Happy Friday! Megan here.

Weather check: You'd be hard-pressed to find better weekend weather

✅Debate check: Are you coming this afternoon? It's the only truly public debate between mayoral candidates in the run-off election, and yours truly is co-moderating with Sioux Falls Live's Patrick Lalley. We've got a great slate of pointed policy questions for the candidates. Get the details here.

This week, I'm leaning hard on the "super simplified" format because, candidly, prepping for the debate this afternoon has taken a lot of my time. BUT, you'll find the latest on some fun updates at the zoo and a well update as well.

And now, news:

COMMUNITY

Zoo nears fundraising goal for aquarium, more improvements on the way

Simplified: The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium is nearing a fundraising milestone that'll allow it to start construction on a new aquarium on the Great Plains Zoo campus. Meanwhile, they're also looking at renovating the giraffe habitat – here's what you need to know.

Why it matters

• The zoo and butterfly house merged in 2023, and a new aquarium would be a milestone in a multi-year process to get both entities on one campus at the Great Plains Zoo.
• Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium CEO Becky Dewitz told City Council this week that the organization has raised $47 million in its capital campaign – just $3 million shy of the $50 million milestone that unlocks another $10 million donation from philanthropist T. Denny Sanford.
  • In addition, they're $6.5 million away from a goal to hit phase two of construction and break ground on the new aquarium in 2027.
• In addition to the capital campaign, the zoo is also working on an homage to the Delbridge Museum that'll be housed in the new education center. They're also looking at additional habitat improvements, including an expanded habitat for giraffes.

"My favorite part of this is that people would be able to see the giraffes when they're at the splash pad," Dewitz said.

Tell me more

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

• The zoo with no kids? Say less.* Looking for a one-of-a-kind date night? Check out Zoofari, an adults-only event that not only gives you a chance to experience the zoo after hours, but also supports the ongoing work of the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium in providing world-class animal care and education programs. You can enjoy global cuisine, grab a cocktail, feed giraffes, meet ambassador animals and get a look at some of the inner workings of the zoo facilities. Learn more and get your tickets here.
• 🐷Big money for Smithfield. A state board this week approved a rebate of up to $30 million in sales tax to Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp.'s to help cover the cost of moving out of downtown and into a brand new, $1.3 billion facility in northwest Sioux Falls. That brings the total state support for the project up to $42 million, in addition to the $90 million tax-increment financing approved by the City of Sioux Falls. South Dakota Searchlight has the latest.
• Big money for students. The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation this week announced $390,000 in scholarships to a total of 106 students. These scholarships are funded by donors and awarded annually to students continuing their education at colleges and universities as well as technical and vocational schools. You can learn more about the scholarship recipients on the community foundation website.

More Super Simplified Stories

• 🌙SDSU students win NASA contest. Students at South Dakota State University won one of four categories at a recent NASA student competition. A team of engineering students beat out other finalist teams in the category of "Lunar Sample Return Concept," which means they had to develop a plan to extract and return to Earth lunar surface and subsurface samples. The other three categories were won by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Check out the full story here.
• Well, well, well. Ok, it's just one well, but it's back online, and that's a big deal for the city. The city this week put a newly reconstructed Well 25 into service, which replaces the original well constructed in 1952 on the same site on the north side near the Big Sioux River. It'll increase the city's water purification system's capacity by more than 5 million gallons per day.
• Record year for golf. Sioux Falls Golf surpassed 2,000 season pass sales this year for the first time, according to a presentation to City Council from General Manager Cat Clark. In the eight years since Landscapes Unlimited took over managing city golf courses, season pass sales have increased by 66%, Clark said. That means more than $1 million in annual season pass revenue.

*Denotes a paid partnership

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

• Jazz
• Pizza
• Local celebs

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

Why the county says this homelessness plan is different

“The benefit of having a strategic plan is everybody is basically playing off the same sheet of music,” Sharon Chontos of North Star Solutions said. “And everybody knows what each other is doing and how they’re responsible for helping individuals and families.”

Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

Stuff to do: June 10-16

Here’s a look at what’s happening in Sioux Falls this week.

Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

Why Sioux Falls Simplified is co-hosting a mayoral debate (and you should come)

The debate – which will take place at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Carnegie Town Hall – is going to be the only truly public debate between the two run-off candidates.

Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

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