Short-term rental regulation needed

Rapid City and the Black Hills are in the midst of a housing crisis. Double-digit percentage increases in median listing prices have been persistent throughout 2021 and 2022. In the summer of 2021, at the peak of the frenzy, houses spent an average of eight days on...

The power of learning about powwows

My elected position has provided me with unique insight into our local Native American community. Over the last five years, I’ve collaborated with Indigenous leaders, business owners and families, some of which I now proudly consider as friends. They’ve given me...

Gold mining risk isn’t worth taking

On July 11, 2022, the United States Forest Service released a draft decision for gold exploration by F3 Gold, LLC, a gold exploration/mining company based in Minnesota. The draft decision found “no significant impact” for the company’s exploration proposal, permitted...

Everyone must do their part to eradicate racism

For centuries our country has been engaged in a fight for equality in the face of systemic racism and discrimination. While we cannot magically eradicate racism on the national level, we can at least confront it locally. Since the community is discussing racism...

Rapid City needs to pass the school bond

In 2003 I had the privilege of being the first travelling speech therapist for the Rapid City Area Schools. Some facilities were a day or half day short on an available speech therapist, so that’s how I first became involved with the school district. During that time,...