In 1971 a 28-year old man became the youngest mayor of Rapid City. His two terms were pressure packed times of natural disaster and civil unrest. Catholic Social Services chose to award former Mayor Don Barnett with the Msgr. William O’Connell Founder’s Award for his work following the 1972 flood and the 1973 American Indian Movement demonstrations on Main St.
Carol Snyder has marked 20 years of painful milestones since the death of her son, Charlie, in 1998 by suicide.
The Prosperity Initiative is helping students at the Career Learning Center of the Black Hills achieve amazing educational outcomes, according to the South Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning.
Imagine coming home to discover that your child, perhaps a 12-year-old daughter or a 16-year-old son, has taken their own life. I can’t imagine such an experience. But too many parents in communities across South Dakota have experienced this tragedy. Many priests and ministers serving in our communities agonize over the number of funerals resulting from suicide.
The South Dakota Legislature has a new mandate regarding suicide prevention efforts (SB 129) for all SD School Districts. Effective July 1, 2017, all teachers, administrators and other educational professionals must have suicide prevention training. This training must be a minimum of one hour of suicide awareness and prevention.
