Kevin Woster

Kimberly Talcott is a very specific leaf reporter in a very specific place at a very specific time of the year.

As you probably know, in South Dakota secretary of state nominees for major political parties aren’t decided through a statewide primary election, though they probably should be. They’re selected by party delegates at the state conventions, which were once pretty predictable affairs when it came to candidate nominations. Especially for Republicans.

One is enough. More than enough. Or should be.

I considered the late Gov. Bill Janklow to be a bit of a prairie populist, but one who could also operate well within established political and governmental structures. I hadn’t thought of Noem in the same way.

As financial transactions go, it wasn’t a great deal. I paid $250 for a case of COVID.

A friend and I have agreed to disagree on Gov. Kristi Noem’s “saddle up” ad. He thinks it’s a pack of lies with a pretty backdrop. I think it’s a good campaign ad, with a great backdrop and some exaggerations and misleading moments.

It will always be one of my favorite trips to the Pine Ridge Reservation. One of my most informative, too. I was at the wheel of the Keloland News SUV. And Tim Giago was in the passenger’s seat, telling stories.

Bill Harlan and I were all smiles last week when we met at a Rapid City bagel shop to relive old times and consider current events.

It’s about the fish, of course, and the fishing. And Keefe Lake offers some of the best of both. But Dusty Johnson didn’t drive to the literal end of the road up in northern Saskatchewan Canada, then climb with his family and friends into an Otter float plane and fly another 150 miles just to land on some top walleye and lake-trout water.

This is about an anniversary, a 20th anniversary.