Man accused of threatening Gov. Noem, judge
SIOUX FALLS (AP) – A South Dakota man is charged with threatening a state official and judge after he allegedly faxed a message to a local TV station saying he planned to kill Gov. Kristi Noem and allegedly emailed a threat to a judge.
Jason Shields was arrested in October shortly after the threats were made, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported. He is charged with a pair of felonies that each carry a maximum five-year prison sentence.
According to court documents, Shields sent a one-page fax to a TV station on Oct. 23 saying he and several others were planning to kill the Republican governor soon. Law enforcement arrested Shields that day. He later told law enforcement officers that he had acted alone, court documents say.
Shield also told officers that a day earlier he had emailed Magistrate Judge Donna Bucher that he wanted her killed because he felt she had made decisions that were not “appropriate or just,” according to court documents.
Shields has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Sandy Steffen, declined to comment on the charges. Both the governor’s security team and South Dakota’s court system increased their security protocols after the threats.
Names released in Lawrence County fatal crash
WHITEWOOD – A Box Elder man has died as a results of injuries suffered in a two-vehicle crash that occurred Nov. 16 in Whitewood.
Preliminary crash information indicates that a 2005 Dodge Durango was eastbound on state Highway 34 when it left the roadway to the south, crossed into the westbound lane, and collided with a westbound 2015 Ford F350 pickup and trailer.
Buddy King, the 51-year-old driver of the Durango, was not wearing a seat belt and had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was flown to a Rapid City hospital where he died Nov. 18. The four occupants of the pickup were not injured. They were wearing seat belts.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
Names released in Tripp County crash
WITTEN – A Burke man has been identified as the person who died Nov. 28 in a one-vehicle crash south of Witten.
Preliminary crash information indicates that a 2007 Kenworth W900 cement truck was southbound on state Highway 53 when the driver lost control. The vehicle went into the east ditch and rolled.
Brian Snyder, the 47-year-old driver, was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
Programs offer certificates in high-demand fields
PIERRE – The Department of Labor and Regulation and Board of Technical Education are partnering to provide eligible individuals occupational skills training through online, in-person and hybrid formats. Twenty seats are available, and the deadline to apply is Dec. 27.
UpSkill certificate programs are available for people who have obstacles to overcome to secure employment. Eligibility criteria includes, but is not limited to, being laid off, earning a low income, or having a disability.
“Eligible participants will earn credentials in high-demand fields such as healthcare, information technology and manufacturing at little to no cost,” said state Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman. “After completing the UpSkill program, participants have many options available to them including a new career field, advancing in their current career or continuing their education.”
Over 20 certificates are available in spring 2023 through Western Dakota Technical College, Southeast Technical College and Lake Area Technical College. Credits earned from certificate programs can integrate with associate and bachelor’s degree programs at public institutions across the state.
“Enrollment in UpSkill also comes with DLR’s excellent case management and our full array of services for job seekers,” Secretary Hultman said.
All applications begin at the technical colleges. Individuals interested in participating should contact the technical college offering the certificate program of interest. For a list of eligible programs and contact information, visit dlr.sd.gov/sdupskill.
UpSkill is funded through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding.
Governors seek revised forest plan
PIERRE – Last week, Gov. Kristi Noem and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon urged the supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest to produce another set of draft assessments for the forest’s plan revision process.
“We request that the Forest Service produce another set of draft assessments with a public comment period, that those assessments include citations for factual statements, and that they contain discussion of why one authority was relied upon over another,” Noem wrote. “We look forward to meaningful participation in the Black Hills National Forest’s forest plan revision process.”
In recent years, timber mills in the Black Hills have struggled to keep the doors of their business. Under logging constraints, one mill has already closed in South Dakota.
“We are concerned about the apparent desire of the Forest Service to drastically reduce the timber program in the Black Hills National Forest,” Noem said.
The governors pointed to what they claim are flawed statements “not backed by scientific material” in the Black Hills National Forest Plan revision assessments. These flaws included errors in both the data analysis and assumptions in the Black Hills timber sustainability general technical report.
“If the inaccuracies are not addressed, it will be difficult for our states to have confidence in the outcome of the forest plan revision,” wrote the governors.
