COVID, SAD, suicide, homelessness, brain drain and burnout: South Dakota still failing to thrive

Here are few snippets from a morning trip through the South Dakota media merry-go-round.

Seven COVID-19 deaths reported in South Dakota Friday, raising the total to 2267.Statewide, active cases increase by 75 to 5857. Total cases are up by 431 to 156,995. There are 148,871 recovered cases. Current hospitalizations increase by 14 to 187. [Seven COVID-19 Deaths Reported In South Dakota Friday; Active Cases Climb Statewide]

Dr. Stephen Manlove, a psychiatrist in the Rapid City area, talked about how SAD develops and how it can be effectively treated. “For some people, that decrease in full spectrum light causes depression and so we see an increase in depression around this time of year,” he explains. There are treatments available though for those who battle symptoms like overeating, oversleeping, and loss of interest and focus in activities. [As daylight dwindles, Seasonal Affective Disorder emerges]

”Suicide has been an issue that the VA has focused on for many, many years,” said Meagan Gorman, mental health administrative officer for the Black Hills VA. “I personally have known of it for more than 10 years. We’re [not] getting away from it. We’re going to focus on keeping our veterans safe.” [Black Hills VA working to prevent suicide]

Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender’s new initiatives regarding panhandling and homelessness have been met with mixed responses from the public. As the cold sets in throughout the Black Hills, people have already started “dressing” the Presidential statues downtown with warm clothing for those in need to take. [Allender Defends New Rapid City Homelessness Initiatives]

The U.S. Senate Joint Committee on the Economy found that South Dakota suffers the most from highly educated people leaving the state. This phenomenon has come to be known as ‘brain drain.’ [South Dakota one of the worst-affected states in terms of ‘brain drain’]

Thom said it’s either overtime or closing a block in the jail. He said officers are burned out.

He said if they close a cell block, they’d lose $350,000 in revenue a month and save 15 full-time employees. He said the overtime cost is $125,000. pic.twitter.com/kAD6afElJ4

— Siandhara Bonnet (@SiandharaB) November 2, 2021