By Dave Baumeister
County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – A second spring burn ban was enacted by the Minnehaha County Commission at their Tuesday, April 15, meeting.
Because of spring rains, burn bans are unusual for these months, but this year, with low humidity, dry conditions and high winds, another ban is necessary, according to Emergency Management Director Jason Gearman.
Due to “red flag” warnings from the National Weather Service, a previous ban on open burning was issued by the commission on March 25, but due to rain showers coming through the area, it was lifted a week later on April 2.
Since that time, the area has seen very little in the way of precipitation, and the same dry windy conditions have returned, bringing with them more warnings from the NWS.
Although some rain is expected in the next few days, the last rainfall prior to the meeting was only .01-of-an-inch on April 14.
Gearman and commissioners were uncertain how much more rain future showers would bring, so this newest ban could stay in effect longer.
That ban, which went into effect as of the April 15 meeting, only applies to areas of the county outside of any organized municipalities that have their own fire ordinances.
Also, the burn ban does not apply to fire in enclosed burn structures made to keep sparks and ashes from escaping.
Annual reports
At the meeting, commissioners also heard three annual reports from different county agencies: the coroner’s office, the Information Technology Department and the Sioux Empire Fair.
Dr. Kenneth Snell, the Minnehaha County Coroner, presented numbers his office saw in 2024.
He reported that cases through his office were up 12.6% over 2023, going from 612 cases to 689.
All deaths in the county do not necessarily go through the coroner’s office, but of the ones that do, some require full autopsies, while others are more simple external examinations.
Of those examined, 33% of deaths were from natural causes. Other major causes of death, Snell said, were accidents at 35%, suicides at 21%, homicides at 7%, and 5% were classified as “undetermined.”
A further breakdown of causes of death were 28 gunshot wounds, 27 drug-related, 14 hypertension, 13 traffic (driver, passenger, pedestrian), and nine alcohol-related.
And of those drug deaths, the top two causes were from meth and fentanyl.
Of the suicide deaths, 20 were from gunshot wounds, six from hanging and five from drug toxicity.
In more “up-beat” reports, Sioux Empire Fair Manager Scott Wick told the commission about the many different events that happened with the fair in 2024, but his main positive news was that the fair made a profit of $267,811, having approximately $1.6 million in revenues and only $1.3 in expenses.
Monte Watembach, the county’s IT Director reported on changes made in 2024, and looked ahead to upcoming technology changes the county should see this year.
The next meeting of the Minnehaha County Commission will be on Tuesday, April 22, at 9 a.m. in the third-floor meeting room of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
