Latest news with #SiouxFallsCityCouncil
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Street racing increased over last few years
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Sioux Falls police say street racing has increased over the last few years with the growth of Sioux Falls. Both the city and the state are cracking down on street, exhibition and drag racing. 'Incredibly distasteful' says TenHaken to Trump's AI Pope photo In March, the legislature passed Senate Bill 116, which makes speed racing a class 1 or 2 misdemeanor for drivers and a class 6 felony for race organizers. This law will go into effect on July 1. The Sioux Falls City Council also passed an ordinance in March that lifts the ban on exhibition driving on private property if the group has a permit authorized by the police department. Sgt. Travis Olson said the ordinance allows people to 'continue their hobbies' under a safe and official capacity. The intent of the ordinance is to hopefully keep racers and exhibition drivers off public streets. Before, any form of excessive engine noise, speeding or tire screeching was in violation of the city laws, even on private property. Under the new ordinance, groups must apply for a temporary permit to hold their events on private property. They must also have insurance and safety officers present. No permits for these driving events will be issued between the hours of 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Although it's hard to pinpoint exactly how many calls the police get for street racing or how many attempts police make to shut it down, Olson did say that the problem has been increasing over the last few years. Burbank, SD mom runs all 6 World Marathon Majors He also said it's difficult to respond to these complaints because the groups tend to race quickly and leave the area before law enforcement arrives. It can be hard to track the frequency of the speed racing, because there can be various reports, like a noise complaint or speeding. These incidents aren't in isolated areas in Sioux Falls either, Olson added. He did say that a lot of activity occurs on 57th Street, and that 69th Street and Veterans Parkway are also popular spots. 'The truth is we get complaints on it from all over the city,' he said. Olson wanted to remind the public that exhibition, speed and drag racing is not legal on any public roads in Sioux Falls. He also pointed out that there are drag strips for legal vehicle racing shortly outside of Sioux Falls at the Thunder Valley Dragway and I-90 Speedway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadline approaching for property tax relief
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – It's tax season and for homeowners, that means assessing your property taxes. In 2023, homeowners in Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties paid a median amount of over three thousand dollars in property taxes according to the Tax Foundation. That bill can cause a lot of stress, which is why the City of Sioux Falls is working to bring some relief to certain people with fixed incomes. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe school evacuates for fires 'This was started probably about four years ago, I think we're in our fourth year where we will reimburse or refund to taxpayers who are low-income elderly or disabled and homeowners up to $500 or the full amount of their municipal property taxes that were paid that year,' Shawn Pritchett, Director of Finance for the City of Sioux Falls, said. To qualify for the program you have to be at least 65 years old or be considered a person with a disability. Your home's market value must be $345,340 or less and you must meet certain income requirements — for a single person household that's less than $40,290 annually and for a multiple person household it's less than $51,801 per year. Pritchett says the city's program is attached to the state's Assessment Freeze for the Elderly and Disabled Program. 'You go to your county treasurer's office, you can apply and if you then are eligible for that assessment, what the City of Sioux Falls does is it says, you know, Minnehaha County, Lincoln County, send us all the people that applied for this program that are in Sioux Falls,' Pritchett said. 'They send us their names and then we just automatically know how much they pay for their municipal taxes because the counties have told us and then we send them a check back.' 787 people are receiving a property tax refund check this year in Sioux Falls totaling over $280 thousand dollars. The deadline to apply and possibly get one of those checks next year is April 1st. 'So you definitely want to get down to the county treasurer's office if you think this is something you might qualify for, both the tax assessment freeze and ultimately the refund from the City of Sioux Falls,' Pritchett said. As part of the budgeting process, the Sioux Falls City Council has to approve this program every year. Pritchett says they will vote whether or not to keep the program for 2026 in August. However, he says you should still apply by April 1st because you could still get the state's property tax freeze. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Last hope for keeping the Brockhouse animals in SF
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A group has come forward in hopes of keeping the Brockhouse taxidermy collection once housed in the Delbridge Museum in Sioux Falls. Since the 1980s, the Delbridge Museum has helped families create memories. Puppies not abandoned outdoors, say Sioux Falls PD 'All my kids growing up, they love coming here. And the museum itself. You know, when I go through it, I remember seeing all the little kids and giggling and laughing and pointing that stuff,' Jason Haack said. But kids haven't been able to see the animals since 2023, when city leaders closed the museum, saying arsenic had been found in the mounts. The Sioux Falls City Council recently voted to gift the Brockhouse collection to three out-of-state nonprofits. But not everyone supports that decision. 'We're trying to get signatures to get this on the ballot for people, for people in Sioux Falls to vote on it. We feel that what the city fathers did is not right,' Glenn Charles Philips said. 'I've gone door to door getting signatures. And everybody is for keeping them in Sioux Falls. They can't understand what our city fathers were doing,' Philips said. While the city council received the Delbridge family's support in the decision to donate the mounts, those behind the petition drive still believe the collection should remain in Sioux Falls. 'There's not a mount like this throughout the whole United States. Nobody has a complete one like this. That's why I can't understand why the mayor and the city council wants to get rid of them,' Philips said. 'They're good for education. They're good for the kids. You're good for the future. And they don't understand how they can actually build something and actually make it a very lucrative endeavor,' Haack said. The group has until March 6 to collect 7,552 signatures. Click here for more information on the Save the Delbridge/Brockhouse Animals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
15-02-2025
- General
- Fox News
Animal collection across 3 states to offer unique science, travel opportunities
Travelers across the U.S. will be able to see portions of a unique collection after the museum where they had been exhibited was forced to close. The Delbridge Museum of Natural History at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, closed in August 2023. It was found that "potentially hazardous" levels of arsenic were present in 80% of the specimens at the museum's Brockhouse Collection of taxidermied animals. "Out of an abundance of caution, leaders from the City of Sioux Falls and Great Plains Zoo have agreed to close the museum, while a decision can be made about the future of the animals," the Delbridge Museum of Natural History said in an earlier statement about the museum's closure. The Brockhouse Collection consists of 152 taxidermied animals, with some dating as far back as the 1940s, the Associated Press reported. The collection included taxidermied monkeys, crocodiles, zebras and tigers. The Brockhouse Collection was "one of the Midwest's most comprehensive collections of taxidermy," said the museum in the August 2023 statement. The Sioux Falls City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Feb. 11 to donate the collection to several institutions around the United States. The majority of the collection – 117 specimens – will be donated to the University of Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity in Indiana, said the resolution. Another 33 will be donated to the Oddities Museum, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia, while two will be donated to the Institute for Natural History Arts Inc., in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The move "ensures that none of the collection will be disposed of, and all items will be put to good use by reputable natural history institutions," Don Kearney, Sioux Falls director of parks and recreation, told the council. Until the 1980s, it was commonplace to use "strong chemicals" in the taxidermy process, said the museum. This included both arsenic and asbestos. "Railing barriers and 'do not touch' signs have been in place since the museum's inception to prevent physical contact with the mounts because of this, for both the safety of our visitors and to protect the specimens from more rapid degradation," said the museum. By 2023, however, the decision was made that it was no longer safe for the public to see the collection. "As the specimens age and naturally break down over time, there could be more opportunity for human contact with potentially harmful chemicals," said the August 2023 statement. "While most guests have been respectful of the museum rules, zoo staff regularly catches individuals breaching barriers and touching the mounts." At their new homes, special precautions will be taken for safe public viewing. Denise DePaolo, the Great Plains Zoo's marketing director, said the recipient institutions are better prepared to display the taxidermied animals. The mounts' recipients will display the animals where they can't be touched — likely behind glass — and have experts and equipment to care for the taxidermy, DePaolo told the AP. "The right place for it is with these other institutions that are going to care for it." Members of the Sioux Falls City Council expressed disappointment that the city's taxidermy collection could not stay. "There is no path forward to keep it in Sioux Falls. Pains me to say that. It's going to be sad for me to let that go," said Curt Soehl, a council member. For more Lifestyle articles, visit "With as much memory and as much legacy as I think is really wrapped up into this collection and the story of it being in Sioux Falls, I think the right place for it is with these other institutions that are going to care for it, that are going to give it a long-term life," added Miranda Basye, another council member. The gifting agreements state that the recipients will take the animals as is, and the mounts are theirs forever, City Attorney Dave Pfeifle said. The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tigers, zebras and other stuffed animals will get new homes after health concerns kept them hidden
Crocodiles, monkeys, tigers, zebras and dozens of other taxidermy animals will move to new homes after concerns about arsenic exposure forced the closure of the South Dakota museum where they had been displayed for decades. The Delbridge Museum of Natural History at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls closed in August 2023 after testing showed potentially hazardous levels of arsenic present in 80% of the specimens of the Brockhouse Collection. The decision raised concerns that the 152 specimens, some dating back to the 1940s, would no longer be displayed. But after a search, the Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution for donating the mounts to several institutions. Under the deal, 117 specimens will go to the University of Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity, 33 to the Atlanta-based Oddities Museum Inc., and two to the Institute for Natural History Arts Inc. in New Jersey. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The move 'ensures that none of the collection will be disposed of, and all items will be put to good use by reputable natural history institutions,' Sioux Falls Director of Parks & Recreation Don Kearney told the council. The arsenic doesn't mean the animals can't be displayed with proper measures in places, said Denise DePaolo, the zoo's marketing director. The museum doesn't have sufficient barriers to keep people from touching the specimens, which became a liability issue, she said. The mounts' recipients will display the animals where they can't be touched — likely behind glass — and have experts and equipment to care for the aging taxidermy, DePaolo said. Sioux Falls businessman and hunter Henry Brockhouse built and displayed the animal collection for years in his hardware store until he died in 1978. Subsequent owners donated the collection to the city, which displayed the menagerie at the museum for nearly 40 years. After testing revealed the arsenic, the museum was closed until officials could sort out the collection's future, which included passing state legislation last year to help. Some residents were upset about the irreplaceable collection leaving their town. Council Member Curt Soehl said, 'There is no path forward to keep it in Sioux Falls. Pains me to say that. It's going to be sad for me to let that go.' Council Member Miranda Basye said, 'With as much memory and as much legacy as I think is really wrapped up into this collection and the story of it being in Sioux Falls, I think the right place for it is with these other institutions that are going to care for it, that are going to give it a long-term life." The gifting agreements state that the recipients will take the animals as is, and the mounts are theirs forever, City Attorney Dave Pfeifle said. ___ Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.
