STURGIS, S.D. – The announcement by the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) that there will no longer be hot meals delivered daily to senior citizens in some areas of the state is prompting calls to legislative leaders to change course and for community leaders and citizens to get involved.
In a press release, Meals on Wheels Western South Dakota (MOWWSD) announced effective October 1, seniors living in Sturgis, Hot Springs, Edgemont, Lemmon, and Martin who currently receive home-delivered meals from MOWWSD will now be served by Inter-lakes Community Action Partnership, Madison, S.D., once a week, with frozen meals.
Questions remain as to why the cuts to some communities and not all communities; why the change to a different vendor; why replacing fresh food with frozen food and almost eliminating human contact with at-home seniors.
Why?
The Rapid City-based Western SD Senior Services Inc., the previous vendor for the states Meals on Wheels program, has been plagued by financial and management controversy as far back as 2024 and perhaps longer.
In the fall of last year, MOW’s in seven western South Dakota communities were unexpectedly shuttered. DHS issued a warning to Western SD Senior Services that it was in breach of its contract, compounded by the fact the west river agency did not contact DHS prior to the closures, another breach of contract.
At the time, George Larson, executive director of Western SD Senior Services, Inc., said that rising costs, diminishing reimbursement for meals from seniors, and a shortage of volunteers were driving decisions that were being made.
Reimbursement from the state to Western SD Senior Services totaling $2,279,461 was made for fiscal year 2024. How the shortfall was addressed when it came to light is a question put before the SD DHS but has not been responded to.
Western SD Senior Services remained under contract with the state through September 2025 at which time the announcement of another third-party vendor – ILCAP – was made, replacing a portion of services previously provided by the Rapid City agency.
Kristen Kilmer, Communications Administrator with the SD DHS was presented with a list of questions regarding the resolution of the earlier breach of contract, closing of services and an alleged budget shortfall in 2024.
How much the west river agency continued to receive in state reimbursements in 2025 is also not known.
The question as to whether any of these circumstances played a role in the most recent change to MOW services in communities like Sturgis, was also presented. DHS has not yet responded.
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The Timber Lake Topic – in the fall of 2024 – obtained email correspondence showing employees of Western SD Senior Services Inc. had expressed concerns to the board of directors about the agency’s financial situation and Larson’s management of the operation as early as June 2024.
An email to board president Corey Hopfer from a regional manager for the agency addressed Larson’s frequent absence from the office and how it was affecting the operations and staff morale. The regional manager, who said she and other employees were promised whistleblower protection, was later terminated.
As news traveled of closed senior food sites, frozen food replacing freshly cooked, and once-a-week contacts versus every day, Sen. Ryan Maher (R-Isabel) took the matter to the SD Legislative Government Operations and Audit Committee.
George Larson was scheduled to appear before the committee on December 11, 2024, to answer questions about the agency’s financial situation and management.
That didn’t happen.
Instead, the committee postponed pending an opinion from the state Attorney General’s Office on the committee’s subpoena power.
According to Ernie Otten, the Senate chair of the GOAC, the issue of the individual being subpoenaed being a contractor versus an employee of the state, became a gray area.
“The original subpoena was filed, we had done that, trying to get answers. We ended up with an attorney with the AG’s office helping us to try and leverage that. But what ended up happening between Point A and Point B, was that new legislation was passed strengthening our hand to be able to go after some of this stuff,” said Otten.
According to Otten, at present, the Attorney General’s office is investigating the matter as a “possible Medicaid fraud case.” The GOAC is waiting for the outcome of that investigation, which Otten expects to be sometime in March 2026.
Calls made to the South Dakota Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Unit and to George Larson, executive director of MOW Western SD Senior Services have not been returned. Responses from the SD Department of Human Services to questions posed earlier in the day, were not received by publication time.
Meanwhile, emotional pleas are going out on social media platforms. In a Facebook post on September 26, 2024, Meals on Wheels Sturgis wrote, “As many of you know, our Meals on Wheels program is facing major changes. Starting soon, daily hot meal deliveries will be replaced with once-a-week frozen meal drop-offs. While this might work for some, it doesn’t work for everyone. For many of our Sturgis seniors, a DAILY meal and wellness check is not just about food – it’s about safety, connection, and dignity.”