10 Broadcaster Press February 20, 2018 www.broadcasteronline.com The Complex Issue Of Addiction By Gov. Dennis Daugaard As a state, we grapple with many issues. Some are very complex, with no easy fix or single solution. These may require sustained effort over long periods, through different administrations and legislatures and generations of South Dakotans. Drug abuse is one such issue. We continue to wrestle with methamphetamine use in our state. On the prevention front, the Department of Social Services has funded more than 245 presentations, to thousands in communities and schools, urging against methamphetamine use. The Attorney General’s office has also undertaken a preventive education campaign. This month Prevention Resource Centers will complete a meth prevention toolkit for communities. For the most part, we are seeing less meth manufactured in home-grown laboratories. It is more often manufactured on a larger scale and trafficked into the Midwest. The drug interdiction task force, made up of Division of Criminal Investigation agents and Highway Patrol officers, has been hard at work over the last year to stop meth from coming into our state and we need to continue to do more to choke off these distribution channels. For those who are severely addicted, the Department of Social Services is working to expand and increase access to treatment, ensuring treatment is evidence-based and that providers are equipped and trained to provide intensive treatment models. We’ve recently seen some hopeful results from our treatment programs. In the last year, more than 2,000 offenders have received treatment for substance abuse under the Public Safety Improvement Act. In 2017 over 69 percent of individuals entering treatment for substance abuse completed successfully, 25 percent higher than the national average. Ninety-eight percent of those that completed treatment in 2017 reported an ability to control alcohol, 94 percent reported the ability to control drug use, and over 85 percent reported employment at discharge. We’re seeing a promising trend in smoking as well. The smoking rate among young adults in South Dakota went from 34 percent in 2011 to 13 percent in 2017. High school smoking rates went from 23 percent to 10 percent in that same period, putting us below the national average for the first time. We can celebrate that we are turning the tide on smoking and seeing success among those who seek drug treatment. These facts make me hopeful that South Dakota can meet the addiction challenges ahead. We cannot mandate away addiction; no legislative fix will completely solve the meth problem. Some answers simply extend beyond government’s capabilities. But we must do all we can, and we need all hands on deck. Private organizations, law enforcement, communities and individuals all have a role to play. Progress may be incremental but it will come so long as South Dakotans are persistent. GS VINWN SA TDO MEL Classic Radio Shopper Show Thursday, February 22 2:00-6:00PM $ $ 6,000 3,000 tar t At tems To S ing I 0% Bidd 5 By Gov. Dennis Daugaard Last year was another tough year for agriculture. After seeing a lack of moisture in the spring, we declared a statewide emergency in June. The drought persisted throughout the summer, and even today, as I write this, over 90 percent of the ground in the state is abnormally dry with almost 60 percent of the state in moderate to severe drought. The drought conditions have exacerbated the impact farmers and ranchers were already feeling from low prices over the last few years, making 2017 a near low in terms of farm income. Our economists anticipate some marginal improvement this year if normal production levels return, but this will depend on the weather and federal trade policy. Even though we don’t know what this year will bring, there is still reason to be hopeful. During the good times our farmers and ranchers invested in themselves. Farmers adopted new technologies and upgraded their equipment, added grain storage, and other new facilities while our ranchers also invested in new equipment, fencing and corrals, along with better genetics. Those investments have positioned them to seize opportunities when times are good again. Even in times like these, young people are still finding a way to get back to the family farm. I recently heard a story about a young man named Greg who found a way to come back home to Hutchinson County and work with his dad on the farm. Greg knew he would need to supplement his income, so he built a hog finishing facility. The facility provides a guaranteed revenue stream and the manure has benefited the soil health and fertility of their land – which means increased yields and profit for the farm. Greg says he doesn’t always accept things as they are . He challenges the norm, but also knows his costs and where the biggest risks are. We can be encouraged by Greg’s story and the stories of others like him. They’re a testament of the adaptiveness and determination of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers, and a sign of the industry’s promising future. Agriculture is our largest industry and it’s been that way since statehood. It’s an industry peopled with generations of resilient individuals who gave their all working the land – combining until dark, checking for calves at two in the morning, getting up before dawn to milk the cows or feed the hogs, and moving livestock in subzero temperatures. Through hard work and determination, agriculture grew to what it is today. And that’s how we’ll make it through the next year and the years to come. Tow Plow Being Moved From Yankton To Flandreau FLANDREAU, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation is relocating the tow plow currently based in Junction City/Yankton to Flandreau to get more operators trained on its use during winter snow events. This tow plow will be used during the next few snow events to clear snow and ice on Interstate 29 between the Madison and Dell Rapids exits. A tow-plow is pulled by a snowplow truck and, along with the front plow on the truck, can clear widths up to 25 feet by allowing the operator to remove snow from one lane and the shoulder in one pass. “The tow plow has been proven to save wear and tear on equipment, and save on fuel and labor costs. It also allows crews to get the roadway cleared more quickly and efficiently,” says Mitchell region engineer Craig Smith. When the driver deploys the bi-directional tow plow, the wheels turn as much as 30 degrees in either direction, which causes the tow-plow to steer to the right or left of the truck. The tow plow works similarly to a wing plow but with a much greater reach to clear more surface area. The department’s tow plows will have different set-ups for material that can be used to more effectively treat road surfaces. The two different set-ups the SDDOT will be using can apply a direct liquid spray or a pre-wetting salt application. To see the tow-plow in action and get more information from an interview with the Sioux Falls tow-plow driver, visit the SDDOT YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ SouthDakotaDOT. For complete road construction information, visit www. safetravelusa.com/sd or dial 511. WIOA Unified State Plan Public Forum •Bertz Certificate •Bomgaars Gift Card •Coyote Twin Theatres Certificate •Hatch Furniture Certificate •Midwest Piano/Westmoor Music •Murdos Certificate •River City Certificate Star t At •Murph’s Appliance Certificate Items To ding •Photography By Jerry Certificate •Pied Piper Flowers Certificate 25% Bid •Abby’s Certificate •Bridges at Beresford Certificate •Bruce’s Framing Certificate •C&T Feed and Supply Certificate •Exclusive Tan Certificate •Glass Act Certificate •Hebda Produce Certificate •Jr’s Oasis Certificate •Lakeside Fun Rentals •Midwest Redi-Mix Certificate The Perseverance Of Our Largest Industry •R-Pizza Certificate •Red Roof Inn Certificate •Rod’s Piddle Shop Certificate •Rounding 3rd Certificate •Studio Muse Certificate •Tax Ladies Certificate •2-Dads Repair Certificate •U-Drive Certificate •Wiebelhaus Recreation •Wintz & Ray Funeral Home PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) will hold a public forum on updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Unified State Plan. The public forum will be held via video/teleconference on March 2 from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. CDT. For a list of proposed updates to the plan and locations to participate in the public forum, please visit http://dhs. sd.gov/wioa.aspx. To join in via teleconference, dial 1.866.410.8397and enter conference code 6057736282. Facilities are accessible to individuals with mobility impairments. If an individual needs auxiliary aids or services to participate, please submit a request to DHS by calling 605.773.4644. All requests need to be made at least 10 days prior to the forum. The WIOA Unified State Plan provides valuable information about the various programs and initiatives underway including those for job seekers, students and businesses. Advertise with the... 201 W. Cherry, Vermillion 605-624-4429