Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: S-s-s-s-s-s-snow
This week, you'll learn some hard-to-hear news about hunger in our community and how you can help. You'll also learn about next steps for Whittier Middle School and find a ton of Super Simplified Stories to take you into the weekend.
And now, news:
COMMUNITY
How you can help keep neighbors fed amid SNAP uncertainty
Simplified: The federal shutdown and subsequent pause in benefits to the 75,000 South Dakotans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is creating a gap that's too big for philanthropy to fill, according to Feeding South Dakota CEO Lori Dykstra. Even so, her organization and many others are doing everything they can to stretch the resources available in the meantime, and they need the community's help.
Why it matters
- Dykstra said this week the organization is already having to turn people away at food distribution lines in the state's largest cities as demand increases as much as 50%. And that's before the uncertainty over Nov. 10, when SNAP benefits are usually dispersed but may not come through.
- Donors are stepping up in a variety of ways, including support from local businesses and grocers, and all donations to Feeding South Dakota are matched this month.
- It's great news, and it's helping in the short term. But Dykstra said Feeding South Dakota is already starting from behind due to cuts in federal support back in March resulting in missing out in 1.5 million pounds of food. That, paired with rising costs of food and an increase in people showing up needing help makes for a tough – if not impossible – hill to climb.
"This is a hard time of year for people anyway," Dykstra said. "There's going to be more neighbors turning to the charitable food network – many for the first time ever – and we don't have the resources to support them."
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EDUCATION
How Sioux Falls schools are prepping for the next big construction bond
Simplified: The Sioux Falls School District is getting ready to put together its next big list of building projects in the coming year, and that'll include more planning on a new Whittier Middle School. Here's a look at what's coming next.
Why it matters
- School board members this week got a look at the timeline for the district's next capital improvement plan (CIP), which is expected to include a new building at Whittier Middle School.
- That process will look very similar to what the district did leading up to a 2018 bond election in which the community overwhelmingly supported building three new schools and various improvements across the district. The district is expected to form a CIP committee in January with plans for the next bond election in the spring of 2027.
- Community feedback is going to be a priority in the process, Board Member Nan Kelly said. There will also be applications available in the coming months for people interested in serving on the steering committee for the bond or for the Whittier planning committee.
"It’s really an honor to work on challenges that we have as a district and to allow the community to be part of the problem-solving," Kelly said. "And when I say problems – they're problems we want to be having because it's growth, it's children that we get to impact day in and day out."
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TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- It's not too early to think about summer camp.* Yes, we have to survive the winter first, but you can take some stress off your spring planning by getting on the early access list for the 2026 YMCA Camp Leif Ericson. Be the first to know when registration opens by joining the interest list here.
- Goodbye, orange cones. The city is wrapping up construction season and celebrating progress on big projects including continued work on the Interstate 229 and Cliff Avenue interchange, South Veterans Parkway, Arrowhead and Veterans Parkways and more. You can see an interactive map of ongoing projects here, and find updates on the work that's going on.
- 🏗️ Wanna develop downtown? The city this week announced that it's seeking proposals for a negotiated sale process to sell the one-acre parking lot between 13th and 14th Streets and Phillips and First Avenues. It's a "blank canvas in one of the most desirable areas of town," as Business Development Coordinator Dustin Powers said. Folks interested in purchasing the property must submit proposals that show they're able to see through what they're proposing. Learn more here.
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- Need help with insurance? Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) is offering free help to South Dakotans navigating marketplace health insurance. Enrollment is open now through Jan. 15, and you can connect with a navigator to help you through the process. Learn more here.
- Don't stop believing. Journey is coming to Sioux Falls as part of the band's Final Frontier tour. The show is scheduled for April 6, 2026, and tickets go on sale next Friday. Details here.
- Teens, test your writing skills. Siouxland Libraries this month is hosting a teen writing contest in honor of National Novel Writing Month. Though, you don't have to write a novel to participate – it can be a short story or an excerpt from a longer piece (1,000 words or fewer). The theme for the contest is "cliffhangers," so lean into the suspense for a chance to win a Barnes & Noble gift card. The contest runs through Nov. 30, and kids in grades 6-12 can participate. Details and rules here.
*Denotes paid partnership
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
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Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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