Broadcaster Press 5 June 20, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com Aaron McDowell, Deputy Chief – EMS, of the Vermillion Fire EMS Department accepts a check from Jackie Williams, Media Consultant for the Broadcaster and Plain Talk. Thank you to all the sponsors of the National EMS Week special section in May for making this donation possible. Gov. Daugaard Issues State Of Emergency For Drought Conditions Weekly Column: A Common Country By Rep. Kristi Noem On June 14, Members of Congress, their staff, and Capitol Hill Police were fired upon while preparing for a charity baseball game. The incident left five victims with varying degrees of injury. Due to a fast response from law enforcement, however, dozens of lives were saved and I’m immensely grateful to them for that. My prayers have been with all those involved and their families, but also with our nation. We are a country built on the freedom to disagree. Our Founding Fathers orchestrated a revolution to ensure their children and grandchildren would not be ruled by a monarch whose heavy hand eliminated the freedom of religion, speech, and press. Later generations embraced peaceful protest to protect liberties for all, earning women the right to vote and ending segregation. Our men and women in uniform have fought to protect these freedoms; their sacrifices ought not to be taken for granted. None of this means that America hasn’t struggled with how to deal with disagreement throughout our 240-plus-year history. During the worst of times, the differences erupted into a brutal Civil War. But even as neighbor stood against neighbor, brother against brother, Abraham Lincoln turned his focus to what binds us together: “Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling.” With an ad in the 624-4429 Broadcaster Although the divisions today are nowhere near as deep as they were before our nation fell into the Civil War, many have come to feel complete disdain for those who have a different political view – a reality we see in our daily interactions on social media and elsewhere. In the back-and-forth of issues we’re passionate about, I understand contempt can be an easy emotion to fall back on. But when things get heated, we must keep in mind that the person we’re debating is God’s creation too. That, in and of itself, demands civility. So, I ask that you join me in praying for our ability to disagree on matters of policy, principle, and belief while maintaining respect for the “other side.” I also ask that you keep the president, members of Congress, and all elected officials in your prayers. Finally, I ask that you seek God’s comfort and strength for every family impacted by violence. I will be doing the same. I wanted to close this piece with something I wrote after Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot: “We are all South Dakotans and we are all Americans. Those are ties that will always remain stronger than any political affiliation or ideological viewpoint – no matter how strongly held.” I am so proud to represent South Dakota and our diversity of viewpoints. Thank you for always surrounding my family and I with your prayers. It truly means the world to us. Let Our Family Business Keep Yours In The Go With: • Farm Filters • Hydraulic Hoses • Bearings & Seals Cox Auto 1007 Broadway Ave Yankton, SD 605•665•4494 PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard has declared a statewide emergency because of the ongoing drought conditions in South Dakota. As part of the State of Emergency, the state will ease haying and transportation restrictions to assist agriculture producers. “The drought has really hurt grass and hay production in much of the state, which is making our ag producers scramble to keep livestock fed. I’m hopeful that these changes will help keep livestock on the farm until the drought breaks,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Effective immediately, farmers and ranchers may cut and bale state highway ditches across the entire state. The South Dakota Department of Transportation has suspended their mowing operations until July 5 to allow farmers to access more of the hay along the ditches. During this time SDDOT will continue to mow in urban areas. For safety reasons, mowing in the medians of divided four-lane highways is prohibited and a permit is still required for mowing interstate right-of-ways. Because of the dry conditions, farmers and ranchers are strongly encouraged to carry fire extinguishers on mowing equipment. Producers are also reminded to be watchful of traffic along the highways and to always yield to oncoming traffic. The state is also authorizing producers to travel statewide without a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to ease transport of feed in the drought stricken area. With the emergency drought disaster declaration federal trucking regulations are waived for the transportation of goods such as hay. FMCSA regulations ranging from 390-399 are waived for the next 30 days. Those include general regulations, driving training regulations, special driving considerations, parts and accessories, medical cards, hours of service, and proof of annual inspections. Also as part of an emergency declaration, permits are available to allow oversize movement of hay up to 12 feet wide and to extend the time allowed for movement of vehicles from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., provided the load has reflectorized or lighted oversize load signs on the front and back of the vehicle(s). The permits are free and available by contacting the South Dakota Highway Patrol Permitting Office at 605-698-3925. For more information on state highway ditch mowing, call Greg Fuller, SDDOT director of operations at 605-7733256. Our offices will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th for the Independence Day Holiday. EARLY DEADLINES for the July 4th Issues... 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