Happy Friday! Megan here.
First things first: This newsletter is brought to you by The Good Night Theatre Collective.
- The Good Night Theatre Collective's 11th season opens this weekend with a production of "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie. It's one of the most popular and longest-running plays, and Good Night is bringing it to life Friday through Sunday. Snag your tickets here.
Weather check: Good weather for hot drinks and staying inside
Our annual 'A Little Help' give-back campaign runs through the month of September. The goal is to help local nonprofit Bread Break raise $5,000 to support their mission to prevent food waste while feeding the hungry. Learn more about Bread Break here, and consider tossing a few bucks their way if you're able.
This week, you'll learn about a partnership that's helping kids at the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center. Beyond that, I'm keeping it pretty simplified this week – so enjoy the reprieve before you're inundated with election guide content (which, ya know, hopefully you'll love and find extremely helpful).
And now, news:
COMMUNITY
How eyeglasses are helping incarcerated kids
Simplified: A new partnership between the South Dakota Lions Foundation and the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center is connecting kids with eyeglasses. It's also helping improve their confidence, as well as their overall attitude, JDC Director Jamie Gravett said.
Why it matters
- When a kid is sent to JDC, they lose access to Medicaid funding, Gravett said. That means it falls to the county to fund medical care, and there isn't enough money to do more than the bare minimum.
"We just don't have a big enough budget to be able to cover things like glasses," Gravett said. "We’re just trying to meet their basic needs of keeping them healthy."
- The Lions' KIDSIGHT screening program impacts tens of thousands of kids across the state each year in schools, childcare centers and more. It's been active for years in the Sioux Falls School District, but it wasn't until February that the screening began at JDC.
- That partnership began in part when Sioux Falls City Councilor Jennifer Sigette, a Lions Foundation board member, toured JDC and thought to connect the county with the program. County Commissioner Jen Bleyenberg also helped make the connection possible.
- Since February, Lions has conducted about 100 screenings and helped 15 kids get glasses.
"When a kid can't see, they're not learning as well, and every kid should have an opportunity to learn as much as they want," Sigette said. "I am confident that every single kid we get glasses for – it makes an impact on their life."
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Great Bear unveils documentary. Great Bear Ski Valley is celebrating 60 years with a new documentary, "More than a Hill." The documentary will feature Great Bear's history, culture and the people who have made it what it is today. It'll debut at the State Theatre Nov. 9 and 10, with tickets benefiting Falls Area Single Track. Learn more here.
- Get spooky. Siouxland Libraries is kicking off its month-long "Scary on the Prairie" series next week, including a bunch of events focused on giving adults a chance to explore their creative side with events like a horror writing contest, a murder mystery party and a live podcast recording. You can find more details here.
- Volunteer-a-thon. Feeding South Dakota is expected to host its first-ever Volunteer-a-thon on Tuesday with a "Delivering through the Decades" theme. The event will include a full day of volunteering where people can come pack, sort and prepare food while listening to different eras of music. It's all part of Hunger Action Month. Learn more here.
- Why mail got slow. South Dakota Searchlight has a great piece this morning explaining why mail delivery in the state has gotten so slow (anyone else remember the absentee ballot pains during the mayoral election?). It really all comes down to budget cuts, and Seth Tupper explains it all here.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Tom A. Savage
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Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including SafeSplash Swim School, Wayne & Mary's Nutrition Center, Startup Sioux Falls, Encompass Mental Health, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, the Washington Pavilion, The Premiere Playhouse, The Good Night Theatre Collective and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
Oh, by the way
Your feedback is extremely helpful – hit the reply button and send any news tips, typos, complaints, compliments or cups of coffee my way. ❤️
Special thanks to The Good Night Theatre Collective!
A chill in the air and a whodunit on the stage? I can't think of a better way to spend your weekend. Get tickets to "The Mousetrap" on Good Night's website.
