive in our club,' Obe said. 'Veterans understand veterans and civilians can't really understand how veterans feel, what they went through. If you've never experienced that,' Anderson said. The latest Inside KELOLAND takes a look back at a journey KELOLAND News took to Vietnam in 1988 with former anchor Steve Hemmingsen, assignment editor Dexter Gronseth, and former U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Inside KELOLAND: 1988 KELO trip to Vietnam
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — This edition of Inside KELOLAND is a look back at the KELOLAND News journey to Vietnam in 1988. Anchor Steve Hemmingsen, chief photographer Dexter Gronseth, and U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler traveled to Vietnam. This Inside KELOLAND shares video from that historic trip. The trip's trio also shared their memories of that journey. Viewers can watch the full episode of the 1988 special in the KELOLAND archives section of KELOLAND+. KELOLAND's coverage for the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war includes stories from those who lived it. Find those stories in our Vietnam page on our website. KELO TV will also broadcast a special titled Vietnam War: A Lost Generation at 7 p.m. Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vietnam War film ignites conversation among veterans
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It has been 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. To honor the soldiers who served there, this weekend, KELOLAND TV will air Nexstar's latest special, 'Vietnam War: A Lost Generation.' A group of Vietnam veterans got to watch an early screening of the film Wednesday afternoon at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls. Afterward, KELOLAND's Don Jorgensen hosted a panel discussion with four veterans who detailed what they faced while serving in the war. As a room full of Vietnam veterans and their loved ones watched the 45-minute special, memories of the war started flooding back. What's in South Dakota's settlement with the NCAA 'I look at this film, and some of the things came back really quick,' Vietnam veteran Gene Murphy said. They say it painted a good picture of what happened there. 'As they said in the film, everything we did wasn't necessarily shown back in the United States the way it really was. It was based on what the media wanted to show, so this was very much realistic of what we saw. They did a great job putting this film together,' Vietnam veteran David Rowe said. During the panel discussion following the film, Hawk Mayer got a little emotional while talking about the seven South Dakota Vietnam veterans who are still unaccounted for. Tommy Callies of Howard is one of the seven. 'Six years ago, when we had the wall here, his mother came down from Howard. She turned 90, and two years ago, she passed away, and all she said that day was, 'I want to know what happened to my son,'' Mayer said. There were also veterans who opened up about how difficult it is to process what they experienced during the war. 'Like everybody else, I never talked about it when I got home,' Rowe said. So it's important for them to find someone who knows exactly what they're going through. 'You find that if you want to talk about Vietnam, you have to find somebody that served there because anybody else doesn't have a clue of what you're talking about,' Rowe said. 'That keeps you going. It's the camaraderie,' Mayer said. Many Vietnam vets were not thanked for their service when they came home, but they're grateful for that attitude shift. 'When we travel the country, or even when I'm out and I go into the supermarket, I have people that will come up and tap me on the shoulder because of this hat and say, 'Thank you for your service,'' Mayer said. Along with Mayer, the four-person panel also included Gene Murphy, David Rowe and Bill McGinnis. The special they discussed on Wednesday will air this Saturday on KELO-TV at 7 p.m. You can also watch a special Inside KELOLAND, where we introduce you to local Vietnam veterans and show you KELOLAND's trip to Vietnam in 1988. It airs on Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
