Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Cooling back off over the weekend
This week, you'll get an update on how the city and nonprofit partners are collaborating to serve unhoused folks. You'll also get a peek inside the new juvenile justice center before it opens later this month. Plus, catch a couple Super Simplified stories to take you into the weekend.
And now, news:
CITY
How Sioux Falls is serving its homeless population
Simplified: Collaboration between the city and various social service providers is showing promising results, Homelessness Services Coordinator Michelle Treasure told the City Council earlier this week. Here's a closer look at the updates she shared.
Why it matters
- Sioux Falls approach to addressing homelessness has faced some critique this year, from encampment bans to fences. But Wednesday's updates focused on the strong collaboration between the city and various nonprofit agencies, as well as plans moving into the colder months.
- Treasure also shared the results of a marketing campaign aimed at combating panhandling in favor of charitable donations. The City Council last year approved $150,000 to spend on this effort, which used the tagline "Cash handouts don't help, but you can" and ultimately gained 8.9 million impressions.
- In addition, Treasure has also worked in collaboration with community partners to create a documented strategic plan to make sure no one is left out in the cold as the temperatures drop.
"We will do what we need to do to make sure that people get into warmth and stability," she said.
Tell me more
COUNTY
Get a look inside the new Juvenile Justice Center
Simplified: Minnehaha County is nearly ready to open its new, $42 million juvenile justice center, and before the kids in custody move to their new digs, the county invited media to tour the facility Thursday morning.
Why it matters
- The new facility has a strong emphasis on safety – both of the children and of the staff. It includes three padded rooms for kids, which detention center Director Jamie Gravett said is a safer option for everyone compared to the current option of using a restraint chair in situations where a kid is threatening self harm.
- The new center is also designed to keep kids in custody out of their rooms for as much of the day as possible. In addition to school, kids can spend time in multiple secured outdoor spaces or in communal indoor spaces decorated with calming artwork and design.
- Currently, the juvenile detention center has an average of 30 kids age 10 to 17 per day, and the average length of stay is one month. The new facility has space for up to 64, and when the second phase is completed next year, the hope is that a kid's entire case can happen in that one location – booking, court dates, etc.
"Probation's here – they can see their cases as they need to," Gravett said. "The judge is here. We can have all the court in one spot. It's just (more) efficiency."
Show me the space
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
This book helps families talk openly about miscarriage
This is a donated piece on behalf of Evermore Blooms. Want to support stories about your favorite nonprofits? Email megan@sfsimplified.com for details.
Simplified: A new children's book written by Evermore Blooms Founder Chelsey Schnell will publish next week. The hope is it'll be a resource for families to open up conversations about siblings who died during pregnancy.
Why it matters
- An estimated 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to statistics from Mayo Clinic, and it's likely the number is higher because miscarriage can happen before a person knows they're pregnant.
- Schnell founded Evermore Blooms after her own experience with loss, and since 2020, the nonprofit has sent more than 1,000 flower bouquets to grieving moms across the country.
- The children's book, called "Still Blooming: A Hopeful Promise for Families After the Loss of a Sibling During Pregnancy," will provide an additional resource to those parents who are faced with explaining to their living children why they won't get to meet their anticipated sibling.
- The book uses the analogy of a seed growing into a flower. Some seeds, through no fault of anyone involved, simply don't bloom the way we expect them to, Schnell said.
"There's a hopeful promise," she said, noting that the book draws on her own Christian faith and aims to be inclusive to all readers. "While we didn't get to see our seed bloom, they are being taken care of by a Gardener that knows what they need to grow and bloom."
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Another hat in the ring for Mayor. Former City Councilor Marshall Selberg announced his candidacy for mayor this week. Selberg joins a full slate of mayoral hopefuls vying to replace Mayor Paul TenHaken when his term ends next June. Stay tuned for much more election coverage from Sioux Falls Simplified in the months to come.
- 💵 Swimming in it. Midco re-upped its support for the Midco Aquatic Center this week, with a $3.5 million donation over the next 10 years. It's not just about renewing the name, Midco spokeswoman Paige Pearson Meyer said this week. Rather, it's about "renewing a shared commitment to making Sioux Falls a vibrant, welcoming and thriving community."
- Find remote workers.* A new Sioux Falls company, Plectrum Solutions, is working to help businesses grow by providing dependable remote support teams. The company partners with business owners who are ready to scale and want to delegate more effectively by connecting them with highly skilled African professionals. Whether it’s customer support, administrative work, or creative assistance, our goal is to make hiring and managing remote talent simple, reliable, and cost-efficient. Learn more here.
*Denotes a paid partnership
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
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