SIOUX FALLS (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Police were called to the Kum N Go convenience store at 501 N Minnesota.  Customers coming into the store saw that the clerk appeared to have been assaulted and called 911 at 2:45 am. 

Upon arrival, officers assessed his condition and he advised he’d been struck.  He was turned over to paramedics for further assessment. 

There is no indication of robbery at this time.  

Anyone who may have seen the incident is encouraged to call Crimestoppers.

BROOKINGS (KELO AM) - For most people, cheese is something to eat. For Tim Czmowski, it’s a way of life.

When Czmowski, a 1985 graduate in dairy science and Webster native, examines a piece of cheese, he turns into a connoisseur.

For example, Czmowski slowly removes the sample from the cheese trier and smells both the plug and hole in the wheel of cheese. He closely inspects the sample, looking for holes, before breaking off several pieces. He shares the pieces with fellow observers before rolling one almost flat. During the process, Czmowski explains what he is looking for in the grading process. He wants the cheese to take on a different shape, one unlike the original curds. He wants to feel the texture and structure of the cheese. And, of course, he wants to find out how it tastes.

Czmowski gets plenty of opportunities to taste various flavors, 44 to be exact, of cheese while evaluating the products made at the Agropur cheese plant in Hull, Iowa, where he is the general manager. However, his passion comes out when explaining what makes a champion cheese and how one grades it.

“I’ve always believed that in order to make a good product, you need to be able to know what a good product is,” Czmowski said. “The judging and evaluation was really critical.

“Initially, to become a judge, you submit an application with your skills to the contest host—the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association—along with the abilities and the cheese styles you’re familiar with and any history you have with grading or judging,” he continued. “In our business, we have to grade our product all of the time because it’s a living, breathing thing. It’s a fermentation process and it’s important to monitor it as it ages in order to satisfy your customers’ expectations. To prove you have what it takes, you have to be able to evaluate and find the defects in many of the various cheese products.”

There were more than 2,600 entries from 22 countries in the 2014 world contest. The judges then selected the 80 recipients of best-of-class awards and then narrowed the entries to 16 before selecting the grand champion and the first and second runners-up.

“Cheese making is an art and a craft. It really is a science,” he said. “The combination of knowing the dairy science, processing techniques and evaluating the products is one of my core beliefs as performed in my duties in the industry now for nearly 30 years.

“I think it’s like anything else. To excel, you have to show your passion. You can’t fake passion, you have to live it,” Czmowski continued.

And Czmowski’s life is cheese.

Czmowski started his career with an internship at Valley Queen Cheese Factory. After graduating, he landed full-time positions with Land O’Lakes, back to Valley Queen and CPS Scherping, which became Tetra Pak. After Tetra Pak, he served as a founding member of the team that established the Green Meadows Dairy plant of which he serves as general manager following Agropur’s purchase.

“Not many people have the chance to build a dairy plant and I’ve been fortunate to do that,” he said. “I’ve also been fortunate and had the privilege of having a number of very good mentors in my career. They’ve made me also be passionate about the people side. I really enjoy working as part of a team.”

Czmowski added more cheese to his life when he and his wife, Patty, opened Cheese World, a specialty store with more than 200 cheese varieties, in Sioux Falls in early 2014.

His oldest son, Michael Czmowski, a 2011 State graduate in horticulture, serves as the store’s general manager. He also volunteers at the world and U.S. contests.

Another son, Matthew, also works at Cheese World when not majoring in mechanical engineering at State and playing as a member of The Pride of Dakotas. Like his brother, he also volunteers at the world and U.S. contests.

In addition to having his sons attend State, Czmowski regularly visits campus to speak with students about the industry, recruit students for internships or full-time employment and, on behalf of Agropur, serves on the Jackrabbit Dairy Council.

“I’m incredibly proud of my degree from SDSU,” he said. “I started as a freshman working at the dairy plant and learned how to make cheese. I made ice cream and butter, processed milk, chocolate milk and orange juice and all of that good stuff but I could tell I had a passion for cheese making. That passion grew into doing an internship at a cheese plant. The real-life experience that the SDSU Dairy Science Department gives you prepares one very well for a future career in dairy.

“I’m very connected and appreciative to what the dairy science faculty did for me when I was a student and I hope I can give back somehow to the students who are there now,” Czmowski continued. “It’s powerful to see the impact that SDSU has had on this industry. There aren’t many plants out there that don’t have or haven’t had some exposure to an SDSU dairy science graduate.”

Czmowski will be looking for more Jackrabbits to join him and the team at Agropur as the Hull plant is planning to double its capacity in the near future.

“Having grown up on a dairy farm, I knew the farm side of the business and always wanted to know what happened on the other side of the milk truck,” he said. “I always felt this was really a great opportunity and could be one of my most enjoyable options for a career. That is exactly what it has turned out to be.”

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - No one was injured when a 49-year-old Sioux Falls man mistakenly fired a handgun in an apartment on East 6^th Street early Saturday morning.

Officer Sam Clemens says Deng Aguer had taken the gun away from a woman who was threatening him and he believed the gun was fake.

Aguer is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of a gun while intoxicated.

The woman who first pointed the gun at him, 38-year-old Jackline Tingwa is charged with aggravated assault.  She allegedly pointed the guna Aguer after he refused to give her a rides.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A seventeen-year-old Roosevelt High Student faces felony drug charges after a K-9 sweep of the Kuehn Park parking lot Friday.

Officer Sam Clemens says police found marijuana, two oxycodone pills, baggies and a scale and alcohol in the car.

Police also found a black ski mask and a b-b gun that looks like a realistic handgun.

The boy is charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marjiuana with intent to distribute, possession of alcohol and weapon on school grounds.              

The School District leases parking spaces at Kuehn and Roosevelt sells them to students.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Actress. writer and philanthropist Melissa Gilbert is the featured speaker at tomorrow night’s Women in Business event.

Gilbert, best known for her role as Laura Ingalls, is excited about coming to Sioux Falls.

Golbert says the last time she was in South Dakota she was with "Little House on the Prairie Musical" where she played Ma Ingalls.  She says the troupe went to DeSmet to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home.

Sales and Marketing Executives host the annual event.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) -The Sioux Falls School Board hears a report today on the Grab N Go health snack pilot project.

Board President Kent Alberty says students at the high schools and Axtell Park Middle School can buy healthy snacks from a cart in the mornings.

Alberty says the cart includes yogurt, skim milk, reduced sugar granola bars, cinnamon toast cereal and fruit.              

Alberty says the goal is to expand the program district-wide next year.

The Midwest Dairy Council is helping to pay for the project with a ten-thousand dollar grant.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) The 2015 Summit League Basketball Championship Tournament was a $11.5 million slam dunk for the Sioux Falls economy.

The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Sioux Falls Sports Authority had the numbers crunched on hotel rooms, restaurants, gas, and the other ways people spend money when they come to town. The analysis shows that the event in March at the Denny Sanford Premier Center generated $11.45 million in direct and indirect local economic impact.

Sports Authority Executive Director Wes Hall says the numbers are more evidence that building the new events center was a good investment. Hall says the impact also speaks volumes about what the Summit League Tournament means to Sioux Falls. He says $11.5 million in just four days is a "huge, huge" number. 

Hall talked about the tournament's economic impact on the Monday edition of the Craig and Chris Show on Sports Radio KWSN.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Police, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, and Rural Metro Ambulance were dispatched to 41st St and Kiwanis Ave Monday afternoon for an injury accident involving a 1999 Honda Accord and a bicyclist.

The accident investigation indicated that Honda, driven by a 16 yr old Sioux Falls resident, was southbound on Kiwanis and in the turn lane to turn eastbound on 41st St.  The bicyclist, a 16 yr old Sioux Falls resident, entered the roadway from the west side of the Kiwanis Avenue and was attempting to cross Kiwanis.

The bicyclist did not yield the right of way to vehicles on Kiwanis Ave, and two vehicles in the southbound lanes were forced to slow down to avoid hitting the bicyclist. This blocked the view of the Accord's driver, who was unable to react when the bicyclist entered his lane, causing the accident. The impact caused the operator of the bicycle to hit the Accord's windshield.

The bicyclist was transported to Sanford Hospital for treatment. Injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening at this time.  No one in the car was hurt in the incident.

Neither speed nor alcohol are believed to factors in this incident. Names of those involved in the crash were not released.

HURON (KELO AM) - Like many farmers with deep roots in South Dakota, the Dirty Thirties weren’t kind to David Kayser’s family. His grandpa, Felix Kayser, lost his Emery farm and his grandpa, Art Jarding, had to invest his own money to save the local cooperative he helped establish.

“Those were tough times for agriculture,” says Kayser, 55, who raises corn, soybeans and cattle with his sons near Alexandria.

In the end, both grandpas saw their sacrifices pay off. Felix was able to get a fresh start in 1943 when he purchased a farm near Alexandria and Art saw the local cooperative thrive.

Three generations later, Kayser honors his grandfathers’ legacies, farming Felix’s land and first serving on the board of the local cooperative and now serving on the CHS national board of directors. “Cooperative participation is part of our family’s story. We appreciate the voice cooperatives give farmers,” Kayser says.

He explains that before cooperatives, farmers were at the mercy of the large monopolies which provided inputs and bought commodities when it was to their advantage. “The private companies who purchased grain and sold inputs did not listen to farmers’ needs. By forming cooperatives, farmers gained a voice in how and when their commodities would be sold and inputs delivered.” Kayser says this voice holds value today. It is the reason he continues to purchase 100 percent of his inputs from Farmers Alliance of Mitchell. “The cooperative business structure provides us with a voice on not only the goods and services we receive, but also in the cooperative’s governance,” Kayser says.

Kayser is not alone in his thinking. More than 80,000 South Dakotans are cooperative members ­ whether they belong to an agriculture, electric, banking or telecommunications cooperative, if they are members of a cooperative, their voice is heard, explains Lucas Lentsch, S.D. Secretary of Agriculture.

“It’s about having a local voice that is reflective of the needs of friends and neighbors,” Lentsch says. “Cooperatives unite those with common interests and provide them with access to products or services they need.” Lentsch goes on to say that for many South Dakota communities, the solutions provided by cooperatives continue to drive economic prosperity.

He explains that when private industry didn’t deem rural populations large enough to establish needed infrastructure such as electricity, water, high speed internet and cell service, or services like banking, fuel stations, grain storage and marketing, community members formed cooperatives to fill the need. “Together we are more powerful than alone,” Lentsch says. “Anyone who does not understand the value of cooperatives today needs to sit down with those who fought the battles to provide the services many of us take for granted.”

Member Ownership

Unlike private industry, to become vested or gain ownership, members simply need to do business with their cooperative. “I don’t think there is a farmer alive who doesn’t value ownership,” says Randy Knecht, a Houghton farmer.

“Ownership of the supply chain brings value.” Knecht’s cooperative, Full Circle Ag, is one of many local cooperatives which are members of the national cooperative, CHS, Inc. “CHS is a great logistics company. It provides our local cooperative with ag inputs and fuel in a timely fashion and connects our commodities to the global marketplace.” Because the cooperative business model is member-focused, cooperatives are only successful as long as they are able to meet their member/owners’ needs.

“We have to remain competitive in the marketplace to return value to our customers,” says Jeff Dragseth, General Manager of CBH Cooperative. “As we grow, change and look for new opportunities, our members reap the benefits through much more than patronage.” Dragseth references a recent conversation he had with one of his members.

“This member said patronage doesn’t matter to him. What matters is the fact that he can depend upon his cooperative to invest in the assets he needs on his large farming operation when he needs them ­ whether that is people or equipment.” Since 2010, CBH Cooperative has expanded its service territory to serve members in Montana and Wyoming.

Relevant for the Next Generation

“You can’t beat the cooperative model,” says Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union.

A fourth-generation Conde crop and cattle farmer, Sombke says his cooperative loyalty was inherited from his father and grandfather. His grandpa, Alvin, was a founding member of the Farmers Union Oil Company of Ferney and both men served on the board of directors.

Today, he encourages his three grown sons, who farm with him, to remain actively involved. “I hope I’ve instilled the same level of respect for cooperatives in my sons,” Sombke says. “This can be challenging because they are so far removed from the challenges we faced before cooperatives came to rural South Dakota,” Sombke says.

Educating the next generation of cooperative members has been key to S.D.

Farmers Union youth education curriculum. Each year more than 2,000 South Dakota youth attend district and state camps where they learn about how cooperatives work and the value they bring to their local communities.

“The value captured from cooperatives isn’t always monetary,” adds Kayser, also a member of S.D. Farmers Union. “I look at our local cooperatives as providing employment, fire fighters, emergency responders and other services to rural South Dakota. Really, the cooperative is an extension of my community.” Like Sombke, Kayser encourages his four sons to embrace their local cooperative. “I can only hope I have taught them to value the cooperative system because it has only been in recent years that agriculture has attracted private industry to sell inputs locally,” Kayser said. “And, in bad times, what is there to keep private industry from moving on. My grandfather understood this ­ that’s the reason he invested his own money in sustaining the local co-op.” The value of cooperatives has not been lost on higher education. Lake Area Technical Institute and South Dakota State University are among post secondary programs across the state which offer classes focused on the cooperative business model.

“We feel it is important to expose this business model to young people,” said Barry Dunn, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Endowed Dean of the SDSU College of Agriculture & Biological Sciences, SDSU Extension Director.

“It is a great model for us to stand on our own and be responsible for our own community today and into the future.”

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The Minnehaha County Commission did not commit today to helping the Sioux Falls Jaycees 48^th annual July Fourth fireworks show.

Jaycee member Grace Marie Arneson highlighted some costs.  She says the entire show costs $40,000.  The fireworks cost $25,000 and the inflatables for kids cost $3,000

Commissioner Jeff Barth said there may not be any money but did not shut the door.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Hartford area rancher spoke of his concerns about the Dakota Access Pipeline crossing his property to the Minnehaha County Commission this morning.

Orrin Geide  says he draws water from three wells on his property for two hundred cattle and 75 buffalo.  He says he's worried about contamination if the pipeline springs a leak.

Giede says he's talked to some neighbors who haven't heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline and he says the media hasn't done a good enough job telling the story to the public.

The Commission advised Geide it was staying on top of the project.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Hartford area rancher spoke of his concerns about the Dakota Access Pipeline crossing his property to the Minnehaha County Commission this morning.

Orrin Geide  says he draws water from three wells on his property for two hundred cattle and 75 buffalo.  He says he's worried about contamination if the pipeline springs a leak.

Giede says he's talked to some neighbors who haven't heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline and he says the media hasn't done a good enough job telling the story to the public.

The Commission advised Geide it was staying on top of the project.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D (KELO AM) -  A three-member Minnehaha County Commission today again deferred awarding an ambulance license for an area north and west of Sioux Falls.

Commissioner Jeff Barth and Dick Kelly supported Med-Star while Gerald Beninga backed Paramedics Plus.

Beninga says Med-Star has different communication system than the Paramedics Plus group has, which is the former Rural Metro group.  He says there's a concern about a communication's gap.  

 For the license to be awarded the three Commissioners had to vote unanimously.  They'll wait for all five Commissioners to be at next Tuesday's meeting.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Monday evening at approximately 10:45pm, Sioux Falls police was dispatched to the Rice St Casino at 1810 E Rice for a robbery.  Upon arrival they were advised a suspect entered the business and demanded money.  No weapon was seen and he didn’t appear to wait long enough to obtain any actual property from the business.

It appears the man, who had a mask on, walked into the casino and demanded money. From the video it does not appear that the clerk ever gave him any, as the would-be robber pulled a bag out, briefly removed his mask, then walked out of the casino. It’s unclear what the clerk and robber talked about in the video.

He was described as a black male, possibly in his 20’s, approximately 5’ 7” tall with a medium build.  He was last believed to be running north and east from the business.  Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to call Crimestoppers.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - It began as a way for Nepali-Americans to connect and share culture in Sioux Falls one year ago, however in the days since Nepal was rocked with a 7.8 magnitude earthquake the Friends of Nepal Dakotas have taken a much deeper meaning: helping their suffering home nation by any means possible.

“Every penny counts for us. One dollar is the equivalent of one hundred rupees in Nepal. That can buy food or a bottle of water for a couple of people,” Said Raj Bhandari, organizer of FOND. The intital fundraiser by the group brought in over 600 dollars in two hours through taking donations on a street corner in Sioux Falls over the noon hour. Since then they have shifted to the crowd-sourcing site You Care, with a goal of raising $10 thousand.

The group is focusing their fundraising efforts to help those in the outlying areas of Kathmandu, the nation’s capital and center of population. While none of Bhandari’s family were directly affected by the quake, he says he knows of people who lost everything.  “Some of my friends.. none of the family members are alive. They are living overseas. In the US, UK, Australia, and they are completely helpless. They couldn’t do anything to save their families. They are just gone.” He added that thousands are still labeled as missing.

Bhandari added that Nepali students across the region are helping as well, including groups at SDSU in Brookings. Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN also traditionally has a high number of students from the nation. According to the school’s web site, 65 students from Nepal are enrolled, and several of them are waiting to hear if their loved ones are still alive.

“Sioux Falls has become a second home to us, we will do whatever it takes to support and protect this country. So help us protect our country at this moment,” Bhandari said in closing. “This is a global world and we are global citizens. This tragedy can happen anywhere.”

On the web: FOND you caring fundraiser

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - HyVee is recalling its Summer Fresh Pasta Salad potentially contaminated with Listeria.

The ready-to-eat pasta was sold to customers from the kitchen cold case between April 9 and 27.

HyVee has pulled the Summer Fresh Pasta Salad and so far the store has not received any complaints.

Customers should dispose of the product or return it to the store for a refund.

The product was sold in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri HyVee stores.

The complete list of stores impacted by the Hy-Vee Summer Fresh Pasta Salad recall can be viewed on our website at http://www.hy-vee.com/company/press-room/recalls/hy-vee-recalls-summer-fresh-pasta-salad.aspx.

SIOUX FALLS (KELO AM) - The City of Sioux Falls reminds residents and visitors that the use of tobacco in City parks is prohibited during youth activities (under age 18) and on all City playgrounds.

The tobacco-free youth recreation policy was implemented in 2013 prior to the start of summer youth activities and has been well-received over the past two years.

“Coaches, recreational leaders, and parents are role models for our youth, and they have the opportunity to send the message that tobacco is not part of a healthy lifestyle,” stated Don Kearney, Director of Parks and Recreation.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. It is estimated to be responsible for about one in five deaths (about 443,000) per year. Ninety percent of all adult smokers begin while in their teens or earlier, and nearly two-thirds become regular daily smokers before they reach age 19.

In addition, cigarette butts are the number one littered item in the world. Leftover cigarette paraphernalia falls into rivers and streams, takes ten years to begin to break down, and, worst of all, is picked up and sometimes ingested by young children.

Jill Franken, Health Department Director, noted, “This policy stemmed from our Live Well Sioux Falls strategies and the overall goal to increase tobacco-free living in our community.”

The tobacco-free parks policy can be found at www.siouxfalls.org/parks. If you or a friend or loved one needs assistance in quitting smoking, contact the free South Dakota QuitLine at 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487).

SIOUX FALLS (KELO AM) Sioux Falls Fire Rescue responded to a house fire at 3701 E. 20^th St yesterday afternoon at approximately 4:30 pm. 

A passerby noticed smoke coming from the house and called 911.  Fire units arrived to find smoke and flames in the attic area of the house.  Fire crews extinguished the fire in approximately 15 minutes. 

The residents were home at the time of the fire and were evacuating the house upon arrival of the fire crews.  Four pets were in the house at the time of the fire; all escaped without injury and were reunited with their owners. 

The home suffered severe fire and smoke damage and is uninhabitable. The residents are being assisted by the Red Cross.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue responded with 4 support vehicles, 4 fire trucks, and 20 firefighters. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue was assisted by Rural/Metro Ambulance, Mid-American Energy, Xcel Energy, Red Cross, and the City of Sioux Falls Police and Public Works Departments. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue would like to remind residents to test their smoke detectors.

For more information from Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, visit www.siouxfalls.org/fire or follow us on facebook.com/siouxfallsfire or twitter.com/siouxfallsfire.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Downtown Sioux Fall opens First Friday celebrations with an Art and Wine Walk.

Brienne Maner says close to 40 artists will be at over twenty downtown shops Friday with many offering wine sampling.  Buy a wristband for twenty dollars or five dollars a glass.  

Maner says the number of artists at this annual event is the largest ever and varies from painters to potters, drawers, jewelry makers, musicians, quilters and sculptors.

Frist Friday Art and Wine Walk is May 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown Sioux Falls.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - It’ll be cops against firefighters in a charity basketball game Friday night at Whittier Middle School.

Officer Andy Siebenborn says one goal is to avoid injury.  But he says since firefighters are EMT's everyone will be in good hands.

The South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #1 will play for the Family Visitation Center while the International Association of Firefighters Local #814 is playing for the Saint Florian Fire and Burn Foundation.           

Admission is a free will offering with the winner getting 55 % of the take, the loser 45%.  Tip-off is Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. at Whittier Middle School.