Thursday - March 28, 2024
State Tipoffs Involving South Dakota Newsletter for Sunday March 29, 2020 ( 14 items )  

Avera Closes Hospitals to Visitors
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, March 25 -- Avera Health, an integrated health system, issued the following news: Avera is closing its hospitals to visitors to protect patients and staff from the spread of COVID-19. This takes effect Wednesday, March 25, at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls, and on other dates this week at other Avera hospitals. For end-of-life, births, NICU and pediatric cases, limited visitors will be allowed. Avera is setting up virtual visitatio  more

Avera Health: Minnesota Facilities Take Measures to Reduce COVID-19 Spread
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, March 24 -- Avera Health, an integrated health system, issued the following news: With the spread of COVID-19 increasing, Avera facilities in Marshall, Tyler, Lake Benton, Ivanhoe and Granite Falls, as well as Hendricks Community Hospital Association are taking proactive measures this week to further control traffic and limit visitors in their facilities. Clinics in these communities are developing separate well care and ill care areas to limit contact between indivi  more

Avera Laboratory Validated for COVID-19 Testing
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, March 24 -- Avera Health, an integrated health system, issued the following news: Avera's laboratory in Sioux Falls has been verified by the South Dakota Department of Health to perform COVID-19 testing. The Avera Institute for Human Genetics has worked closely with the governor's office as well as the state health department to establish guidelines on how pending tests are processed. This additional testing site will allow processing of up to 200 tests per day. Ave  more

Department of Education Approves South Dakota's Statewide Assessment Waiver
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 24 -- The South Dakota Department of Education issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Education has informally approved the South Dakota Department of Education's waiver of statewide assessment requirements, accountability, and school identification requirements for the 2019-20 school year. Through this waiver, South Dakota will not need to administer its statewide assessments to students, to make annual accountability determinations, to identify   more

N.Y. Gov. Cuomo: Statement From Communications Director Dani Lever on Senate Stimulus Bill
ALBANY, New York, March 26 -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-New York, issued the following statement: "The Governor suggested that the Senate bill is "terrible" for New York State. Here are the facts that justify that assertion. "Based on initial reports, New York State government gets approximately $3.1 billion. As a percent of our total state budget -- 1.9% -- it is the second lowest amount in the nation. Literally 48 states get a higher percentage in funding than New York State. For example, South   more

S.D. Department of Education Technical Colleges to Continue Online Classes for the Remainder of the Semester
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 26 -- The South Dakota Department of Education issued the following news release: As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota increases, the state's four technical colleges will continue to provide course delivery online through the remainder of the semester. With only weeks remaining in the semester, the institutions will build on the extensive hands-on experience our students already possess. Our faculty and staff will rely on simulation software,  more

S.D. Department of Labor and Regulation: Unemployment Insurance Eligibility Requirements Loosened
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 23 -- The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation issued the following news release: State Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman exercised authority to waive the requirement workers filing for unemployment must actively search for work to be eligible for benefits. This waiver remains effective until the Governor's declared state of emergency ends. The waiver period applies to weekly requests for payment filed for the week ending March 21 and forward.  more

S.D. Gov. Noem Issues Executive Order Regarding Coronavirus Guidelines
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 25 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Whereas, An outbreak of the severe respiratory disease, COVID-19, which is caused by and is transmitted by the person-to-person spread of the novel coronavirus, started in late 2019 and has currently been detected in more than 100 countries, including the United States; and, Whereas, The World Health Organization has designated COVID-19 a pandemic, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and  more

S.D. Gov. Noem Signs 13 Bills
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 26 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: On veto day, which will be held electronically on March 30, 2020, Noem will ask the state Legislature to concur with her recommendations so she may sign Senate Bill 20 and 75 into law. The text of the veto messages is reproduced below. SB 61 An Act to revise certain provisions regarding a municipal office nominating petition. SB 74 An Act to revise provisions regarding legislative candidates  more

S.D. Gov. Noem Signs 17 Bills
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 25 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * SB 21 An Act to authorize temporary variable speed limits on state highways under certain circumstances. * SB 39 An Act to establish the Jobs for South Dakota's Graduates program and the special donation fund. * SB 41 An Act to authorize the Board of Regents to contract for the construction of a facilities building at the University of South Dakota and to make an appropriation therefor. *  more

S.D. Gov. Noem Signs 19 Bills
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 25 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * SB 2 An Act to require the Department of Social Services to fully support a statewide centralized resource information system. * SB 73 An Act to exempt certain persons from the requirement to publish name changes. * SB 84 An Act to authorize service animals in-training to enter certain establishments. * SB 96 An Act to prohibit the denial of benefits based solely on a controlled substance  more

S.D. Gov. Noem Weekly Column: South Dakotans Come Together to Respond to COVID-19
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 23 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Since January, my team at the Department of Health has been preparing for this virus and what that may mean for South Dakota. At the moment, our numbers continue to be encouraging, but we do still expect things to get worse before they get better. Thanks to the proactive steps we developed with healthcare providers, schools, leaders and businesses and communities across the state, we have del  more

S.D. Transportation Department: Federal Grants Awarded for Rail Projects
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 24 -- The South Dakota Department of Transportation issued the following news release: The South Dakota Department of Transportation has learned that four grant requests have been approved to receive Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant awards. The awards come from the Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grant Program which is program under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRIS) Program and the Restoration and Enhancement G  more

South Dakota Legislature to Hold 'Electronic' Veto Day
PIERRE, South Dakota, March 26 -- The South Dakota Legislative Research Council issued the following news release: When the South Dakota Legislature meets on March 30, 2020 for its last scheduled day of the 2020 session, to consider bills vetoed by the Governor, there will be plenty of social distance between members. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the guidance to limit the size of gatherings to fewer than ten people, Veto Day business will be conducted electronically. Legislators will parti  more