Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) South Dakota's biggest city keeps getting bigger. The new estimated population of Sioux Falls is 169,800 people, 4,000 more souls than a year ago.

City planning officials held a news conference on Thursday to talk about the population estimates. Planning Director Mike Cooper says that essentially, in the past 15 years, Sioux Falls has added two Watertowns to the city population.

Planning official Jeff Schmitt says Sioux Falls has grown by 45,000 people in just the past 15 years and is projected to have a population of 233,000 by the year 2035. 

Sioux Falls has seen very strong job growth and obviously people are coming from all over to take advantage of it.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls police say an unidentified male suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound last night on Louise Avenue.

Police say the shooting happened near the Empire Mall.

Officers were called to Louise around 11 p.m. and found a male victim inside a car.  The victim was taken to Sanford.

Police haven’t said if there are suspects or arrests.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls police consider the suspects in last night’s shooting on South Louise Avenue as armed and dangerous.

Officer Sam Clemens identifies them as 17-year-old Connor Bryon Hanson and 19-year-old Robert Edward Montes.  He says investigator don't know who fired the handgun and it has not been recovered.

Clemens says the 18-year-old male victim was shot in the head while he was driving on Louise Avenue.  He says the victim and suspects got into an argument at 6th and Cliff earlier last night and were chasing one another in their cars through town to Louise.

Clemens says either Hanson or Montes fired several rounds at the victim's car behind them.  After hitting the victim, a female passenger grabbed the wheel bringing the car to a stop.  The woman's  5 month old girl was in the back seat but escaped serious injury. 

The suspect's car is described as a white, 2013 Toyota Prius with South Dakota plates 1BKS11

SIOUX FALLS, S.D (KELO AM) - Democratic lawmakers again today called on Governor Daugaard to expand Medicaid.

Brookings Representative Spence Hawley says it would impact South Dakotans up to 138% of the federal poverty level.  Hawley says which on a single person means they make $15,500, still below the minimum wage.

He says for a family of three it means making $26,000.

Governor Daugaard says the state’s ability to pay is a concern.  He says in the first few years the consequence to the state budget is a couple million dollars, then it goes to ten, then twenty, eventually up to $36 million.  He says the state's entire revenue growth this year was $49 million.

Democrats have an expansion bill in the Senate to allow for a hearing.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - The mild weather of the past two weeks will be a memory as colder air and snow return to the region over the weekend.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Sioux Falls area and along the I – 90 corridor east and west of Sioux Falls.  The Advisory will be in effect from 6:00 p.m. Saturday night through noon on Sunday.  Snow will begin late Saturday afternoon and continue into Sunday morning.  Accumulations of 3 – 6 inches are expected in the advisory area.

Winter Storm Warnings have also been issued for northwest Iowa and part of southeast South Dakota.  Depending on your location the Warning starts at 3:00 p.m. for locations toward Vermillion and Sioux City, where 7 – 8 inches of snow are expected.  For the area in northwest Iowa closer to Sioux Falls, including Rock Rapids, Larchwood and Sioux Center, the warning goes into effect at 6 tonight and continues until noon on Sunday.  Six to seven inches of snow are expected in this area.

Colder air will return to the area as well.  Temperatures on Saturday will be in the upper 20’s in Sioux Falls.  A high temperature around 12 on Sunday will fall to the single digits by sunset, with a low on Sunday night around -7.  Wind chills Sunday night and Monday morning will be in the -10 to -20 range.   Highs will be in the teens on Monday.

Sioux Falls, S.D. (KELO-AM) - The National Weather Service says winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect for much of the region tonight and Sunday. Expect deteriorating conditions through the evening and overnight hours as snow and wind spread across much of the area. Expect the heaviest snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches across much of northwest Iowa and parts of extreme southeast South Dakota and southern Minnesota. Snowfall totals of 2 to 6 inches will be common elsewhere with lighter amounts further to the northwest.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - The Public Works Street Division has declared a snow alert. Plowing of emergency snow routes began at noon and will continue until routes are clear. All vehicles parked on emergency snow routes are subject to immediate ticketing and towing.  

 Zone 3:Plowing in Zone 3 will begin this afternoon, Sunday, February 1, 2015, after emergency routes have been cleared. All streets in Zone 3 will be plowed. All vehicles parked in Zone 3 are subject to ticketing and towing during snow plowing operations until the streets have been plowed.

 Zone 2: Plowing of east/west streets will begin on Sunday, February 1, 2015 at 8 p.m. Plowing of north/south streets will begin on Monday, February 2, 2015 at 8 a.m. All vehicles parked on streets in Zone 2 during snow plowing operations are subject to ticketing and towing. 

 Zone 1: Snow pickup operations in Zone 1 will begin at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2015. Vehicles parked in Zone 1 will be subject to ticketing and towing between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2015. During a snow alert, parking is prohibited in the downtown area between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. 

General snow removal information is available on the City’s website at www.siouxfalls.org/snow and on cable channel CityLink. If you are unsure what snow zone you are in, or where the zone boundaries are located, use our online interactive map, which allows you to pinpoint your zone by address. You may subscribe to email snow alert notifications at www.siouxfalls.org/snow/email.  

Text message alerts are also available by texting SNOW to 605-413-1990. Snow alerts and updates also will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook. Follow us at twitter.com/siouxfallssnow. On Facebook you can “like” us at facebook.com/citysiouxfalls.   

Property owners are reminded that the City of Sioux Falls requires all public sidewalks cleared of ice and snow within 48 hours after completion of each snow or ice accumulation. Sidewalks at intersections or crosswalks shall also be cleared to the street—City Ordinance, Section 96.100. Call 367-6900 during normal business hours, or leave a voice message after hours or on weekends, to report violations. 

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - A Winter Storm Warning continues for southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa until 6:00 this evening.

Snow will begin to decrease late this morning and end early this afternoon. The warning continues due to north winds gusting to 35 mph at times will cause blowing and drifting snow this morning.  Winds will slowly decrease this afternoon, and become light and variable tonight.

Forecaster Mike Fuhs at the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls says snowfall amounts vary from 5 to 8 inches across the region. He says the system stretches from South Dakota to Maine. The Weather Channel has dubbed the storm "LINUS".

Temperatures will fall to around 9 above by noon. Tonight will see temperatures around -7, with wind chills approaching -20.  High temperatures will rebound into the mid to upper teens on Monday, and mid 20’s on Tuesday.

Roads are snow packed and slippery.  A SNOW ALERT is in effect locally, and plows are out on emergency snow routes in Sioux Falls.  If you must travel, make sure you are prepared for the weather.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The victim in last Thursday’s shooting on South Louise Avenue, 18-year-old Anthony Lee Gabriel, died yesterday at Sanford Hospital.

Lieutenant Matt Burns says 17-year-old Connor Hanson and 19-year-old Robert Montes, are charged with murder and manslaughter.

Burns says the teenagers had been arguing Thursday night and continued the confrontation in cars across Sioux Falls.  When they got to Louise Avenue, either Hanson or Montes fired 3 or 4 rounds at the car Gabriel was driving and hit him in the head.            

Burns says Hanson and Montes were arrested walking together in Marshall, Minnesota, and are in the Lyon County Jail pending extradition.

He says investigators are looking for a 9 MM handgun used in the shooting and are still talking with people familiar with the suspects and victim.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) -  Candidates for two seats on the Sioux Falls School Board can pick up petitions for the April 14^th election.

District spokesman Ben Schumacher says the election is to fill vacancies when the terms of Kate Parker and Todd Thoelke expire.

Schumacher says there was a petition that parents turned last year challenging school start dates which the school board approves four years out.             

Voters will decide to accept the school board calendar or open school no earlier than first Tuesday following the first Monday in September.

This election will also utilize the 13 vote center allowing voters to cast ballots at any location.

VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO AM) – More than two dozen students, representing 10 schools, will compete at the 2015 Southeast South Dakota Regional Spelling Bee at the University of South Dakota on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The competition will begin with a written and vocabulary test at 9 a.m. followed by the oral bee at 10 a.m. at Aalfs Auditorium. The event will be streamed live online at www.usd.edu. Students participating are Luke Kavanagh, seventh grade, Paige Raker, eighth grade, and Taya Bult, sixth grade, all from Scotland; Hari Kadarkaraisamy, fifth grade, Anna Armbrust, fifth grade, Teo Kim, fifth grade, Austin Hamm, fifth grade, Debbie Campbell, third grade, Ryleigh Sherlock, second grade, Owen Dudley, eighth grade, Brady Martinez, seventh grade, and Gregg Logan, seventh grade, all from Vermillion; and Sophia Vyborny, eighth grade, Anna Carda, fifth grade, Ryan Trail, sixth grade, Bradley Howe, seventh grade, Simon Carlson, eighth grade, and Lauren Gillis, sixth grade, all from Yankton; Kennedy Gallisath, fifth grade, Hannah Mickey, seventh grade, and Jackson Nei, fifth grade, all from Castlewood; Awo Addo, fourth grade, Tyler Cornelsen, second grade, Valerie Norby, third grade, Anica Reimer, Caden Peters, seventh grade, Nana Addo, fifth grade, Andrew Jensen, eighth grade, and Madi Rhee, sixth grade, all from Dakota Valley; and Merik Junker, fourth grade, Grace Martenson, fourth grade, and Jared Volesky, sixth grade, Immaculate Conception School.

This year Rotary Club International has been a valued partner with the spelling bee program across the state of South Dakota lending their support as volunteers and with grant funding. The school of each top place winner from each regional bee will be presented a plaque in honor of their student thanks to the support of Rotary International.

Other regional Bees will also be held across the state, including the Rapid City Journal Regional Spelling Bee, Rapid City; Corn Palace Regional Spelling Bee, Mitchell; Sioux Falls Regional Spelling Bee; Northcentral Regional Spelling Bee, Mobridge. The top three contestants from each regional bee will advance to the USD Scripps Spelling Bee on March 21. The top place finisher from that contest will compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee and represent South Dakota in Washington D.C. May 24-29.

SIOUX FALLS (KELO AM) - The original $19.8 million budget for the future Sioux Falls Indoor Aquatics Center at Spellerberg Park was recently increased by another $3.9 million (Roughly 20-percent) . Some Sioux Falls Council Members say there needs to be more transparency about where the additional dollars come from and how they are used.

Don Kearny, Sioux Falls Park and Recreation Director and Tracy Turbak, City Finance Director joined Greg Belfrage yesterday to discuss the increased price.  They said the overage can be covered by 1.6-million dollars in surplus second-penny sales tax dollars are available from last year's budget, 1.2-million dollars that wasn't spent on 2014 Capital Improvement Plan projects and a 1.1-million dollars comes from a private gift to the city.  

The new dollar figures were derived when Sioux Falls Council Members traveled to other cities, and observed their indoor aquatics centers.  They were able to see and discuss what was done right and wrong at the other places.  They also wanted to widen the pool to be big enough to meet the future demands and they added a Veteran's therapy pool.

Kearney said, There is only one chance to build this facility right,  We know there will be no second chances to go back and make corrections when the construction is done.  

City Councilman Kermit Staggers looks at the project with skepticism.  He would like to see more transparency with how the aquatics center dollars are spent.  He would even like to see it come to a public vote whether to use additional funds and where they come from. 

The KELO AM podcast of the Greg Belfrage Show with Don Kearney and Tracy Turbak can be heard at: http://kelo.com/podcasts/greg-belfrage-show/935/sioux-falls-learns-from-mistakes-of-other-indoor-pools/

The KELO AM podcast of the Greg Belfrage Show with Kermit Staggers can be heard at: http://kelo.com/podcasts/greg-belfrage-show/935/councilman-staggers-skeptical-of-indoor-aquatic-center-additional-cost/

This Thursday at 8:10am, Mayor Mike Huether will be the guest on the Greg Belfrage Show to discuss the aquatic center.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Planning and Building issued just over $23 million in building permits last month, a bit higher than a year ago when the city began its climb to a record-breaking construction year.

Chief Building Officer Ron Bell says last year’s record benefited from 8,500 re-shingle permits valued at $72 million.  Bell estimates that about one-third to one-quarter of re-shingle jobs remain to be done this year.

Bell says 22 permits for houses were issued last month and 21 permits issued for apartment buildings.

He says permits were issued for four commercial projects worth about $10 million. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - President Obama and Congressional Republicans see a need to increase defense spending, upgrade a crumbling infrastructure and fix corporate taxes.

But Congresswoman Kristi Noem calls Obama’s budget a political document.

Noem says while corporate taxes are important, the effort to revamp the system should extend to hard-working taxpayers.  She says trade agreements should be approved and signed to make oversea's markets available to U.S. marketers.

Noem is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which is holding its first hearing on the budget today.

Noem spoke about the $4 trillion dollar budget on FOX this morning.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - There was only one opponent in Pierre this morning to House Bill 1131, a $50 million dollar measure to fix roads and bridges in South Dakota.

That opposition came from Dawna Leitzski with the South Dakota Petroleum and Propane Marketer’s Association.

Leitzski questioned the bill's intent to raise South Dakota's gas tax two cents a year forever.  She says South Dakota would tax itself out of competition with neighboring states.              

The bill would raise fuel and wheel taxes and raise license and registration fees for highway improvements.

The committee deferred voting on the measure until next week.

The State Senate is also considering a seperate measure to upgrade roads and bridges.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) The Spellerberg pool cost controversy keeps making waves in Sioux Falls.

City Council Member Kermit Staggers says the voters should decide today whether an indoor pool should be built at all. He points out that last year's vote was only on whether an new outdoor pool should be built at Spellerberg. Since the indoor pool is going to cost millions more than first proposed, Staggers says the citizens should decide. He suggests tacking it on to the Sioux Falls School District elections in April. 

Other City Councilers have called for public hearings on the extra money required.

This would be the first municipal indoor pool in South Dakota's largest city.

City officials says part of the extra cost is because they want to built the pool right the first time. The old outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park has already been demolished.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Fall police issued 1,037 snow alert tickets in the last storm.

Officer Sam Clemens says that’s about 200 fewer tickets than the last storm.

Clemens says contrary to popular belief, police don't enjoy writing snow citations and they wish the number of offenders would diminish.  But, he says, officers understand the need for clean, wide streets for the public and emergency responders.               

Clemens says there are a variety of ways to be notified when a snow alert is issued.  Go to the city's website signup or learn more about snow alert notifiers.

 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A bill to keep South Dakota in summer time hours year-round was doomed from the start in the House State Affairs Committee today.

The bill exempted the state from Daylight Saving Time but that’s exactly what the writers sought to achieve border to border.

After the bill was amended to exempt the state from Standard Time it was sent to the 41^st day effectively killing the measure.

The bill's title was wrongly titled, exempting South Dakota from Daylight Savings Time, when the appropriate usage is Daylight Saving (no s) Time.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Police have solved 47 of the last 48 homicides.

Captain Blaine Larsen says last week's first Sioux Falls homicide of 2015 prompted investigators to review the murder clearance rate.

Larsen says the last unsolved murder was that of Daniel Eastman in 2011.  He says Eastman was found beaten and unconscious in downtown Sioux Falls.  He was in a coma for awhile and when he awoke, he didn't remember anything about the incident.

Larsen says Eastman had been drinking heavily and he associated with folks of a suspicious nature and made poor witnesses.               

Eastman eventually succumbed to his wounds.

Larsen says the 48 murders date back ten years.

The clearance rates of all serious crimes in Sioux Falls far outdistance the national average according to the FBI.

 Larsen says burglaries and robberies are the hardest crimes to solve even in Sioux Falls.  He says that's largely because robbers conceal their identity and robbers tend to commit crime with as few witnesses as possible. Crimes of opportunity.              

Serious crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and stolen cars.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) Sculpter Darwin Wolf will be at Avera's Prairie Cancer Center at selected times over the next month creating Sioux Falls' first firefighters memorial.

Wolf, based in the Black Hills, says you will be able to watch him sculpt the model - exact in every detail - for the 6-foot bronze statue of two firefighters. Every nuance he captures in clay you will see on the finished product.

The Sioux Falls Firefighters Benevolent Association is a quarter of the way to the project fund raising goal of $250,000. Association President Garrett Dulaney says along with hosting Wolf, Avera has also made a significant cash donation. 

When completed the bronze memorial will be erected at Fire/Rescue headquarters at 37th Street and Minnesota Avenue.