SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Sioux Falls man is charged with attempted arson for threatening an ex-girlfriend with burning down her house.

Officer Sam Clemens says police found 23-year-old Jeremy James Larsen in a car near the woman’s home on South Horizon Lane.

Clemens says police found a couple containers of gasoline, matches, a meth pipe and a fixed blade knife in Larsen's coat pocket.            

Clemens says Larsen threatened the 20-year-old woman when she refused to give him money to buy drugs.

Larsen is also charged with stalking, making threatening phone calls, possession of a controlled substance and a concealed weapon.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The Sioux Falls School Board holds a public hearing tonight on this year’s construction projects.

Board President Kent Alberty says the biggest project is a new field house at Howard Wood.  Alberty says the Board has approved the project at just under $4 million and work should begin this spring.

Also on tonight's agenda...the School Board will release details of the Spanish Immersion plan at Jefferson.  Alberty says the project’s future may be in doubt depending on the South Dakota Legislature.

He says the Legislature is considering a bill that would limit how a school district spends capital improvement dollars.  That may hinder the Jefferson project.          

School Board meets today at 5:30 at the Instructional Planning Center.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (JKELO AM) - Governor Daugaard delivers his fifth State of the State message today and for some a second term lends itself to legacy.

Daugaard isn’t interested in establishing a legacy.  In fact, Daugaard is insulted that anyone would believe that he has a legacy in mind.  His only concern is to make a difference and leave the governorship better than he found it.

He says he still has a lot to learn about state government and he has a list of projects he wants to see completed.

Daugaard says he’s become a better manager of people and time and his focus is on making South Dakota better.

(Thanks Tony Mangan KCCR Pierre)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - An elderly Sioux Falls woman lost $15,000 in the grandson-in-jail scam.

Officer Sam Clemens says the caller pretended to be her grandson and he needed $7,500 for bail, which she wired.

Clemens says a day or so later, the scammer called the 82-year-old victim again saying that he never got the money and still needed it.  The woman then wired $8,000 to the fraudster.            

Clemens says a few days later the victim called her grandson to learn he had not been in jail and she called police.  He says there's nothing Sioux Falls police can do to arrest the suspect and return the money to the victim.

He says the best thing to do in this circumstance would be to call the grandson, or other family members, immediately to confirm where he is.

SIOUX FALLS,S.D. (KELO AM) - The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation says over 100 rounds came the Kimball home where Donald and Michael London were holed-up last week.

Law enforcement fire less than a dozen rounds in response.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says 132 law enforcement personnel responded to the standoff.  He says with the number of rounds fired from the home, it's incredible that more officers weren't injured. Sergeant John Koenig was wounded the firefight and has since been released from the hospital.

Calling it one of the most dangerous events in South Dakota history, Jackley says the cooperation and bravery of the officers helped to bring the standoff to an end.

Jackley thanks the public for providing support, food and shelter to the officers.

The house in rural Kimball has been turned over to the family of Donald and Michael London who are considered innocent until proven guilty.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Sioux Falls resident encouraged the Minnehaha County Commission this morning to continue seeking an alcohol user’s fee.

However, Matt Wahls did advocate exempting South Dakota made spirits, wine and beer from the tax.

Wahls says if people complain about paying a user's fee, they can buy South Dakota-made products that taste better and are better for the local economy.              

Legislation for a county liquor tax has fared poorly in Pierre.

Wahls' comments came during the opportunity for public comment segment available at each Minnehaha County Commission meeting.

SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO AM) - The City of Sioux Falls will conduct a citizen survey this month asking 3,000 residents for their ideas and opinions about the City.

These randomly selected Sioux Falls residents will be asked to participate in The National Citizen Survey™, which will arrive by U.S. mail next week. The survey centers on community livability and includes questions about the quality of life in Sioux Falls, local policies, demographics, rating of local government services, and resident use of services.

If you receive a survey in the mail, please take a few minutes to fill it out and return it in the provided envelope. Survey results will assist the Mayor and City Council to not only measure past progress but also chart the future direction of City programs and spending priorities.

“If you are happy with how the city is run, your City Council wants to know. And vice versa, if you are unhappy, we want to know,” said Council Chair Dean Karsky. “If you have an idea to improve the city, please help us make Sioux Falls even better by completing and returning the survey.”

“Sioux Falls, this is a great opportunity to provide constructive feedback to your City leaders,” says Mayor Mike Huether. “We want to hear from you.”

The City of Sioux Falls contracted with National Research Center, Inc. to administer the survey, which was last conducted in 2013. Final survey results are expected late spring.

About The National Citizen Survey:

The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) was among the first scientific surveys developed to gather resident opinion on a range of community issues and has been used in more than 350 jurisdictions across 46 states. The NCS™ is a high-quality cost-effective scientific survey of resident opinion and an important benchmarking tool that allows for comparison among communities. Communities using The NCS™ have reported that the tool helped improve performance, strengthen communications with community stakeholders, and identify clear priorities for use in goal and budget setting.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (KELO AM) - Kenny Chesney is calling the Big Reviival Tour 'a summer you will never forget!'  Sioux Falls residents will be able to see why when he comes to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, June 18, 2015.  At this time, ticket information is unavailable.

With nearly two-dozen NFL-sized stadiums plays slated for this summer, Kenny Chesney took a good look at his remaining dates and thought about the show he was planning for this tour. Knowing each venue has individual needs – and scaling down from stadium- size, especially the amphitheaters, can remove some of the impact, he chose carefully.  

“For all the time we had to create for The Big Revival Tour,” Chesney says, “I wanted to make sure the fans got to experience it. I love amphitheaters and all the fun... But I want to give the fans the same impact with the show, because The Big Revival Tour’s set up to be pretty special.”  

Chesney’s non-stadium The Big Revival shows will be played mostly in enclosed arenas. Not all the dates have been announced – in part due to seeking the best venues to streamline the production and not lose impact – but an almost complete tour schedule is attached. After a year off the road, Chesney is ready to get back to the fans, starting March 26 at the Bridgestone Arena.  

“I can’t begin to describe the difference spending the time and being able to really focus on creating an album in terms of the songs, the production, the intensity,” Chesney says. “It feels like the same way we put this year’s tour together! We had more time to consider what we wanted, so we were able to get more creative and could dream a little more wide open...  

“A year away from the fans, whether people realize it or not, is hard on me. I live to play – as much as I live to write songs and make music. So I’m ready to get out there and play this new music for people. I want give them a taste of how good 'The Big Revival Tour' is -- and hear them singing “Til It’s Gone,” “American Kids” or even “The Big Revival” back to me!”  

Having sold in excess of a million tickets each of his headlining tours, Chesney is the only Country Artist in Billboard’s Top 10 Tour Acts of the Last 25 years – and that’s with only 12 years as a headliner. After his first stadium concert – 2003’s Neyland Stadium show, selling over 60,000 tickets in Knoxville – Chesney has played 111 football stadium shows in total.  

 “It’s a different kind of show, a different kind of energy – and what the fans bring in that environment hits every one of us onstage so hard,” Chesney says of the rush. “Every show is incredible, but there’s something about those really big ones. I think we were able to channel some of that excitement into the songs on this record – and I want to see if we can bring that intensity to the arenas and the few amphitheaters we’re playing this summer.”  

The Big Revival, his 13th #1 Billboard Country Album debut, already yielded his 25th #1 with the multiple week chart-topper “American Kids,” also nominated for Best Country Song at the Grammys. “’Til It’s Gone,” the follow-up, is poised just outside #1 this week with a bullet.               

Even the critics concur. Rolling Stone offered The Big Revival Tour "continuously brings a sense of musical energy and emotional urgency," while USA Today called it, “a coming-of-age tale full of life-changing memories” and The Associated Press wrote, “avoids the clichés flowing through contemporary country songs by injecting some real-life gravitas.”  

 “This new music takes the show to a whole other level,” Chesney says. “I’m so ready to get out there with the fans... and I think it’s gonna be a summer you won’t forget.”   

Brookings, SD (KELO AM) - Saxophonist and visiting professor Carl Spaeth will present a faculty recital accompanied by John Walker on piano and Tammy Yonce on flute at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in Peterson Recital Hall at South Dakota State University.The program will include compositions of various styles. Charles Koechlin wrote Epitaphe de Jean Harlow as a piece for flute, alto saxophone and piano. Prelude, Cadence et Finale by Alfred Desenclos was originally written as a jury piece for saxophonists at the Paris Conservatory, and Incantation and Ritual by Everett Gates is an unaccompanied work for soprano saxophone.

The program also includes Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, a three-movement work by pianist David von Kampen. Von Kampen will be a featured guest artist at the 10th Annual SDSU/Brookings Optimist Jazz Festival March 31. Spaeth is serving as the coordinator for this year’s festival. As visiting instructor of saxophone and jazz, Spaeth teaches applied saxophone lessons and directs both of the university jazz ensembles. An active scholar and performer of classical and jazz music, Spaeth has performed throughout the United States, Switzerland, France and Germany. He has also presented lectures at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional Conference, the International Saxophone Symposium hosted by the U.S. Navy Band and the Oklahoma State University Woodwinds Summit.  Spaeth has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Bob Sheppard, Conrad Herwig, Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Dan Haerle, Lynn Seaton, Alex Sipiagin, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Eddie Daniels and Dave Douglas.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The last time it was 32 degrees or warmer in Sioux Falls was Christmas Day and while it has been cold, there were no record lows.

Forecaster Todd Heitkamp says temperatures are expected to be in the mid-thirties tomorrow through Sunday.

Heitkamp says there will be melting on roads and sidewalks in the afternoon but it will still be difficult to melt snow on lawns, but it will compress a little.

Heitkamp says highs next week will be around freezing which is still above normal.  He says it appears January will be half cold and half above normal.            

There’s a slight chance for snow Monday night into Tuesday.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Police will soon start shooting deer in southeast Sioux Falls to thin the troublesome herd.

Captain Rich Miller says officers will harvest 30 deer from blinds set on private property.

Miller says the deer have caused about $200,000 dollars damage in car accidents and homeowners complain about them eating lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs.  The city passed an ordinance last year preventing the feeding of deer in city limits.

Miller says the officers will harvest the deer with rifles equipped with silencers.  They have until middle of February to take 30 does.             

Miller says the meat will go to “Sportsmen Against Hunger” to be distributed to the needy.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) – Once again, the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center has given Sioux Falls a level playing field with the top markets in the country. Wednesday’s announcement by Kenny Chesney that Sioux Falls would be a stop on his big summer tour put us right in line with Dallas, Denver, and Chicago – all cities that will host a stop on Chesney’s upcoming tour in their respective NFL stadiums.

“Sioux Falls and the PREMIER center might be the smallest community and venue on the tour. Chesney had many options and places to play, and for them to select Sioux Falls is a big deal” said Chris Semrau, who handles booking for SMG, the group that runs the PREMIER Center. Semrau added that the tour has the potential to be the biggest musical tour in the United States for 2015, among all genres, adding to the prestige of the event.

Semrau added that he’s had several near-misses when it comes to booking events for the new facility, so to get a win like this is an opportunity to grow the market. “We’re grateful and excited for the opportunity. Now we need to sell it out and show the rest of the industry that this market is hungry for big time tours like Kenny Chesney.”

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Fire-Rescue says a resident suffered minor injuries in a basement fire last night on South Wayland Court, between Cliff Avenue and I-229.

Firefighters found flames and heavy smoke when they arrived around 11:30.

The family was out of the home and the fire was controlled in fifteen minutes.  The injured resident was treated on scene by Rural Metro and released.

The family’s two cats died of smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) -  Plans are underway for a $5 million expansion project at Great Bear Recreation Area.

Manager Dan Grider says first the tubing lanes will be doubled and a new lift will go in next summer.

Grider says five year plan calls for expanding the chalet that now has 16,000 square feet.  He'd like to add another 7,000 square feet for a large room that could hold 250 people.  Great Bear also hosts weddings and other events during the summer months.

He says the plan also calls for more ski runs and new lifts throughout.              

Grider says much of the total plan will depend on donations.     

Great Bear is hosting ski and snowboard races this weekend to benefit the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) The City of Sioux Falls has hired a major consulting firm for a comprehensive review of the city's fleet of 900 snow plows, police cars, fire engines and other vehicles.

City Purchasing Manager Scott Rust says the $70,000 review will save taxpayers money in the long run through greater efficiences in fleet operations.

He says that Mercury Associations, Inc. is the largest fleet management consulting firm in the country. The city hopes to have the review completed by early spring.

PIERRE, SD (KELO AM) – Attorney General Marty Jackley and Hanson County States Attorney Jim Davies announced today that a Minnehaha County jury returned a verdict finding Maricela N. Diaz, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, guilty of first degree murder, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison; felony murder arson, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison, first degree arson, class 2 felony, with maximum penalty of up to 25 years in prison; felony murder kidnapping, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison and second-degree aggravated kidnapping class 1 felony, with a maximum penalty of up to 50 years in prison.

“This jury verdict is the result of a very dedicated and hardworking investigation and prosecution team. Diaz and Salgado have been found guilty of the cold blooded murder of a 16 year-old innocent little girl. I struggle to believe that the family of Jasmine Guevara will ever find closure, but I hope that this conviction will allow them to begin to heal,” said Jackley. “As Attorney General, I will be reviewing Mr. Salgado’s testimony and case to determine whether he is in violation of his plea agreement and if so the appropriate remedy.”

Charges stem that on November 10, 2009, Maricela N. Diaz and Alexander Salgado murdered Jasmine Guevara. Diaz and then-boyfriend Salgado were both arrested in November of 2009 for luring Guevara to a remote location in rural Hanson County, where they stabbed her, cut her throat and then set her car on fired while she was in the trunk. Salgado plead guilty to second-degree murder in August of 2010 for his involvement in Guevara’s death. He is currently serving a life sentence at the State Penitentiary.

This case was investigated by the Hanson County’s Sheriff’s Office, Mitchell Police Department and the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Hanson County States Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

HURON, SD (KELO AM) - SDFB's "Farm Bureau Cares" trailer received an Award of Excellence in the category for Member Services.  A partnership with Farm Bureau Financial Services, this trailer is fully stocked everything needed to serve food to a crowd – including a custom-made, one-of-a-kind grill locally made in South Dakota.

The trailer has traveled all over the state, serving people affected by storms and farm accidents, as well as at social events such as Dakotafest and the State Fair.  In one year, more than 2,300 meals have been served from the Farm Bureau Cares Trailer.

The organization’s “First at Scene Training” (F@ST) video received an Award of Excellence in the Education & Outreach category, and additionally was honored with a President’s Award for being the best-of-the-best in South Dakota’s membership size category. The professionally produced F@ST video shows re-enactments of nine common rural accident scenes while veteran first-responders describe what to do to help the victim, but also to stay safe while waiting for professionals to arrive.In its first year, more than 300 copies of the F@ST safety video have already been distributed through County Farm Bureaus, FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, local fire departments, and other civic groups. Farm Bureau estimates that more than 5,000 people have viewed this rural safety training thus far. Scenes depict accidents involving livestock handling, ATVs, overhead wires, grain bins, and more.

For more information or to purchase the F@ST video, visit this page. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The investigation into shots fired by a Sioux Falls police officer at Tuthill Park on January 1st concludes that 27-year-old Anthony Davis acted within policy.

Chief Doug Barthel says Davis fired 8 rounds at a suspect who pointed a handgun at him. Barthel says it's easy to question how Davis could have missed.  He challenges anyone to be in that position where it's dark, you're alone, the suspect is moving and you're defending your life.       

Barthel says the suspect came up on Davis from behind his squad car, Davis got out and tried talking to the man but received no response.

The person had his right hand down to his side and moved his left hand into his coat pocket.  He produced a handgun that he pointed at Davis.  The officer moved away, drew his handgun and fired.

Barthel says the suspect disappeared into the woods at the top of the sledding hill and his motives are still unknown.

Davis describes the suspect a white male, or with a light complexion, 5'6" to 5'8" tall, wearing a black or dark blue winter coat, dark colored pants and a black stocking cap.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The last license fee increase for most South Dakota vehicles was in 2013, while the last increase for commercial vehicles was in the early 80’s.

Director of Division of Motor Vehicles, Peggy Laurenz, told the Senate Transportation Committee today that the state processed 1.4 million vehicle registrations last fiscal year.

Laurenz says revenue raised from vehicle license and registration fees all go back to the counties, or the local governments, to fund maintenance for roads and bridges.

Laurenz says close to 100,000 registrations were done on-line or at one of ten terminals across South Dakota last year.

There are three ways to renew license and registration in South Dakota.  Go to your county treasurer, online or at one of ten terminals located in 8 communities.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D (KELO AM) -The days of Ellsworth Air Force bombers commuting to Nevada or Arizona for training are coming to an end.

Senator John Thune says the Air Force expanded training airspace over the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming.

Thune says the airspace will offer a greater ability to train under combat conditions.  He says the Powder River Training Complex will give pilots and personnel with the expanded airspace to perform the critical training needed in those missions.

Now that the Air force has approved the process, the Federal Aviation Administration will complete its review before the training airspace can be used.