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Rapid City School Resource Officer Program
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Legal and Finance Committee has approved the renewal of the School Resource Officer (SRO) program agreement between the Rapid City Police Department (RCPD) and the Rapid City Area School District (RCAS), which provides the allocation of officers at various schools across Rapid City. This agreement outlines the continued partnership between the two entities to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for students. The agreement includes clearer definitions of the duties of both law enforcement and school administration, aiming to improve collaboration and efficiency. The renewal agreement now heads to the full Rapid City Council for approval next week.
Sales Tax revenue for Rapid City is up
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Sales Tax revenue for Rapid City is up significantly compared to the first 10 months 2023. Revenue rose by nearly 3.5% up to $72.2 million. October of 2024 also hit a record high with around $7.3 for that month alone. October 2024 was ahead of the same month in 2023 by nearly $500,000. Rapid City Finance Director Daniel Ainslie said that tourism dollars have a lot to do with the change staying solid each year. Ainslie also said that Rapid City is also bucking a statewide trend of leveled sales tax revenue, at least for the moment.
Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones
Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday’s bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue.
Middle East latest: Blinken urges Mideast nations to support a peaceful Syrian political transition
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in supporting a peaceful political transition in Syria. He met on Friday with Turkey’s foreign minister after talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to try to bring Turkey into a consensus to prevent Syria from collapsing into wider turmoil. It’s Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but first since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence.
Toy Safety
Amazon, Walmart, and Target have stopped selling water beads aimed at children due to serious safety risks. Water beads are made of a super-absorbent polymer material capable of expanding up to 100 times their size when exposed to liquid. If swallowed, the beads can grow inside the body, potentially causing intestinal blockages and other life-threatening injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC reports that toy-related injuries remain a major concern, with over 145,000 emergency department-treated injuries involving children 12 years and younger in 2022. Many of these incidents involved toys with small parts, scooters, balloons, and balls, which represent significant choking or injury hazards. The water bead ban highlights ongoing efforts to improve product safety for children.
