Happy Wednesday! Megan here.

Weather check: Warming back up a tad

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This week, I heard from a panel of doctors volunteering with Midwest Street Medicine, and while I didn't go into the event thinking I'd write a news story about it, I left feeling like more people had to know the reality of what our unhoused neighbors are facing. Please take a minute to learn from these doctors the scope of the needs, the barriers in place and the small ways we can all help our neighbors.

  • Additionally, you'll learn about a million dollar question at City Council, meet the new development director in Dell Rapids and find a round-up of events to help you get into the Thanksgiving spirit.

And now, news:

COMMUNITY

What doctors want you to know about the needs of unhoused patients

Simplified: Sometimes, all a person needs is help filling a prescription. Other times, it's a pair of glasses. In more severe cases, it's a wound that's been festering, a severe asthma attack or an injury that merits a trip to the emergency room. Whatever the needs, Midwest Street Medicine has doctors on the streets doing what they can to help the unhoused population access essential medical care.

Why it matters

  • It's National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and in recognizing the goal of raising awareness, Midwest Street Medicine hosted a panel of doctors Monday afternoon to share specific challenges people experiencing homelessness face in getting medical care.
  • Conversation also expanded to address the feeling of overwhelm and helplessness the average person can experience when faced with the topic of homelessness. Dr. Melissa Dittberner – more commonly known as "Dr. Mo," – urged attendees Monday to try to shift their perspective from pity to compassion for a fellow human being going through a tough time.
  • Panelists also pushed back against the cultural stigma and narrative that people experiencing homelessness are in that position through their own fault, or that their medical conditions (including substance use disorder or mental illness) are a character flaw rather than a medical condition.
"There's no way I'd survive some of the trauma my patients have gone through," said Dr. Bob Santella, a volunteer with Midwest Street Medicine.

Tell me more

CITY

The (nearly) $1 million question City Council is facing right now

Simplified: The Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday unanimously advanced a proposal to spend $956,000 to buy new police radios, but a couple of councilors questioned where this extra cash was during the belt-tightening budget season.

a close up of a police car with its lights on
Photo by Max Fleischmann / Unsplash

Why it matters

  • Police Chief Jon Thum said the 100 new radios in the proposed budget supplement would "greatly improve" police officers' ability to communicate and help address some "dead zones" the current radios encounter. It's also part of an ongoing process to update police radios, and 152 of these radio kits have already been purchased.
  • Thum also said by buying the rest of the new radios now instead of waiting, the city can take advantage of a significant discount that'll save an estimated $300,000 in the future.
    • Thum worked with City Finance Director Shawn Pritchett to find the money – which will come from savings the city had by taking a little longer than planned to pass the aquatics bond earlier this year.
  • But City Councilor Curt Soehl questioned the timing of the ask and why this purchase wasn't included in either the existing 2025 budget or the recently-approved 2026 budget.
"This is why people think that cities and counties and states kind of cook the books a little bit to get what they want," Soehl said. "I intend to support it, but I scratch my head how we can have a million dollars extra two months after we just passed a budget (including several cuts across city departments)."

Tell me more

SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS

Meet Dell Rapids' new community development director

This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Simplified: For Matthew Larson, working as Dell Rapids' new community development director isn't just about growing his community. It's also about creating the kind of place where his children will want to come home to and build their own lives someday. Larson sat down with Sioux Falls Simplified to talk about his new role and the opportunities for economic development in Dell Rapids.

Answers are edited for length and clarity.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little bit. Tell us about your background and what brought you to this new role.

My wife and I moved to Dell Rapids about 20 years ago, shortly after we graduated college. Dell Rapids was kind of in the middle for us – I was working in Madison, and she was working in Sioux Falls.

I spent 19 years working in computer science, and last fall took a position as executive director of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce. I've also owned Big Sioux Media – a local sports network – for 14 years.

I was interested in helping businesses really thrive because local businesses give so much to the community.

Late this summer, the position opened up here at the city. I thought that was an opportunity for me to still continue to help businesses succeed here, but then also take it a step further and help the community and thrive through bringing in more businesses through economic development.

What does a community development director do, exactly?

I'm still learning – I've only been in this role for a couple of months.

I'll be helping the Dell Rapids Economic Development Corporation, helping keep them organized, keep their group running, do research for them.

  • Their board is made up of business owners here in town and folks who have full-time jobs themselves, which means they can't always take the time to show prospective businesses around. That's where I can help.

Being under the umbrella of the city, as well, I've learned a lot of planning and zoning ordinances too.

  • Anything that you can think of to help a smaller community run ... I'll help them.

What are the goals for economic development in Dells right now?

See the full interview here.

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • Sanford goes west. A $300 million gift from Denny Sanford will fund a Sanford Health medical center in Rapid City – a move that will increase competition in the medical sector in Rapid with existing health system Monument Health. South Dakota Searchlight has all the details.
  • Your one-stop shop for appliance repair.* Midtek Appliance Repair works to restore your appliances to their optimal condition without straining your budget. The company diagnoses and repairs a wide range of home and commercial appliances, and it offers a 13-month warranty on those repairs. You can learn more here.
  • 🎵 Levitt in Parkston. A grant from the Levitt Foundation will bring a free outdoor music series to Parkston (a town south of Mitchell). The $28,000 matching grant will be spread over the next three years, and the money comes from the same national organization that helped bring the Levitt at the Falls to downtown Sioux Falls several years back.
  • Santa's back at the mall. The jolly old elf himself is back at the Empire Mall as of this past weekend. Santa will be available for photo opportunities nearly daily between now and Christmas Eve. Details and hours here.

*Denotes a paid partnership

EVENTS

Stuff to do: Nov. 19-25

  • Go underground.* The Premiere Playhouse is debuting its new Underground Series this weekend with a performance of "American Idiot" based on the 2004 Green Day concept album of the same name. This bold, semi-immersive production brings dinner theatre to downtown Sioux Falls with a curated meal from Dada Gastropub followed by an unforgettable performance. Get your tickets here.
  • 🎄Light up the Falls. The city's annual Winter Wonderland celebration kicks off this weekend with holiday lights in Falls Park and, new this year, the opening of the ice ribbon at Jacobson Plaza. It's all going down Friday at 5 p.m. with the lighting of the Falls followed by fireworks at 6 p.m. After the city fireworks, there'll be even more from the Steel District. Learn more here.
  • Talk about 19th Street. There's been a bit of discontent from neighbors around the city's plans to close down a block of 19th Street off of Minnesota Avenue to accommodate a planned Tre Ministries development. To help answer any questions, the All Saints Neighborhood Association is hosting a public meeting Wednesday evening at the downtown library to get questions answered before it all heads to a City Council vote on Dec. 2.
  • Sip and shop. The Inn at Westport is hosting a Sip & Shop open house holiday shopping event. You can shop a number of local vendors from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, and the first 25 people to attend will receive gift bags. Details here.
  • 🦃 Celebrate Friendsgiving. Severance Brewing and Sunny's Pizzeria are teaming up for a Friendsgiving event Monday evening with free pizza while supplies last. Grab a brew, hang with friends and soak up some good ol' fashioned community fun. Details here.
  • Share some shoes. Local chef Rudy M. Navarrete is hosting his annual shoe drive this weekend to provide shoes to kids at the Boys & Girls Club. Bring a pair of brand-name tennis shoes downtown Saturday evening at the event at Severance Brewing. All food proceeds will also be donated, so stop for some Tex-Mex, too. Details here.
  • Spend time remembering. The holiday season can also bring a deep well of sadness for those we've lost, and local doulas are hosting an event Thursday evening to create some space for that grief and remembrance. The "A Night of Remembrance" event is hosted at Transitions: Doula and Life Services in partnership with Blue Heron Doula Services. It's a free, potluck-style event, and guests are encouraged to bring a photo of whomever they'd like to honor. Details here.

*Denotes a paid partnership.

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

How the library is clarifying rules and proactively enforcing them
A group of librarians, public safety officials and the city’s homelessness coordinator are in the process of reviewing library policies and rules of conduct with the hope of eliminating any “gray areas.”
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Why Sioux Falls schools are readying to fight for funding
School officials in Sioux Falls are ready to advocate for sufficient state funding and fight against specific aspects of property tax reform that they say would hinder schools’ ability to serve students.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
How you can weigh in on who fills the empty City Council seat
Here’s a look at how that process will work.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

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