South Dakota

SD State Legislature Candidate Survey: Kaleb Weis

Published

3 years ago

June 4, 2022

SD State Legislature Candidate Survey: Kaleb Weis

ABERDEEN, S.D. (Dakota Information Now) – Consultant Kaleb Weis (R-Aberdeen) is working for re-election within the South Dakota State Home District 3. The District is in Brown County, and is made up principally of Aberdeen. Weis is one in every of 4 candidates working for 2 seats within the state legislature. Carl Perry, Rick Rylance, and Brandei Schaefbauer are additionally pursuing Home seats in District 3.

1. Inform us about your self?

My spouse and I grew up in South Dakota, and we’re elevating our youngsters, Abigail, Basya and David, with the identical sturdy South Dakota values we grew up with. We work onerous; we don’t spend cash we don’t have; and we assist our household and neighbors. I strongly assist conventional household values. Our youngsters should develop up in a protected and loving surroundings of their properties, colleges and communities. We volunteer for the native 4-H membership and are energetic in our native church. We take part within the Brown County Honest and our youngsters have benefitted from classes on the ARC. I work lengthy days putting in and repairing heating and air-conditioning models in properties and companies throughout District 3, labored on the household farm and maintain a level from Lake Space Tech in Watertown.

2. Why are you working for this workplace?

I like South Dakota and I want that I may meet each single one in every of you in particular person. We face actual challenges right here: from creating high quality jobs to preserving the household farms and ranches alive; from offering the most effective schooling doable for our youngsters to providing high quality residing preparations for our seniors; from preserving our streets and roads in good restore to preserving utility charges reasonably priced. Within the face of those challenges, I do know we are able to and can discover options that work – as a result of there isn’t any stop in South Dakota! That’s why I’m working.

3. What could be your prime three priorities if elected?

My prime three priorities could be defending our youngsters, monetary duty, and limiting authorities intervention.

4. What related expertise would you carry to the workplace?

I’ve served within the South Dakota Home of Representatives for the previous 4 years. I’m a daily South Dakota household man. I’m not an legal professional or an enormous ranch proprietor, and I don’t have the pursuits of massive medical amenities as a predictor of how I’ll vote. My work ethic and historical past match a lot of the inhabitants of District 3. I battle for normal households that work common jobs, pay excessive taxes and use neighborhood providers. My telephone quantity is accessible to the folks of my district and I learn emails. I need the PEOPLE to have a voice in Pierre.

5. Do you assist tax reduction for South Dakotans? If that’s the case, what sort and the way would you make it occur?

I voted for each single tax lower that was introduced in Pierre final session, whereas those that have financed the assault postcards in opposition to me for this major election voted in opposition to ALL of them. (SB 117 Repeal tax on meals, HB 1327 Gross sales tax discount .5%, HB 1237 Return COVID cash to South Dakota tax payers, and to droop the foundations to introduce a invoice to droop the gasoline tax) I’m in favor of smaller extra native authorities. That’s the reason I voted sure on HB 1053, a measure to permit the PEOPLE of every county to VOTE to set a gross sales tax to be used of their OWN county. Counties can already increase property taxes by a PEOPLE’S VOTE. Giving counties the choice to decide on gross sales tax as a substitute, provides the PEOPLE extra choices.

6. Housing availability has change into a difficulty for a lot of South Dakotans. How would you search to make housing extra reasonably priced?

I imagine within the free market system. Authorities should stop selecting winners and losers. The extra we regulate the banking and housing trade, the less properties we have now. The extra purple tape and authorities laws we take away, the extra housing turns into out there. When authorities officers infuse tax cash into one place of the market—like making ready tons for $350,000 homes – it pulls employees and assets from different locations available in the market. It additionally appears that these authorities monies are likely to land within the palms of the buddies of highly effective authorities officers.

7. South Dakota correctional amenities have been coping with quite a lot of points, most outstanding amongst them overcrowding and staffing shortages. What would you do to assist fight these points?

Our jail techniques will need to have extra complete and sensible methods to rehabilitate prisoners and put them again into the work drive when they’re launched. We should begin with higher management over drug use starting in our Junior Excessive and Excessive Faculties. So long as substance abuse stays acceptable amongst school-aged youngsters, we’ll proceed to incarcerate younger adults who get caught within the internet of drug dependancy and the crimes that stem from dependancy. We should deal with the drug addictions of prisoners and provides them the instruments that they should keep clear when they’re launched. Educating trades and placing parolees to work is the sensible plan that may assist with workforce shortages, lower overcrowding within the prisons, and cut back recidivism.

8. What steps ought to the legislature take to entice younger folks to stay within the state?

Persons are transferring to South Dakota from everywhere in the nation! They’re coming for the freedom and freedom that was protected guarded by the votes of the SD Home of Representatives throughout the well being disaster of 2020. They need a smaller authorities with much less management, decrease taxes, and extra alternatives to prosper with out authorities intrusion. They love the job and entrepreneurial alternatives right here. Our younger folks need those self same issues.

9. Do you assist any adjustments to the way in which elections are run in South Dakota?

I’m in favor of returning our election course of to paper ballots solely. With our small inhabitants the quantity of additional work concerned is effectively well worth the safety. We have to take a look at the ways in which fraud is going down in our elections and eradicate these weaknesses. We have to make our electoral course of extra open and clear for many who have questions. I imagine that absentee ballots should be requested and verified signatures ought to be required. I’m glad that SD requires a sound ID to vote.

10. A U.S. Supreme Courtroom determination is looming on a landmark abortion case that might in the end overturn Roe v. Wade. Governor Kristi Noem has indicated she wish to ban abortion outright, and a “set off legislation” already on the books would so, with solely an exception in place when the mom’s life is in danger. Do you assist banning abortion to this extent? If not, what exceptions would you wish to see made?

In 2019 alone 414 unborn South Dakota youngsters had been killed earlier than they’d an opportunity to attract their first breath. As a result of with out it, not one of the different rights actually matter, we should defend this most elementary proper! I’ve a 100% ranking as a South Dakota Proper To Life chief within the SD Home. Sadly, not all the Republicans working on this June seventh major election have an equally sturdy document of defending this most elementary and elementary proper. We will’t know the way the candidates who haven’t served will truly vote. We solely know the way they SAY that they are going to vote. I’m a powerful voice for these with no voice.

I’m open to listening to the concepts that come ahead and voting for the laws that finest protects pregnant moms and their infants, born and unborn.

11. What’s your stance on legalized, leisure marijuana in South Dakota?

I imagine that leisure marijuana ought to have been on the poll all by itself. South Dakota solely handed the measure as a result of it was grouped with hemp manufacturing and medical marijuana. This violated our state structure. Different states which have legalized leisure marijuana are discovering it to be “tax destructive” as the rise in social service prices have risen to effectively over the income generated by the marijuana and have absorbed MORE social providers tax {dollars}. I additionally imagine that we’ll see a rise in crime, and the expense that comes with that, as we see an inflow of people that come to our state, to not work, however particularly to make use of marijuana.

State legislative candidates in contested districts this major season had been emailed the identical survey to finish for Dakota Information Now/KOTA Territory Information. Candidates had been requested to maintain their responses restricted to roughly 4-5 sentences for every query. Aside from a fast spelling and grammar test, solutions weren’t edited by the poster. Those that responded to the survey questions had their outcomes posted.

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South Dakota

Court documents reveal more details about the Yankton man accused of murder

Published

8 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Court documents reveal more details about the Yankton man accused of murder

YANKTON S.D. (KTIV) -Court documents are now revealing more details about the man accused of murdering his girlfriend, last week.

In December of 2021, 32-year-old Craig Allen Nichols Jr. of Yankton, South Dakota was charged with four counts of felony aggravated assault and four counts of simple assault in Minnehaha County.

Craig Allen Nichols Jr. was arrested on several charges related to a death in Yankton, S.D.(Yankton County Sheriff)

Documents say Nichols reportedly used a taser to assault another man, resulting in injury. Nichols was found not guilty by reason of insanity in June of 2023 and then committed to the Human Services Center, located in Yankton, for treatment.

Records report Nichols was released from the center in August of 2024.

As previously reported, Nichols is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and two counts of contempt of court, after he was taken into custody by Yankton officials and accused of murdering 41-year-old Heather Bodden on Thursday, January 2.

The investigation began after three women told police they found Heather Bodden’s body inside the East Meadow Apartments at 1001 Memory Lane.

As of now, the case remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe has been started for Bodden, which can be found online.

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South Dakota

College football QB transfer tracker: South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski commits to Iowa

Published

16 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

College football QB transfer tracker: South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski commits to Iowa

It’s both transfer season and bowl season in college football.

The poor timing of the sport’s calendar means that players need to enter the transfer portal immediately after the end of the season to enroll at a new school for the second semester. That means players across the country have to leave their current teams before a bowl game to find a new school. And that coaches have to both prepare their current players for a bowl game while also recruiting transfers for the 2025 season.

Here’s our tracker of notable QB transfers across college football ahead of the 2025 season.

SDSU’s Mark Gronowski commits to Iowa

Iowa has landed a top transfer quarterback.

Former South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski told ESPN that he’s committing to the Hawkeyes for his final season of eligibility. Gronowski entered the transfer portal after coach Jimmy Rogers became the head coach at Washington State following SDSU’s FCS semifinal loss to national champion North Dakota State.

Gronowski has been one of the best players at the FCS level over the past three seasons. In 2024, he was 206-of-338 passing for 2,721 yards and threw 23 TDs with seven interceptions. He also rushed for 10 touchdowns. In his career, Gronowski has thrown for 93 TDs to just 20 interceptions and has also rushed for 37 scores.

Iowa has been looking for an upgrade at quarterback in recent seasons. The team added former Michigan QB Cade McNamara ahead of the 2023 season, but McNamara suffered a season-ending knee injury a season ago and also dealt with injuries during the 2024 season before entering the transfer portal again for a potential seventh season of college football.

Overall, Iowa quarterbacks McNamara, Brendan Sullivan and Jackson Stratton were 163-of-260 passing for 1,711 yards and 10 TDs with eight interceptions during the 2024 season. The Hawkeyes finished the season 8-5 after losing to Missouri in the Music City Bowl.

Malachi Nelson transferring to UTEP

Former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson is heading to UTEP.

Per ESPN, the former USC and Boise State quarterback will continue his college career with the Miners. Nelson was the No. 2 QB at Boise State this season after transferring from USC following his freshman season in 2023.

Through two seasons of college football, Nelson has played in four games. He threw three passes in one game at USC and was 12-of-17 for 128 yards and a pick in three games at Boise State. He’ll have three more years of eligibility remaining.

When he signed with USC, Nelson was the No. 4 pro style QB in the class of 2023 and the No. 14 player in the country.

Dequan Finn transferring to Miami (Ohio)

Dequan Finn is heading back to the MAC.

The former Toledo star is transferring to Miami (Ohio) after spending the 2024 season at Baylor. Finn was the 2023 MAC player of the year with the Rockets as he was 201-of-317 passing for 2,657 yards and 22 TDs along with 563 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.

However, he played in just three games at Baylor in 2024 as Sawyer Robertson emerged as the team’s starting quarterback during the season. In limited playing time at Baylor, Finn was 23-of-43 passing for 307 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed 21 times for 66 yards and two scores.

Finn will be in his seventh season of college football in 2025. He has an extra season of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic and also played in just three games in 2019 and reportedly applied for a medical waiver for the 2025 season.

Beau Pribula to Missouri

After leaving Penn State ahead of the College Football Playoff, Beau Pribula has found his new home.

Pribula is set to transfer to Missouri, according to multiple reports on Sunday night. Pribula served as Drew Allar’s backup quarterback this season at Penn State, though Pribula announced that he was going to transfer away before the Nittany Lions’ blowout win over SMU in the first round of the playoffs. Allar announced he will return to Penn State next season, too.

Pribula will have two years of eligibility remaining at Missouri, where he’ll likely replace Brady Cook. Pribula, a former four-star recruit, went 26-of-35 for 275 yards with five touchdowns and an interception this season. He had 242 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries, too. Missouri also has Drew Pyne, who backed up Cook this past season, on its roster.

The Tigers went 9-3 this season, the fifth under coach Eli Drinkwitz. They will wrap up their season against Iowa in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.

Michigan adds Fresno State’s Mikey Keene

Michigan was looking for a veteran quarterback who might provide a one-year bridge to five-star recruit Bryce Underwood. The Wolverines found one with Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, who has one more year of eligibility.

As a two-year starter for the Bulldogs, Keene threw for 5,868 yards and 42 touchdowns, completing 68.7% of his passes. He is also familiar with Michigan’s new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, whom he played under at UCF in 2022.

Michigan’s QB play has major room for improvement after the 2024 season. The Wolverines ranked near the worst in the nation in passing offense, averaging 133.6 yards per game and 5.5 yards per attempt.

Davis Warren threw for 1,126 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games, while Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle also started games last season. Orji has entered the transfer portal while Tuttle retired from football due to injury. Warren has a fifth year of eligibility remaining and could return. Redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis will also be in the QB mix with Underwood and Keene.

Fernando Mendoza to Indiana

After a huge season at Cal, Fernando Mendoza is headed to the Big Ten.

Mendoza committed to play at Indiana next season, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Mendoza, who was one of the top quarterbacks available in the portal this offseason, threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns at Cal. His younger brother is a freshman quarterback at Indiana, too.

The Hoosiers are coming off of their best season in school history. They won a program high 11 games and reached the College Football Playoff, though they fell to Notre Dame in the opening round. Kurtis Rourke led the Hoosiers in his final college season, and he racked up 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Maalik Murphy transferring to Oregon State

Former Texas and Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy is heading west.

Murphy committed to Oregon State on Thursday according to multiple reports. He joins the Beavers after one season in Durham following his transfer from Texas.

Murphy was 254-of-421 passing for 2,933 yards and 26 TDs with 12 interceptions in 2024. He spent the 2023 season as Texas’ No. 2 quarterback and started in Quinn Ewers’ absence when Ewers suffered a shoulder injury. However, due to the timing of the transfer portal, he left the Longhorns before the College Football Playoff.

Murphy will have two seasons of eligibility with the Beavers. Oregon State went 5-7 in 2024 as three different quarterbacks played in at least five games.

After Murphy entered the transfer portal at the end of the season, Duke moved quickly to secure a commitment from Tulane’s Darian Mensah.

Liberty’s Kaidon Salter heads to Colorado

One of the most productive QBs in college football during the 2023 season is heading to Colorado.

Liberty’s Kaidon Salter committed to Colorado on Wednesday for his final season of eligibility. Salter had 44 total touchdowns in 2023 as Liberty went undefeated and won Conference USA before losing to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. Salter returned to Liberty for the 2024 season after he briefly entered the portal following the Fiesta Bowl loss.

Billy Edwards commits to Wisconsin

Former Maryland QB Billy Edwards said Monday that he was heading to Wisconsin. Edwards was 273-of-420 passing for 2,881 yards and 15 TDs with nine interceptions over 11 games in 2024. He also rushed for 148 yards and five touchdowns. Edwards appeared in 15 games over his first two seasons at Maryland before becoming the team’s primary QB in 2024.

Wisconsin is undergoing an overhaul at the QB position as the team made a coordinator change at the end of the season. QBs Braedyn Locke and Tyler Van Dyke have entered the transfer portal already. Locke was the team’s starter for most of the season after Van Dyke suffered a torn ACL against Alabama.

Wazzu QB John Mateer enters portal

Washington State QB John Mateer was one of the most dynamic players in college football in 2024. He’ll be playing at a new school in 2025.

Mateer is entering the portal after leading college football with 44 total TDs. He threw for 29 scores and rushed for 15 others as he had at least one passing TD and one rushing TD in 10 of Washington State’s 12 games.

Penn State QB Beau Pribula leaves team before playoff

The Nittany Lions will have a new backup behind Drew Allar for the College Football Playoff.

No. 2 QB Beau Pribula announced Sunday that he was entering the transfer portal ahead of the postseason. Pribula lamented the timing of his announcement because of college football’s calendar, and his sentiments were backed up by coach James Franklin, who said he supported his QB’s decision to find a new school.

Pribula’s decision to transfer came a day before Allar announced he will return to Penn State for the 2025 season.

Pribula saw significant playing time in 2024 behind Allar. He was 26-of-35 passing for 275 yards and five TDs and rushed 38 times for 242 yards and four scores while appearing in all 13 of PSU’s games.

Miller Moss will spend final season at Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals will likely have a one-year transfer starting at quarterback for a second straight season.

Former USC QB Miller Moss committed to the Cardinals on Saturday. Moss was USC’s starter for much of the season in 2024 before he was replaced by Jayden Maiava. Moss was 233-of-362 passing for 2,555 yards with 18 TDs and nine interceptions across nine games.

The Cardinals and coach Jeff Brohm got an up-close look at what Moss can do in the Holiday Bowl at the end of the 2023 season. With Caleb Williams opting out for the NFL Draft, Moss started the game and was 23-of-33 for 372 yards and six TDs.

Tyler Shough spent the 2024 season as Louisville’s starter after stints at Oregon and Texas Tech. In his seventh season of college football, Shough has completed 63% of his passes and thrown for 23 TDs and just six interceptions.

Ex-Stanford QB Ashton Daniels joins Jackson Arnold at Auburn

Auburn added a second starting QB in less than a week on Monday when Stanford’s Ashton Daniels committed to the Tigers. In 11 games in 2024, Daniels was 170-of-271 passing for 1,700 yards and 10 TDs with 12 interceptions. He also was the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 148 carries for 669 yards and three TDs.

Daniels has appeared in 33 games over his Stanford career and is 366-of-602 passing for 3,986 yards. His commitment came days after former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold committed to Auburn. The Tigers will have a new starter in 2025 after Payton Thorne is out of eligibility and Hank Brown transferred to Iowa.

Utah adds New Mexico QB Devon Dampier and OC

Dual-threat QB Devon Dampier is heading to Utah.

The Utes got a commitment from Dampier on Dec. 11 after the Utes hired former New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck to call plays.

Dampier thrived under Beck in 2024 as one of the most underrated players in college football. Dampier was 226-of-390 passing for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed 155 times for 1,166 yards and 19 scores. He was the only player to rush for over 1,000 yards while throwing for over 2,500 yards this season.

Dampier is set to be the presumptive starter for the Utes as they attempt to rebound from a poor 2024. QB Isaac Wilson was the team’s primary starter after Cam Rising’s multiple injuries. Wilson was briefly in the transfer portal before recommitting to Utah.

Thomas Castellanos goes to Florida State

After an ignominious end to his Boston College career, Thomas Castellanos is heading to Florida State.

The former BC QB entered the transfer portal at the end of the season after he lost his starting job in November. Through eight games in 2024, Castellanos threw for 1,366 yards and 18 TDs.

But Castellanos’ season was effectively over after Grayson James replaced him in a win over Syracuse. Castellanos stepped away from the team after BC coach Bill O’Brien announced that James would remain the team’s primary QB and announced he was heading into the portal a short time later.

Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman heads to Houston

Conner Weigman decided to stay in Texas after transferring from Texas A&M.

The former Aggies starter committed to Houston after putting his name in the portal. Weigman was the team’s starting quarterback but lost his job to Marcel Reed during the Aggies’ comeback win over LSU.

A former four-star recruit, Weigman has dealt with injuries during each of the past two seasons. He missed time in 2024 because of a shoulder injury and played in just four games in 2023 before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Maalik Murphy transfers from Duke, Darian Mensah commits

Duke effectively made an early transfer portal QB trade once the 2024 season ended.

Starter Maalik Murphy entered the portal after one season with the Blue Devils. Just days after Murphy said he was transferring, Duke added former Tulane QB Darian Mensah.

Mensah was one of the top-rated QBs in the portal since he announced he was leaving Tulane two days after the AAC title game. He threw for over 2,723 yards and 22 TDs as a redshirt freshman in 2024.

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South Dakota

Ex-S. Dakota St. QB Gronowski commits to Iowa

Published

24 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Ex-S. Dakota St. QB Gronowski commits to Iowa

Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports InsiderJan 7, 2025, 05:11 PM ET
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After showing signs of life on offense in 2024, Iowa is making moves to carry that momentum into 2025.

Former South Dakota State star quarterback Mark Gronowski has committed to Iowa, he told ESPN on Tuesday.

Gronowski, who made an official visit to Iowa on Jan. 3, also strongly considered the NFL, as he had already been issued an invite to the NFL scouting combine, sources told ESPN.

He is the top remaining quarterback in ESPN’s transfer portal rankings, the No. 4 overall quarterback and No. 19 overall player. He’s the most experienced and accomplished quarterback available in this cycle.

“It’s a great coaching staff,” Gronowski told ESPN of the Hawkeyes. “With Coach [Tim] Lester being there and being in the NFL last year and bringing an NFL offense to Iowa, it’s a great opportunity to develop as a player, learn an NFL offense and win a lot of games.”

He comes from a dominant career at South Dakota State, where he tied the FCS all-time mark with 49 wins as a starting quarterback and won two national titles.

Gronowski brings dual-threat capability to the Hawkeyes, as he’s thrown for 10,330 yards and 93 touchdowns and ran for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns.

“The culture at Iowa reminds me a lot of the classic Midwest culture I grew up in,” Gronowski said. “It’s a family atmosphere, and all the coaches are welcoming. It’s a similar situation to where I’ve been. It’s a big part of why I ended up going there.”

Iowa finished 129th out of 130 teams in scoring offense in 2023, averaging 15.4 points per game. The Hawkeyes improved this season under Lester, averaging 27.7 points per game to rise to No. 72 in the rankings.

Lester worked for the Green Bay Packers prior to coming to Iowa and brought with him the NFL offense run by Matt LaFleur that’s derived from Kyle Shanahan’s tree.

That appealed to Gronowski.

“It’s the Shanahan system that they are running there,” Gronowski said. “That’s what a lot of NFL teams are running. My goal throughout the process of transferring was getting in a situation to become the best player and be the best potential prospect for the NFL.”

There’s still plenty of work to go in Iowa’s passing game after they averaged 131.6 yards per game through the air this season — fifth worst in college football.

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