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Wow! Believe it or not, October is upon us and we are at the end of the first nine weeks of school. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were still enjoying our summer vacation. For many people leaving the freedom and ease of summer and getting back into the swing of things at school is not their favorite choice. However, for many students who are involved in athletics and activities, they love getting back to school because it means it is time to get back into competitions, performances and being part of a team.

September precipitation was once again below average in the Missouri River Basin. September runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 0.6 million acre-feet (MAF), 47 percent of the longterm average. Soil conditions in the upper Missouri River Basin continue to be very dry. According to the Drought Mitigation Center, over 90 percent of the Missouri River basin is currently experiencing some form of abnormally dry conditions or drought, which is almost a 20 percent increase from the end of August. “Runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin was below average during the month of September and is expected to remain low throughout the rest of 2022,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.

The South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA) Board of Directors has selected Steve Barnett as the statewide organization’s new general manager. SDREA, which has served as the chief advocate for the state’s electric cooperative consumers for nearly 80 years, tapped Barnett to lead the association as the electric utility industry faces a rapidly changing future.

The McCook Lake Level is 1086.39 which is down 1.6 feet in 10 days. The water level in the lake is projected to drop almost seven feet this winter. Slightly more than last year. This will result in water levels of only about four feet by the end of March. The total volume in a full lake is about 900 million gallons with a water surface area of about 250 acres. The volume at the end of March is projected to be about 350 million gallons and a surface area of about 204 acres. So about two-thirds of the water is lost during the winter.

The South Dakota Municipal League (SDML) has selected David Reiss of Pierre as the next executive director of the SDML. “We have a really good feeling about the health of the Municipal League and what David brings to the organization,” SDML Past President Steve Allender said.

Retail businesses across South Dakota are preparing for hunters to hit the fields Oct. 15, the opening day of the 2022 pheasant hunting season. Thousands of hunters from around the country come to South Dakota each year to enjoy this unique and memorable tradition.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission held their meeting at the Rapid City Outdoor Campus Oct. 6-7.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) reminds landowners hay remaining in highway ditches needs to be removed. The bales must be removed to ensure road safety in the coming months.

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January. The 8.7 percent cost-ofliving adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin Dec. 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Medicare premiums are going down and Social Security benefits are going up in 2023, which will give seniors more peace of mind and breathing room,” Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said.