I always knew that South Dakota could be an example to the nation; I never expected that such an example would be set in the midst of a global pandemic. But the work that South Dakota did wasn’t just me. It was our team at the Department of Health, the countless medical professionals across our state, teachers, law enforcement officers, grocers, small business owners, moms, dads, grandparents, you name it.

Growing up in Michigan, a state surrounded by lakes, wet snow was the only kind I really experienced as a kid. Heavy and damp, we’d make igloos, and snow forts, and whole families of snow people whenever we got enough snow to support such endeavors -- which wasn’t all that frequently. Snow would come and go as the temperatures rarely stayed below freezing for more than a week or two, and by March, it was definitely gone for good.

I recently got to enjoy one of my favorite days of the year in South Dakota, the annual Buffalo Roundup. I appreciate each and every day that I have the privilege to serve you as governor, but the day of the Buffalo Roundup is truly special. It incorporates South Dakota’s culture, heritage, outdoor spirit, and love for freedom, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun to boot.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s Fire Marshal says while the kitchen can be one of the favorite rooms in the house, it can also be a deadly one.

Last week I wrote about my sweet mare, Penny, who is helping me become the cowgirl I’ve always longed to be. Well, this week she and I got to test out all the skills we’ve been practicing this summer, and it was a testament to how far we’ve come...and how far we still have to go...

I recently had a chance to visit with a single mom, the mother of two young girls, from another state. Her state is locked down. Her little girls are doing 100% distance-learning. She is working full-time from home. And she is struggling.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness and connect individuals to treatment services. Mental health conditions can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background.

The brown mare came to our ranch with no name. An elderly cowboy friend of my husband’s had gotten her to be a companion to his roping horse. The mare did not take to roping -- the sound of a rope swinging over her head terrified her. So, she lived peacefully in his small pasture, watching the seasons slide past, by no means neglected, but certainly not befriended either.

South Dakota veterans and the Hot Springs community are currently celebrating the VA’s announcement that it has begun the process of rescinding the order to close the Hot Springs VA facility. This was a hardfought victory in a battle that we weren’t always sure we would win. It started almost a decade ago, in 2011, when the Obama administration announced plans to realign – read, close – the Hot Springs VA facility. I was well aware of what the Hot Springs facility means to South Dakota veterans and to the entire Hot Springs community, and I determined that there wasn’t going to be a closure if I could help it.

Walking through the north pasture, I am surprised by the tops of the elms nestled in the folds of the land. A few days ago they were still green, but now they are burnished to a bright, glowing amber. Against the gray sky and dusty prairie grasses, they shine like a vein of gold in a granite hillside.