Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012 9:17 PM CDT

As organizers make final preparations for next weekend’s Rockin’ Ribfest in Yankton, a bigger music budget has allowed them to get a bigger name band, which could help attract record numbers to the festival this year.

The Nadas, a Des Moines rock band that played in Yankton last year during the 150th anniversary celebration, will be the headline act on Saturday, Sept. 1, playing after several local bands and a ZZ Top tribute band.

Yankton will be the latest stop on what has become a productive road for the band.

“We started as a college band in Ames, Iowa, and did that all throughout our college careers and have just kept going since starting up in 1993,” said Jason Walsmith, a founder of the band who plays guitar and does vocals. Other members of the band include Mike Butterworth (guitar, vocals), Brian Duffey (bass) and Brandon Stone (drums).

By the time 2009 rolled around, the highly acclaimed band had sold hundreds of thousands of copies of its albums and had played in cities across the country.

One of the things The Nadas are noted for is the close connection they have with fans.

When the band recorded its album “Almanac” in 2010, the members wrote, recorded and released one song for the album in each month that year. They even went as far as to video stream every step of the process of making an album on their Website, which allowed fans an unprecedented look into the music industry and the creative process of recording songs and making a record. The Nadas also allowed fans to comment on the music. Some comments even affected songs and were incorporated into the music that was put on the album.

Despite the success the band has had to this point, the members have faced many challenges along the way.

“There has been that challenge of sticking out in this crazy career and the crazy business we’re in,” Walsmith said. “A lot of our friends’ bands haven’t been able to remain independent or even stick around like we have through the years.”

The Nadas have also faced the challenge of vehicle breakdowns and flat tires. Walsmith noted they have had over 50 flat tires in their career and have had to travel in some unconventional ways to get to shows, including chartering vans, planes, taking a train or even buying a new van in order to make a show.

“You name it, we’ve had to do it,” Walsmith said. “We’ve been doing it long enough, and have had enough breakdowns, to make it to a show so many different ways.”

Butterworth said free shows help them significantly grow their fan base.

“Usually when people are paying for the concert, they are coming to see us. When it’s a free show, they are there for a bigger reason,” Butterworth said.

“We always appreciate the chance to play in front of new people and make new fans,” Walsmith added. “We played in Yankton last year and had no idea we had so many fans there. People were really excited to have us in town and we felt right at home being there.”

The main markets The Nadas reach out to are from Chicago to Denver and Minneapolis to Kansas City, with large followings in Omaha and their home state of Iowa.

“We’ll play all over the country, but we mainly stick to the Midwest,” Walsmith said. “Having said that, we’ll have shows on both coasts this year.”

They will also be featuring songs from their upcoming album, which could attract a larger number of their fans than usual traveling into Yankton to see them perform.

“We like to have fun on stage and play good music,” Butterworth said.

“We’ve played so many shows over the years, with some being better than others, but each being special in a number of different ways,” Walsmith said. “We like to have fun on stage and play good music that we think people will enjoy.”

Ben Hanten, who is an organizer for Ribfest and helps with the music bookings, thinks The Nadas will help draw a larger crowd to Ribfest.

“I’m really excited for them to perform,” he said. “They appeal to a younger audience and are also a regional draw, so there is the potential for their fans to travel into Yankton to see them play at Ribfest.”

Hanten added there also the possibility for increased crowds with the date of Ribfest moving up from the middle of September to Labor Day weekend this year.

“I think this year’s Ribfest will be the best yet,” he said. “We’re setting ourselves up for better weather with the date change.”

He added the date change could help save people money for campers and vacationers in Yankton for the Labor Day weekend. Having Ribfest that weekend allows people to stay at home for the weekend, as opposed to going elsewhere for something to do for the holiday.

“We want to bill Yankton as a prime destination for Labor Day weekend,” Hanten said.

Potential drawbacks of the date change include people already having obligations for the weekend, including going to parks across the state or attending the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. However, he said this should be offset by the increased number of people coming to town for Ribfest and the Triple V Triathlon, which takes place the next day.

Ribfest organizers are still seeking more amateur ribbers, with the deadline coming up prior to the start of the festival. This is also the first year for non-food vendors to take part in the festivities for a $100 fee.

The Nadas are scheduled to take the stage around 9 p.m. during Ribfest on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

After a year with Yankton Area Arts (YAA), Amy Miner, who served as executive director, has decided to pursue what she calls her biggest passion in life —   teaching.However, after her last year with YAA, she is moving back to being a teacher at Yankton School District, where she previously taught.

Miner started teaching in 1991, and taught at YSD in both the middle and high school from 1993-2004. She left her position in 2004 to teach in Hawaii while enrolled in a degree program there. She taught in Hawaii from 2004-11, before returning to Yankton to work for YAA.

“During her short stay as the executive director of YAA, Amy made quite an impact,” said Craig Sherman, YAA’s assistant director. “Her enthusiasm for the job was evident in everything she did.”

Miner said she thoroughly enjoyed her tenure at YAA.

“It’s been awesome working here for the last year,” she said. “It’s a great organization. When I started, I was not aware of the impact that YAA has in the community here.”

Sherman added that Miner will have a lasting impact on YAA.

“She brought in special presenters and performers for the First Friday events when there was no exhibit opening,” he said. “She also expanded the Art in Healing programs by adding classes for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.”

Sherman noted that Miner also arranged for all consignment sales at YAA, and for its Crimson Door sales to be handled electronically through a computer. He also said Miner had a big impact in expanding  the membership base to include those in their 20s and 30s.

“In my year here, I hope that we have strengthened those connections already established as well as built new ones for the future,” Miner said. “I’m proud of the work YAA does for the people in the community of every age and     background.”

She added there are a lot of positive things going on at YAA right now and the organization is continues to move forward in a “explosively positive” direction.

“The YAA board is very energized. We have some cool events coming up and have made some strong connections with the community that I think will make a difference in a positive way as YAA continues to grow,” she said.

Miner added that her work as executive director has included a lot of management — managing the budget, managing people, managing time and managing events. However, she noted that she is particularly proud of the Art in Healing program.

“The program got started in conjunction with Avera Sacred Heart and we provide free classes for cancer patients and survivors all year long,” she said. “There are a huge range of classes available that professional artists voluntarily teach.”

Miner said that Avera provides all the supplies needed for each class, which has been a big help to YAA.

“I’ve been physically present and witnessed the difference that this program makes for people in a time of need, and I’m very proud of it and hope it’s something that will continue,” she said.

Another project she has been proud to be a part of has been the “Before I Die” wall at Meridian Bridge. The wall allows visitors to write what they would like to do before they pass away. She noted it has been very popular and YAA members must erase the wall completely about every other day.

However, despite her successes at YAA, she says she is excited to move back to YSD as a teacher at Yankton High School (YHS).

“I think by nature I’m a teacher,” she said. “One of my strengths at YAA has been having educational programs and an education outreach.”

Miner is both an alumni of YSD as a teacher and a student (YHS class of 1984).

“I’m immensely proud of Yankton’s education system, both as a student and a teacher,” she said. “It’s a real honor to have a chance to go back into the classroom, having had some of the educational adventures I’ve had over the last seven or eight years.”

Sherman thinks YHS is getting an extremely gifted teacher for the new school year.

“As a former colleague of hers at YHS, I know they are extremely fortunate to have her back on the staff and, although I regret her leaving YAA after such a short time with us, I wish her the best since I know teaching is her life’s passion,” he said.

One of the things that Miner loves so much about teaching is the possibilities students have while in school, and their potentials for the future.

“Kids are just discovering their voices and possibilities in school, and to be present and encourage them as they make incredible discoveries about what they’re capable of is the coolest job in the world for me,” she said.

Miner will be teaching drama and language arts at YHS.

One thing she is looking forward to is seeing how her job at YAA blends with her new position at YHS.

“The advantage to the job I had at YAA is that I had some say over what project we tackle next and how we approach it,” Miner said. “That’s true to some degree in a classroom, but there are standards that must be addressed that you need to think about on a daily basis.”

Mostly, she is happy to continue contributing to the   community.

“I love this town and I am just thrilled to be back in the  classroom.”

Follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

As the school year begins throughout the area, officials are taking precautions to ensure children are safe when they head back for the 2012-13 school year.

In addition to the precautions schools are taking, officials ask parents and citizens to be safe and slow down around school zones as well.

The Yankton School District (YSD) has taken a number of measures to maximize safety for students as they return back for a new school year today (Monday).

One of the main things that has changed from last year is changing the bus pick-up and drop-off location at Webster School because the Pine Street bridge near the school is no longer accessible for buses.

Jason Bietz, business manager of YSD, and Dr. Joe Gertsema, superintendent of the district, remind parents that are picking up their children from school to be observant of things going on around them and to slow down when driving through designated school zones. They added that there will be extra patrols in the school zone areas strictly enforcing the speed regulations posted there.

“Parents and motorists need to slow down and follow speed regulations in school zones,” Bietz added. “Drivers need to also allow enough distance between your car and school buses around the area.”

Another change that was made a few years ago was moving the bus exchange area at Yankton Middle School from the front to the back of the building due to safety issues. Since the change was made, parents now have been able to pick up their children in front of the school, which has been a much safer location.

Tony Anderson, YSD bus supervisor and mechanic, has also made sure buses have been ready to go for students in the new school year.

In the summer Anderson services all buses for YSD, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) conducts its own independent inspections as well.

“They have a sheet and check over the buses from top to bottom,” Anderson said. “They can fail a bus based on a number of different categories.”

Also in the summer, Anderson washes all buses and makes sure they meet the state and federal safety standards for school buses. He also often times hires new bus drivers for the school year.

“All of our bus drivers must be CDL (Commercial Drivers License) tested and passed,” he said. “They also need to have a P & S (passenger and school bus) endorsement.”

In addition, all bus drivers in the district must pass physicals from their doctors. Drivers must also get their physicals taken every year or two after being hired.

However, before the drivers are hired, YSD conducts extensive background checks on potential employees and runs drivers’ fingerprints through the system to make sure they have clean backgrounds.

Anderson also ensures bus safety by having comprehensive training for drivers every few years. South Dakota mandates four hours of bus driver training every five years, but its up to each district to determine if they want to have more training than that.

“Bus driver training can involve anything from written tests, driving tests or videos in the classroom,” he said. “We have also had obstacle courses for drivers to drive their buses through to make sure they are driving safely.”

Another form of training Anderson goes through with drivers is using a fire extinguisher, in case that should be needed in a potential bus emergency. He also takes the drivers through training on First Aid kits and how to properly use all of the equipment found inside the kits.

“There are a lot of things we do here for training our bus drivers,” he said. “We really teach them and go over things we feel we need to touch ground on.”

Anderson and his staff also conduct some training on terrorism and tell bus drivers to be observant of unusual activity in pick up and drop off areas and to be aware of surrounds and any potential unusual packages on the bus.

One of the ways Anderson is able to ensure safety when dropping off and picking up students is through the electronic mapping system that is in place on buses.

“The system maps out the easiest and shortest route for buses to pick up students,” he said. “But sometimes I go through and override the system if a route seems unsafe.”

Anderson also issued a firm warning to motorists driving around school buses.

“I cringe over close calls buses have had because people disregarded the stop signs and flashing lights on the bus,” he said. “We try to identify the vehicles that pass the bus when it’s dropping off or picking up students, and then send a form to the sheriff’s office for review.”

Anderson added, “We always opt for the safety of students on the bus over any potential milage savings.”

Follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

Yankton’s Riverboat Days summer celebration had an autumn feel to it this year, which helped bring thousands of people out for the festivities.

Randy Oliver, co-chair of Riverboat Days, said some of the new things this year included the tractor pull and the air shows that took place on Saturday and Sunday.

“Everything went great this year, the weather worked with us, with the exception of the little bit of rain that we got Saturday morning,” he said. “Otherwise, the weather all worked out, even though it got cool in the evenings, which is both good and bad. But otherwise, everything worked out extremely well for us.”

He added that the Meridian Bridge, which had not been open for previous Riverboat Days, is something officials might try to incorporate for future years.

“It’s a good thought to incorporate the bridge into Riverboat Days,” Oliver said. “However, when you start separating things, it makes it more difficult, along with the liability factor of people being on the bridge.”

Oliver noted it is also a challenge thinking of what they can put on the bridge that is suitable for the area and interesting for the crowd to enjoy.

Meanwhile the nice weather helped out the Yankton Area Arts festival held at Riverside Park.

Rebekah Scott, who owns Rebekah Scott Designs, and sells purses and other accessories, was selected as the craftsman best in show winner for this years event.

“I sell everything myself and they are all my own personal designs also, so I sketch them all out myself,” she said. “I do the prototypes and then go on to design them.”

She added that 10 to 15 of the fabrics that she uses are hers as well.

“It means a lot to be best in show. I’ve been in business for nine years and so when you’re in business for yourself, you don’t always get a pat on the back unless it’s from your family or friends,” she said. “So the accolades that come outside of my family and friends are really nice.”

She added that judges go through all of the art tents and vote on a variety of different categories to determine the best in show winners each year.

“I love Yankton Area Arts, and each year they come up to us and tell us we’re in the running (for best in show), and this year we finally won it so it’s really exciting,” Scott said.

Scott, who is from Valley Springs, travels throughout the area to sell her items, with about 50 percent of her business coming from the Minneapolis-area, but she travels nearly every weekend to the five-state area.

“Sales at Riverboat Days this year have been fabulous,” she added. “We met our sales goal at 3 p.m. Saturday which is amazing.”

The other best in show winner was Pat Gerlach photography, who won in the fine artist category.

Captain and Belle for this years Riverboat Days were Dave and Brenda Spencer.

“It’s been an honor and a nice recognition,” Dave said. “We’re proud to represent Yankton in the big festival we have here all summer long.”

He added that he is looking forward to whoever will be captain and belle for next year so they can enjoy it as much as he and his wife have.

“It’s fun to see people down here (at Riverboat Days) that we know,” Brenda said. “It’s been a great honor to go around here and see people from other communities and how much they look forward to Riverboat Days as well.”

The Spencers were notified that they were this years Captain and Belle in April.

“We were overwhelmed and honored when we found out we were selected,” Brenda said.

Dave added that he was humbled when he found out about the honor because there have been a lot of great people who have previously been captain and belle, and there are a lot of deserving people in Yankton.

“It’s been a fantastic turnout this year,” Oliver said. “It’s been at, or above, previous years turnouts and both bands that headlined on Friday and Saturday night drew great crowds.”

Oliver added that a lot of the vendors have done nothing but thank board members for the hospitality the city of Yankton has provided for them.

“Vendors have said this is one of the best shows they come to,” he said. “It makes everyone feel like we accomplished something after we’ve worked hard on this for the past 12 months.”

The winners during Saturday’s parade were:

Vehicles:

• Robert Nissen

• Duke Ellingson

• Main Street Bridal and Great Tuxes

Commercial:

• Vishay Dale Electronics

• Future Look Salon

• Rupiper Travel and Tours

Non-Profit:

• Yankton Community Library

• Sacred Heart School

• Yankton Childrens Theater

• United Way of Yankton

• Yankton Area Ice

Follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Saturday, August 18, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

As the dry conditions roll on with seemingly no end in sight, the drought has also taken its toll on trees in the area.

Dr. John Ball, forestry specialist with SDSU Extension, said the drought has had quite a bit of impact on trees throughout southeastern South Dakota.

He said that conifers in the area have been hit hardest, but evergreens, spruce and pine trees have also been hard, as they are all used to wetter conditions than has been prevalent this season.

One of the major impacts the dry and hot weather has had on trees has come through the form of stress-related pest problems taking their toll. When the weather is as dry and hot as it has been, it weakens trees so that other forces, like pests, can come in and finish them off.

“There has been some premature needle loss in trees in the area,” Ball said. “Some needles are turning yellow already, which shouldn’t happen in normal conditions.”

Ball noted that the warm winter caused added stress to conifers, and this dry and warm season has been a “major stress for trees in the area.”

One of the diseases impacting trees is Cytospra Canker. According to Colorado State University Extension, this is caused by several species of fungi and typically occurs on woody shrubs and trees, or parts of plants that are slightly stressed. The canker-causing fungi essentially surround the plant, killing the plant located above the canker.

The best way to get rid of the disease on impacted trees is to remove infected limbs on the trees that are impacted.

However, despite the dry conditions, Ball said that all hope is not lost. He said that if some rain comes into the area, trees can still improve.

“If fall rains occur and the winter is normal, many plants and trees will be able to survive this out,” Ball said. “However, lots of folks have invested decades in trees and hate to see them go.”

Ball noted that the conditions this summer, coupled with the warm winter, have led to the killing of a number of mature pine trees on properties throughout the area. The residents there have grown the trees for decades and use them as a screen for privacy from neighbors.

“The drought and hot weather has been affecting both very old and very young trees first,” Ball said. “The young, established and middle-aged trees have weathered this pretty well so far.”

Ball added August and September are the most crucial months for watering trees so they can survive the winter. He said the amount of time for watering trees varies based on the tree and soil. However, he said generally to water a tree for about 30 minutes a day on a lightly misting sprinkler or hose.

“When a green ring around the tree develops, it signals you’ve watered your tree just about right,” he noted.

Ball warned that watering trees too long can kill a tree. He said if you dig down about six inches into the soil and it stays wet, you should hold off on continuing to water the tree until it dries up.

“The minute this drought ends doesn’t necessarily mean that trees are fine again,” Ball noted. “Some people might have to spray their trees next spring in order to prevent diseases and pests from recurring.”

He added that SDSU Extension is trying to get the word out to people that they need to be watering their trees right now if rain does not come soon.

“Hopefully this drought will be a thing of the past and not a continuing problem,” Ball said.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

Growing up in Des Moines, Rebecca Meyer seemingly had a normal childhood. She was happy and healthy up until about second grade. It was at that time when her mother decided to transition from being a full-time, stay-at-home mom, to working a full-time job outside of the home.

It was right at that point when her life began to change.

She is not sure why the change hit her so hard, because people around her all seemed to take to it well. The change was the beginning of her weight gain.

Running in a race like Saturday’s Mount Marty College Riverboat Days 5K race was the furthest thing from her mind at one point.

“I used to be over 300 pounds and relatively inactive,” Meyer said in a phone interview with the Press & Dakotan. “I enjoy being able to show and tell people to stay active, stay moving and stay competing in life.”

She began to gain weight, although not a lot of weight at first, and she was still an active child who played softball and basketball through middle school. But as time went on, her friends and family began to notice the changes in appearance — and she did, too.

As Meyer entered high school — typically, years that are already difficult for teenagers — she continued to try to stay active, as she was a member of her schools JROTC. However, the pounds continued to add on and she felt helpless to try and change it.

After she graduated high school, she was in Iowa City one evening and broke her ankle. She returned home to Des Moines and became a nanny for a few families in the area. The pounds continued to pile on.

However, the broken ankle was the beginning of her making drastic changes in her life.

Meyer applied to be on season eight of NBC’s show “The Biggest Loser” and was called four times by the production crew before finally getting a spot on the show. She would go on to lose 73 pounds in 10 weeks on “The Biggest Loser’s” ranch, and would continue her transformation back home in Des Moines, where she lost an additional 68 pounds.

Ultimately, she was the at-home winner on the show, winning $100,000 and losing nearly half of her body weight.

She said the show changed her life permanently.

“After I got done with the show, people began to ask me what’s next,” Meyer said. “I began to embrace my inner athlete and made exercise a part of my daily life.”

She was asked by Jay Leno right after the show what she would do next. Jokingly, she said she would run in a race in all 50 states. However, she realized this would be a good motivation for her to keep the weight off and is now known as her personal initiative called “50 in 50 by 30 — 50 races in all 50 states by the time she turns 30 years old on March 15, 2014.

Meyer started the 50 in 50 initiative in 2009. But between December 2009 and September 2011, she had only run in six races — one of which, however, was the Boston Marathon.

“Starting last September, I really kicked off ‘50 in 50 by 30’ by running in 10 races between that September and November,” Meyer said.

She will continue her initiative by running in the Mount Marty College Riverboat Days 5K run on Saturday. It will be her 23rd race; and she is trying to run about two to three races a month.

She is doing the Yankton race because Meyer trains a client in the area who asked her to run the race with her.

In addition to her running in every state, Meyer is now a certified personal trainer, along with her fiancé Daniel Wright, whom she met on the show. Just this year, the couple established FitnessWright, LLC in Des Moines, where they train clients of all ages and skill levels using the experience they gained on “The Biggest Loser”.

“It’s been quite a challenge financially, with starting the weight loss coaching and personal training business to juggle everything with traveling to races,” Meyer said.

However, she added that every time she remembers why she’s running in the races, it motivates her to keep pressing on.

So far this year, she has already run in various events in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Utah, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.

“It’s not about being a size two. It’s more about being able to complete the races,” Meyer said. “I enjoy inspiring other people to know they can do it too.”

Meyer noted that being on “The Biggest Loser” changed her life in ways she never imagined possible.

“I went from having no purpose in life and no promising job prospects, to traveling and owning my own business,” she said.

She added that she embraced the “be the change” attitude and has applied it to all parts of her life, including working as a personal trainer and educating others on how to create well-balanced, nutritious and delicious meals.

Meyer tells people that when the show ended, her life really had just begun.

“It has truly been a whirlwind of a journey since ‘The Biggest Loser’,” Meyer said. “I’m still training and having fun.”

She added that she has truly enjoyed being able to motivate others to keep going, even when the times are tough. One of the things she tells other people at races is to not stop walking when they get tired and to keep pressing on.

Meyer advises other people that they need to hold themselves accountable and be responsible for their own lives. She added that people need to make time for themselves and for their health and wellness needs.

This year, her 50 in 50 schedule gets even more difficult as she has added triathlons to her schedule of races. However, she was able to get Giant Bicycles and Bike World to sponsor her. They even donated a 2011 Giant Availl for her training and racing needs.

Some of her upcoming races include a half-marathon in Tennessee and a mini-marathon in North Dakota.

“Being on ‘The Biggest Loser’ truly helped me get my life back,” Meyer said. “It gave me a jump start to the rest of my life.”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:08 AM CDT

The Yankton School Board on Monday approved substantial changes to the YSD self-funded insurance policy for employees.

The board also approved a new banking contract that will run for the next three years.

The district will move from the First Administrators insurance plan to Wellmark. YSD will also change over from the two-tier system they are currently operating under to a four-tier model.

The current two-tier system covers employees and their families, while the new system will allow for more flexibility. The four-tier model has an option to cover a single policy member, employee and spouse, employee and child(ren) and a family option.

Under the new four-tier structure, some families would have savings, but others could end up paying more out of pocket if they must have a hospital visit.

The four-tier model will take effect on Oct. 1, with the full move over to Wellmark coming on Jan. 1.

“I’m comfortable with the potential trade-offs on the four-tier system,” said Chris Specht, YSD board president. “There will be some employees in the YSD that will save money on the new system.”

Business Manager Jason Bietz added that even though the changes should save the district a significant amount of money, they are ultimately not the savior to the sizable deficit the district faces.

In addition to making changes to the health care option for employees, the board had been considering changing banking providers as well.

The district had asked local banks for requests for proposals earlier this summer, with four local institutions responding. Two of the proposals called for earnings credits in lieu of interest credit posted to the bank account, which is intended to offset potential fee expenses.

After analyzing each proposal, the district decided to use First Dakota National Bank as its bank for the next three years. First Dakota had previously been the district’s bank, with its contract recently expiring.

“First Dakota has been a good partner with YSD for the past few years,” Bietz said.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Gertsema commended Bietz for the work he did with banks in the area and added that he dedicated a substantial amount of time with the process.

Also on Monday Kathy Wagner, Director of Student Services at YSD,  discussed school district achievement test results and annual yearly progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Under the Dakota STEP test in 2012, 81 percent of YSD students were at the proficient or advanced levels in reading. This compares to a South Dakota average of 73 percent. In addition, 83 percent of students in YSD were proficient or advanced in math, compared to the state average of 74 percent.

The state did not calculate the AYP designations for “schools of improvement” because the state is moving towards new standards that will change the designations.

In addition to the current NCLB standard of student achievement, the new standards will also include academic growth and completion rate for the high school, attendance and college and career readiness, school climate and how effective school principals and teachers are.

“Based on our test scores, I really don’t believe there are many areas of concern,” Wagner said.

Notable other business included authorizing a full-time speech therapist position and hiring a paraprofessional at Lincoln School for the 2012-13 school year to help reduce class sizes.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Friday, August 10, 2012 10:07 PM CDT

The Yankton School District (YSD) continues to get on board with the increasing popularity of online programs at schools to help supplement students’ learning experiences inside the classroom.

The elementary schools in the district offer students two programs: SuccessMaker and Reading Counts. The middle school offers IXL — Math and Accelerated Reader. The high school has Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO) for the Alternative Learning Center and Virtual High School for students to do the courses online, but must pay a fee in order to do so.

The South Dakota Virtual School provides expanded course offerings to students through online studies. In addition it gives students the opportunity to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the ability to study highly specialized subjects or receive more specific remedial instruction in certain subjects.

Yankton Middle School principal Todd Dvoracek said the programs have had a big impact on students.

“There are not a lot of online programs offered at the middle school, but the programs we do have are strictly supplementary,” he said. “They don’t drive our instruction, they supplement the curriculum.”

For the 2011-12 school year, there were 133 school districts and school systems in the state that participated in the Virtual School program. There are also 24 AP courses and 82 credit recovery courses offered through the online program.

He added that the teachers use the programs for all levels of students; and the programs currently in place are all cost-effective and kids can use them both at home and in the classroom.

“Students enjoy using the technology of the online programs here,” Dvoracek said. “They can also log on at home on their computers, iPads or iPods.”

Despite the successes of the programs at the middle school, Dvoracek added that students must buy into the technology and the programs offered, and they have done so with the math and reading programs at Yankton Middle School.

The elementary schools in YSD also use online programs as part of their schools’ curriculum.

The elementary schools use Success Maker and Reading Counts. Success Maker allows teachers to track students’ growth over time. The program is used mostly in the elementary schools for reading and math. Success Maker also asks more advanced questions as students get questions right and easier questions when students struggle in a given area.

“The Success Maker program works at students’ ability levels, so students do not become easily frustrated,” said Jerome Klimisch, principal at Stewart Elementary.

The other online program used at Stewart is Reading Counts, which quizzes students after they read a book. The program also works a lot on comprehension and tracks the amount of books students read, along with their reading levels.

Klimisch noted that both of these programs are about 8 years old.

Students that use the Success Maker program get placed at a certain level at the beginning of the school year, and the program will track their growth to see how much improvement they have made over the year in both reading and math.

Stewart Elementary was able to purchase the Success Maker program with school improvement funds several years ago. Klimisch noted that since the program has been purchased, the school has not fallen back into the improvement classification.

“If the programs are used correctly, a teacher can see if a class is having lots of problems in one particular subject area,” Klimisch said.

He added that all the teachers in the school use the programs differently, but they all try to get their students into the computer lab and on the programs about once a week.

Teachers at Stewart note that the programs are having positive effects on students, and it adds another tool for teachers to track students’ progress in a number of different areas.

Students in the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) at Yankton High School (YHS) use the PLATO program. The focus of the program is on learner and student achievement and educational success for the students using the program.

“We use the program primarily for credit recovery in order to keep a student on track for graduation,” said Dr. Wayne Kindle, principal at YHS. “The program is Web-based, so it can be accessed from any computer located outside of YHS. This allows us a great deal of flexibility to access the program.”

Kindle added that the software, in addition to the staff at the ALC, has provided hundreds of students with second or third chances to get back on track with their credits and enable them to graduate from YHS.

In addition to helping students recover credits, the software also offers a GED prep course. The course enables students to prepare for their GED and then take the test on their own time through the program.

“Our first goal is for all students to complete their diploma through YHS,” Kindle said. “The GED prep course is an alternative when situations arise for a student, which may constitute the need for a student to consider a GED option towards graduation.”

Klimisch added, “We don’t think online programs will ever replace good teaching and good teachers. They’re just new tools to help students learn.”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Published: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 1:07 AM CDT

Yankton’s Regional Technical Education Center (RTEC) recently announced that it will expand its partnership with Black Hills State University (BHSU) this fall with increased certificate programs being offered.

The certificate programs were designed with input from local industries in South Dakota and manufacturers in order to give students advanced skills in targeted areas of industry. The new offerings can be completed separately or taken as part of the two-year Associate of Science in Advanced Manufacturing degree, which has been offered at RTEC for the past several years.

Steve Wynia, an assistant professor at BHSU, helped put the programs together for the RTEC offerings, said schools working in collaboration helps everyone from students to instructors.

“Schools working together have the benefits of shared resources and the ability to offer courses and programs that are not currently at their own respective schools, so it makes good economic sense,” he told the Press & Dakotan. “It also gives students the ability to pursue educational options that would not be available in their area without these cooperative arrangements.”

Wynia added that partnerships like the one between RTEC and BHSU are “win-win” situations for both students and schools.

Most of the new course offerings will be taught face-to-face at RTEC.

“There are a few classes that will be delivered via the DDN live interaction television system from the new University Center in Rapid City, which is where the Industrial Technology programs is based out of,” Wynia said. “All courses at BHSU and RTEC are taught by professionally experienced and academically qualified staff and BHSU only offers technical courses in Yankton.”

Because only technical courses are offered in Yankton from BHSU, Wynia added that students would need to take their general education course requirements either online, at the University of South Dakota or Mount Marty College. He noted that response for the courses has been positive, but won’t know anything on enrollment numbers for another few weeks and the relationship between RTEC and BHSU is one that is evolving.

“We are certainly willing to explore all options where BHSU can help RTEC and all the industries in the region,” Wynia said.

RTEC General Manager Josh Svatos could not be reached for comment on Monday.

BHSU’s four new certificates include:

• The Advanced Computer Aided Manufacturing Certificate which:

— Addresses the ongoing need to train current and future workers for today’s highly computer integrated industrial manufacturing environment

— Integrates several computer software systems and machines and teaches students about manufacturing operational procedures, manufacturing design principles, machine safety/safeguarding along with proper manual industrial machine use and care

— Consists of courses in Manufacturing Technology, CAD Mechanical Drafting, Machining Processes and Computer Aided Manufacturing

• The Mechanical Computer Aided Drafting Certificate that:

— Addresses the demand for highly qualified computer aided draftspersons

— Focuses on teaching introductory through advanced three-dimensional, multi-component design and virtual assembly processes along with rapid prototyping three-dimensional modeling

— Consists of courses in Computer Aided Drafting I, CAD Mechanical Drafting I, Computer Aided Drafting II and CAD Mechanical Drafting II

• The Industrial Leadership and Management Certificate which:

— Focuses on the demand for highly qualified leadership personnel

— Equips students with the knowledge of the overall operations of an industry and teaches them how to work effectively with personnel in leadership and management areas

— Features courses in Industrial Management, Management and Leadership, Human Resource Management and Negotiations & Conflict/Dispute Resolution

• The Lean Concepts and Management Certificate that:

— Is designed for all levels of employees from upper management to production floor personnel

— Expands on what is sometimes referred to as Lean tools to include long-term Lean management and the leadership required to transition the culture of the entire workforce into a functioning Lean enterprise

— Includes courses in Safety Management, Leadership & Management, Lean Concepts and Lean Management