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TexasTowelie's JournalDallas police officers placed on leave over alleged involvement in pyramid scheme
Police said in a memo to the Dallas City Council that they believe one officer will be arrested and a grand jury will decide whether 11 others should face charges.A dozen Dallas police officers have been implicated in a pyramid scheme, the department has told the Dallas City Council in a memo obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
In a memo to the council, the department said police Chief Eddie García had placed several officers on administrative leave Thursday afternoon. A police spokesman confirmed Friday that multiple officers were on leave but said he did not know how many and could not say what division or divisions they belonged to.
According to the memo, the department “anticipates the investigation will lead to the arrest of one officer,” and that 11 more will have their cases referred to a Dallas County grand jury to determine whether charges should be filed.
The department did not identify any of the officers involved but said they ranged in rank from officer to major.
The memo referred to the officers being placed on leave as “a fairly routine action” but said council members were being notified because of the number of police involved.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2021/08/27/dallas-police-officers-placed-on-leave-over-alleged-involvement-in-pyramid-scheme/
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott can't enforce mask mandate ban, he argues in court
by Joshua Fetcher, Texas TribuneGov. Greg Abbott has been embroiled in court battles with Texas cities, counties and public schools that have defied his ban on local mask mandates. But in the urban areas where those battles are being waged, the local officials Abbott needs to enforce his ban aren’t playing ball.
Even as Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vow to punish local government and school district officials who flout the governor’s executive order, they conceded in court documents that they actually have no power to enforce the ban.
“Neither Governor Abbott nor Attorney General Paxton will be enforcing” the order, Paxton argued in a Monday court filing in Dallas.
Since the pandemic began, Abbott has issued a flurry of executive orders, the most prominent of which have limited cities and counties from enacting measures intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, like mask mandates and occupancy restrictions on businesses like restaurants and retailers.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/27/texas-mask-mandates-greg-abbott/
Covid, Intubation Change USD Student's Mind on Vaccine
USD poli-sci student and aspiring lawyer Kian Olson from Mankato thought coronavirus was fake and refused to get vaccinated. When coronavirus put him in the hospital last week, he told his mom, before the nurses sedated him and shoved a tube down his throat to keep him alive, that he now wants to be vaccinated:
He refused to accept that COVID-19 is a serious illness, said his mother, Nissa Sugden. He suggested the coronavirus did not exist or was a government conspiracy.
He has since told the nurses with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato who are working to save his life that he wants to be vaccinated as soon as possible [Jordan Smith, “Mankato Teen Struck with Covid-19 Goes on Ventilator,” Mankato Free Press, 2021.08.24].
Read more: https://dakotafreepress.com/2021/08/28/covid-intubation-change-usd-students-mind-on-vaccine/
As Sturgis rally clears, COVID cases, hospitalizations rise
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Rumbles from the motorcycles and rock shows of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have hardly cleared from the Black Hills of South Dakota, and the reports of COVID-19 infections among rallygoers are already streaming in — 178 cases across five states, according to contact tracers.
In the three weeks since the rally kicked off, coronavirus cases in South Dakota have shot up at a startling pace — sixfold from the early days of August. While it is not clear how much rallygoers spread the virus through secondary infections, state health officials have so far reported 63 cases among South Dakota residents who attended the event.
The epicenter of the rally, Meade County, has become red-hot with new cases, reaching a per capita rate that is similar to the hardest-hit Southern states. The county reported the highest rate of cases in the state over the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
The Black Hills region's largest hospital system, Monument Health, warned Friday that it has seen hospitalizations from the virus rise from five to 78 this month. The hospital was bracing for more COVID-19 patients by converting rooms to intensive care units and reassigning staff.
Read more: https://www.yankton.net/news/state_ap_sd/article_6c3e474b-614a-5f1f-873b-79c0847950ed.html
Redistricting gets into gear Monday. Will South Dakota's new legislative district map look fair and
Redistricting gets into gear Monday. Will South Dakota’s new legislative district map look fair and reasonable, for a change?When we talk about redistricting in this state, we should start with the plain fact that Republican overrepresentation in the legislature has got to be addressed. The numbers are actually ridiculous. Right now Republicans in the state make up 48% of total registrations, Democrats account for 27% and independents are 24%. Yet in the legislature, Pubs hold 90% of the seats, Dems hold 10% and there are 0 independents. True, the Republican registration advantage is enormous, but the fact is that in the November, 2020, general election, Biden got 36% of the vote in South Dakota. Those Biden voters, if they were mostly Democrats and some independents, are represented by only 11 seats out of 105 in our statehouse.
Amy Scott-Stoltz, president of South Dakota’s League of Women Voters, says that Republican registrations have held steady at 49% for three decades, but their numbers in the legislature have gone from 65 percent to 90% during that period. Scott-Stoltz is leading a petition drive called Drawn Together SD that would put an amendment on the state ballot next year calling for an independent redistricting commission to be established. The commission would not be able to seat a majority of any party and would be required to publish a report explaining the hows and whys of its redistricting plan.
Meantime, as the existing redistricting committee begins its current process Monday, when it will base its new legislative map using results from the 2020 census, ACLU South Dakota intends to keep a watchful eye on the proceedings. In a press release sent to The Standard this morning, ACLU headlines its statement by saying it wants to see “Fair, Equal Representation and More Public Listening Sessions in Redistricting Process.”
Here’s ACLU’s full statement:
Ahead of the House & Senate’s Joint Redistricting Committee meeting on Monday, the ACLU is reminding legislators that they have an obligation to uphold the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection and complying with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The ACLU is committed to monitoring their work to ensure fair and equal representation for everyone – particularly for the state’s Indigenous population.
“When redistricting is conducted properly, district lines are redrawn to reflect population changes and racial diversity,” said Candi Brings Plenty, ACLU of South Dakota Indigenous justice organizer. “But too often, redistricting is used as a political tool to manipulate the outcome of elections, a widespread, undemocratic practice that’s stifling the voice of too many voters. Indigenous communities, in particular, have faced numerous obstacles to meaningful participation in the political process, including the redistricting process.”
The committee must be especially vigilant when redrawing South Dakota’s maps so that the concerns of people who belong to racial, ethnic and minority groups are not overlooked. The ACLU recommends that the redistricting committee schedule additional public listening sessions on reservations and engage in consultation with tribal leaders. Failure to do so could lead to discriminatory district maps that may expose the state of South Dakota to costly litigation.
That’s what happened in Bone Shirt v. Hazeltine, a federal case in which a panel of judges found the state discriminated against Indigenous South Dakotans by not thoroughly involving them in the 2001 redistricting process. Because the current hearing locations do not include reservations, public testimony from Indigenous people could be even more limited than what occurred in Bone Shirt.
“There is a real concern that public testimony in the locations selected, which are exclusively outside reservations, will result in even fewer Indigenous people providing input – if not eliminating it entirely – in some regions,” Brings Plenty said. “Our state is leading the way across the board in our legislative leadership. Let’s continue to lead the way and elevate all South Dakotans to be seen, heard, represented and given equitable access with opportunities for our tribal nations to give public comment with their tribal communities.”
Read more: https://www.sdstandardnow.com/home/redistricting-gets-into-gear-monday-will-south-dakotas-new-legislative-district-map-look-fair-and-reasonable-for-a-change
Brookings' public works director indicted on embezzlement charge in Minnehaha County
BROOKINGS – The City of Brookings’ public works director has been indicted on a Minnehaha County charge of grand theft by embezzlement.
A Minnehaha County grand jury returned an indictment against Duane Buthe, 40, on Thursday, Brookings County State’s Attorney Dan Nelson reported in a press release.
“Beginning in May of this year, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation began an investigation into Mr. Buthe’s involvement with the South Dakota Association of County Highway Superintendents (SDACHS). Between the years of 2013 through 2020, Mr. Buthe worked as the Minnehaha County highway superintendent while also serving as secretary of SDACHS,” the press release says.
“The indictment alleges that Mr. Buthe misappropriated over $100,000 of SDACHS funds during his tenure as secretary. The allegations compile numerous retail transactions, cash withdrawals, and other misappropriations using the SDACHS account. It’s alleged that the purpose of the misappropriations was to personally benefit Mr. Buthe,” the press release says.
Read more: https://brookingsregister.com/article/buthe-indicted-on-embezzlement-charge-in-minnehaha-co
Gov. Kristi Noem calls on House to impeach Jason Ravnsborg after judge finds AG guilty
Gov. Kristi Noem is asking the South Dakota House of Representatives to review the case file of South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg's crash that killed a man in 2020, and consider impeachment.
The call from Noem comes after Ravnsborg stated Thursday he won't be stepping down from his role as the state's top law enforcement official, despite a judge only hours earlier finding him guilty of two misdemeanors tied to the crash almost a year ago.
Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch said in March the House would wait until after “the judicial system is able to do its job” to proceed with articles of impeachment against Ravnsborg, Noem's release stated. And the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association, the South Dakota Police Chiefs Association, and the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police previously called on him to resign, the release states.
Noem stated she was disappointed in how the case was handled by prosecutors, and "outraged" at the result of the case, alleging Ravnsborg had not accepted the responsibility of Boever's death.
Read more: https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/news/2021/08/26/jason-ravnsborg-attorney-general-joe-boever-crash/5602451001/
'From Hero to Zero': Dickinson Nurses and supporters protest vaccine mandates
In Dickinson, more than 200 medical professionals and community supporters gathered on Thursday, Aug. 26, to protest the federal and private vaccination mandates as conditions of employment — citing the rapid transition from 'Hero to Zero' in treatment.On Aug. 18, President Biden announced that staff members at nursing homes would now be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or those facilities would risk losing their Medicare and Medicaid funding.
“I'm using the power of the federal government, as a payer of healthcare costs, to ensure we reduce those risks to our most vulnerable seniors,” Biden said in a speech delivered at the White House concerning the mandate.
The federal announcement received both praise and condemnation from medical professionals and media, and appears to have caused a ripple effect throughout North Dakota where, according to the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration data tracker, the state ranks 42nd in the nation with more than 52% of the population remaining unvaccinated.
In a statement released by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, the new mandate “unfairly targets long-term care staff.”
Read more: https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/newsmd/health-news/7171074-From-Hero-to-Zero-Dickinson-Nurses-and-supporters-protest-vaccine-mandates
Bakken oil boom population growth captured in census count
It wasn’t shocking to oil patch residents that their communities’ populations soared over the past decade, but the results of the 2020 census nevertheless grabbed their attention.
The population of McKenzie County grew more than any county in the United States, in terms of percentage. The 131% growth there over the past 10 years was so striking that federal census officials made it a point to mention the county in a press conference when they released the data earlier this month.
“I’m surprised it was that high,” McKenzie County Commission Chair Howdy Lawler said. “With everything that went on with the oil industry out here, it’s not overwhelmingly surprising.”
Watford City, the county's hub, saw more population growth than any city in North Dakota, at 256%. It was a small town in 2010 with a population of less than 2,000. Today it has more than 6,000 residents, according to the census. Among the most obvious signs of the booming community is a downtown with many restaurants, numerous new apartment buildings, a new high school, and a large athletic and event center.
Read more: https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/bakken-oil-boom-population-growth-captured-in-census-count/article_f356bd6d-9a06-5200-bca1-dadd9d62f55a.html
Hopkins: North Dakota's blue hydrogen will be green
A recent study out from Stanford and Cornell universities claims that blue hydrogen production releases more greenhouse gases than simply burning natural gas. But the study looks at an out-dated process for producing blue hydrogen, the CEO of a company that plans to start a blue hydrogen hub in North Dakota says.
“Not many companies that are actually intending to do clean hydrogen from natural gas want to use steam methods,” Bakken Energy CEO Mike Hopkins told the Williston Herald’s Energy Chaser. “It’s a very old process. It does have absolute limitations as to just how much carbon you can capture. And it’s quite energy inefficient. So it’s got the two burdens of being energy efficient and very limiting in the ability to capture carbon.”
North Dakota’s hydrogen hub, on the other hand, will use an entirely different and newer process, auto thermal reforming.
“It’s not commonly used for the production of clean hydrogen because of the capital costs,” Hopkins explained. “It’s not so much the capital cost of the authothermal reforming. It’s the fact that you’d need an air separation unit. In the case of the Dakota Gasification plant, because of how it has operated as a gasification plant, it already has a perfectly good air separation unit.”
Read more: https://www.willistonherald.com/news/oil_and_energy/hopkins-north-dakotas-blue-hydrogen-will-be-green/article_510ced1c-05be-11ec-bdd4-f7a67700c692.html
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