VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota will host the Monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery, Sept. 23-27.  

While on campus, the monks will create a “sand mandala” in the atrium of the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Mandalas are a two-dimensional, colored sand painting where the sand is applied very precisely by the gentle tapping of a sand-filled metal cone that has had its tip removed. Upon completion of the mandala, the monks will purposely destroy the work of art, sweep up the mandala and place the sand in a river to help purify the surrounding environment.

“At first we were anxious for art students to have the opportunity to see a traditional sand mandala being created but as we opened the door for more departments and the community to get involved in this visit, we began to see that this was much bigger than having artists visit campus, this was a true cultural exchange for everyone,” said Cory Knedler, chair of the USD Department of Art. “The monks will be visiting 16 different classes, from music to medicine, and will discuss topics from mediation to communication and world peace.”

The monks are part of Gaden Shartse Monastic College, located in Mundgod, India, and founded in 1969 as an effort to re-establish one of the great monastic Tibetan traditions. A leader in the field of Buddhist and Tibetan education, Gaden Shartse has more than 1,600 residents, including students, teachers, scholars and spiritual practitioners.

In addition to creating the sand mandala, the Monks of Gaden Shartse will visit USD classrooms throughout the week and discuss Tibetan culture, and perform traditional music and dance at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Aalfs Auditorium. This performance is free and open to the public while viewers are also welcome to observe and take photos during the daily creation of the sand mandala. There will also be an opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, and a closing ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 in the atrium of the Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building.

For more information about the Monks of Gaden Shartse visit to USD, please contact the College of Fine Arts at finearts@usd.edu or call (605) 677-5481. More information about the Gaden Shartse Monastic College is available online at http://gadenshartseculturalfoundation.org.

PIERRE, S.D - The SDCHIP program continues efforts to identify children across South Dakota as events become available. The South Dakota Masons have hosted 152 events and identified 15,292 kids since the program’s inception in South Dakota in 2007. Attorney General Jackley is encouraging those who want to bring the program to their area to contact the SD Masons to schedule an event.“Keeping an updated ID of your child can make an immediate difference in his or her recovery if the child goes missing,” said Jackley. “This proactive approach is a simple way to protect children and respect privacy by sending all information home with the parents or guardian.”SDCHIP is part of MASONICHIP, an initiative of the Masons of North American that generates completed packages of various identifying items of children for parents or guardians. The types of identification that are collected include: dental impressions, DNA cheek swab, digital still photo, fingerprints and video imaged interview. All of the identifying materials generated by the program are returned to the child’s family to be kept as an identification kit in the event that a child becomes missing. This kit will aid law enforcement in the recovery of a missing child. The program is offered to the public at no charge. Agencies who assist in the implementation of the program include: Masoniship International, South Dakota Academy of Physician Assistants, South Dakota Sheriff’s Association, South Dakota Dental Association, South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Attorney General’s Office. To schedule an event please visit www.sd-chip.org or contact the South Dakota Grand Lodge Office at 605-332-2051.

VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota Rawlins Piano Trio will open its 2013-14 concert season with an 8 p.m. performance on Thursday, Sept. 26 at Colton Recital Hall in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota.

Entitled “A Colorful World,”the program features “Pale Yellow”and “Fiery Red” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon and folk-influenced trios by Haydn, Piazzolla and Frank Martin. The Trio, named for benefactors Marjorie Rawlins and the late Robert Rawlins, include Eunho Kim, violin, Marie-Elaine Gagnon, cello and Susan Keith Gray, piano – all faculty members in the USD Department of Music.

Since its founding in 1987, the Rawlins Piano Trio has distinguished itself as a dynamic group of performers, teachers and scholars. The ensemble performs regularly throughout the United States and abroad, including recent concert and teaching tours throughout Taiwan and Panama and South Korea. In July 2013, their fifth CD, “Attracting Opposites: New Music for Piano Trio,” was released on the Azica label. It features five works commissioned by the Trio and created since 2008. More information about the composers and the works is available at www.rawlinstrio.com/news.

Other upcoming performances by the Trio include the series of the Black Hills Chamber Music Society at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29 at the First Congregational Church in Rapid City; and the First Congregational Church Fine Arts Series in Sioux Falls at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. In November, the Trio will be featured in the National Music Museum’s 40^th anniversary celebration with guest commentator Rob Kapilow of NPR’s “What Makes It Great?” For more information, please visit the Trio’s Web site at www.rawlinstrio.com or call the USD College of Fine Arts at (605) 677-5481. To download a high resolution photo, go to: www.rawlinstrio.com/press_kit.html.

Brookings, S.D. (KELO AM) - Tammy Yonce, a South Dakota State University assistant professor of music, will join Western Kentucky University's Heidi Álvarez, Michael Kallstrom and Donald Speer for a 7:30 p.m. recital Saturday (Sept. 21) at the Peterson Recital Hall. Kallstrom composed the program's works and one piece will be a world premiere.The recital will consist of flute chamber music by Kallstrom, including works for flute (Álvarez and Yonce), bass voice (Kallstrom), and piano (Speer); two flutes, bass voice, and piano; solo flute; two flutes, bass voice, and fixed media; and two flutes and piano.In addition to the recital, the performers will offer a masterclass, which is open to the public, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Peterson Recital Hall. The class will demonstrate how composers and performers work together. Álvarez will also work with SDSU's flute students on Friday.The four have performed Kallstrom's music previously at a recital at Western Kentucky in September 2012. Most recently, Álvarez performed a work by Kallstrom at the National Flute Association convention in New Orleans. Álvarez and Yonce were involved with the world premiere performance of Kallstrom's Sky Wheel Spins for flute choir at the Flute Society of Kentucky Convention in January.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls is recognized as an enterprising city in a report commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

     Sioux Falls is the smallest of seven cities credited for enterprise-friendly leadership and policies in city government that spur economic growth.

     Forward Sioux Falls Committee member Tom Simmons says collaboration can make an impact on economic vitality.  Simons says Sioux Falls has successfully combined the pratices and the enthusiam of government with buinsess, all educational outlets and social sectors to improve the quality of life.                         

     Simmons says Forward Sioux Falls is designed to enable the city and region to diversify and proactively shape the future.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Sioux Falls husband and wife face multiple charges after he banged on the door of a home on South Riverdale Road yesterday afternoon yelling to the occupants that they owed him money.

     Officer Sam Clemens says a 33 year old woman and her 60 year old mother say it sounded as if he were trying to break into the home.

     Clemens says after 29 year old Cody Lee VanLoh broke out some of the windows to the victim’s car, he got into a truck driven by his wife.  He says an officer spotted the truck and began a pursuit.  The truck pulled into a driveway in the 600 block of North Wayland Avenue which is where the suspects live.         

     Clemens says VanLoh is charged with two counts of simple assault and felony damage to property, for causing $2,300 damage to victim’s car.

     His wife, 28-year-old Kimberly Ann VanAlsburg, is charged with D-W-I second, revoked license, eluding and open container.

     The victims have no idea why the suspects came to their door.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Police say a 22 year old Sioux Falls man narrowly missed hitting a squad car traveling on Phillips Avenue early this morning.

     Officer Sam Clemens says 22 year old Jacob Ryan Lidell is accused of eluding officers by driving into the parking ramp at Avera McKennan Hospital.

     Clemens says Lidell crashed his 2005 Cadillac into the third floor ramp and fled on foot with two passengers.  He say a South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper spotted three people walking away from the parking ramp.  Lidell was determined to be the owner and driver of the car.  

     A small amount of marijuana was found in the Caddy but since no one would claim ownership, all three were arrested for misdemeanor possession.          

     Clemens says Lidell is charged with aggravated eluding, hit and run and D-W-I

On Friday afternoon, September 20, 2013, the northbound lane on the Marion Road Bridge north of Maple Street will be closed. Stop signs will be installed temporarily for northbound and southbound traffic at the bridge. Northbound and southbound traffic will alternate sharing the southbound lane.

Motorists are urged to use caution and reduced speeds while travelling through the construction area.

LAS VEGAS, NV (KELO AM) – You might want to check your Allegiant Airlines flight in and out of Sioux Falls Regional Airport for the next several days.  

Allegiant announced Friday it has discovered a compliance issue which will require immediate inspection and overhaul of many emergency exit slides in its MD80 fleet. The Company has already begun the inspections and expects to complete the process by the end of September.  As many as 32 planes are out of service, causing Allegiant to delay, reschedule or cancel a number of flights over the next several days.

At this time, it is unknown how long the disruption in flight schedule will last. The company expected to have 22 MD80 aircraft in service by Saturday. Allegiant expects delays and reschedules to continue, but is working around-the-clock to re-accommodate and update passengers.

Allegiant has activated additional call center staff, and Allegiant will be contacting affected travelers directly.

Two flights were delayed Friday because of the maintenance issue.  Vouchers are available to passengers on affected flights.  Amounts vary, depending on the duration of the delay.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM)– A Sioux Falls, S.D., man died in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 in Sioux Falls, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013.

The Sioux Falls man was driving northbound on Interstate 29. He lost control of his vehicle, entered the median and then proceeded to slide sideways before entering the southbound driving lanes of I-29. After entering the southbound lanes of I-29, his vehicle was struck on the passenger side in the middle lane. Upon impact the car was split in half, the driver was ejected from his seat and he sustained fatal injuries. The driver was not wearing a seat-belt. Both halves of the vehicle caught on fire. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue extinguished the flames.

The driver and passenger in the southbound vehicle sustained minor injuries; they were wearing seat-belts.

All parties were transported to the hospital.

No further information is immediately available.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating. Sioux Falls Police Dept., Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and the South Dakota Department of Transportation assisted.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Starting Monday, September 23, 2013, the east side of the intersection of Ninth Street and Kiwanis Avenue will be closed for grading and paving work. This portion of the intersection will be closed until end of day on Friday, September 27, 2013.

Detour signs will be placed to direct traffic over to Western Avenue. Due to the extra traffic being diverted to Western Avenue, the intersection of Ninth Street and Western Avenue will be controlled with a temporary four-way stop. Caution and reduced speeds shall be used when traveling through the construction zone.

Dakota Contracting Corporation is the prime contractor. All work is to be completed on the project by November 22, 2013.

Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Mayor Mike Huether has announced three vacancies to the City Naming Committee.

The Committee was formed per Section 30.061 of the Code of Ordinances of Sioux Falls, SD, to advise the Mayor and City Council on issues regarding the naming, renaming, or commemorative designation of City property, including building facilities and interior spaces.

The Committee is composed of nine members, three of which will represent the public at-large. All members will be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council.

All members will be appointed to a three-year term, or until a successor is appointed and qualified. Meetings will be held as needed.

Interested parties should log on to www.siouxfalls.org/boards-commissions to submit or download the application for appointment form. For more information, please contact Julie Wilson in the Mayor’s Office at 367-8827.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The South Dakota Highway Patrol is reconstructing Saturday’s fatal two-vehicle crash on I-29 just south of 12^th Street..

     Captain Kevin Joffer says 27 year old Jeremy Johnson of Sioux Falls died after losing control of his car and sliding across the median into the opposite lanes where he collided with a car driven by 72 year old Loren Converse of Arlington.

     Joffer says investigators are still interviewing witnesses and a toxicology report is being performed.  He says investigators recovered a cell phone believed to have come from Johnson"s vehicle.  Joffer says he's not eluding to anything, but he's says authorities are looking at all angles and will eliminate as many variables as possible.

     Joffer says Johnson’s car broke in half on impact and both halves caught fire.  Johnson was ejected from the car and died on the scene.

     The driver and passenger of the other car suffered minor injuries. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Police say a 39 year old Sioux Falls man is in stable condition and his girlfriend is accused of stabbing him yesterday afternoon at their home on West 5^th Street.

     Lieutenant Matt Burns says 39 year old Julie Ruby Decory-Bettelyoun is charged with domestic aggravated assault.

     Burns says the two were drinking when they started arguing and Decory-Bettelyoun allegedly stabbed him repeatedly.  He says a Minnehaha County Deputy called in the incident when he stopped at the Kum  N' Go on North Minnesota Avenue.              

     Burns says the injured man made it to the Kum N’ Go on North Minnesota Avenue convenience store where the deputy found him and called police.

     Decory-Bettelyoun was arrested a short time later at their house behind the Kum N' Go.

PIERRE, S.D (KELO)  - Attorney General Marty Jackley, Union County Sheriff Dan Limoges and Union County States Attorney Jerry Miller confirm that the site of the recovered vehicle in Union County has been processed and items of potential evidentiary significance have been preserved. The site has been released by law enforcement.  . Skeletal remains have been recovered as well as additional items, no further information will be released until a requested autopsy and further testing is complete and family members properly notified.Agencies assisting in this investigation are the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Vermillion Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Beresford Fire and Rescue, Department of Transportation, Union County Highway Maintenance, Pollman Excavation and Division of Criminal Investigation.For additional information contact Sara Rabern at 605-773-3215.

VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO AM) -- University of South Dakota President James W. Abbott will deliver the 2013 State of the University Address to faculty, staff and students on Thursday, Sept. 26. The address will begin at 4 p.m. at Aalfs Auditorium, which is located inside Robert L. Slagle Hall on the USD campus.

The State of the University Address traditionally outlines university priorities for the upcoming academic year while addressing major university achievements from the previous year. The State of the University Address will also be recorded and made available for viewing at a later date on the USD website: http://www.usd.edu.

For more information, please contact the Office of Marketing and University Relations at (605) 677-5759.

Sioux Falls, S.D. (KELO AM) – When the City of Sioux Falls threw the dice and provided the federal government money for levee upgrades, chances were good that money would not be seen again.  Last week, word came down the line that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be repaying 10-million dollars to the City of Sioux Falls for the project.

“This is a testament of how governments at federal and city level can work together,” Said Mike Huether, Sioux Falls Mayor.  “This is one example where the federal government did work.   We had to borrow some money to make our people safer, the federal government said they would pay us back and they soon will.”

Huether said, he expects the money this week and is entertaining ideas of how to use it.  His preference is to pay off the bonds, but the issue is, there is a call protection on these bonds and we can’t pre-pay them early.  So now we can invest the money to do other things with the interest, we could spend it on quality of life investments such as roads, but the great news is, we are in no emergency to just spend it.

“Another bit of good news, we were honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of seven cities recognized for our growth and low unemployment numbers,” said Huether.   “We have recently been seen in the national media such as Fox, CNN, the Atlantic and now this recent honor.  We were selected on how our city is run, how fiscally sound we are and how we partner with other organizations to raise the money we need.” 

Huether said that the crux of this award was how Sioux Falls and the other seven cities can help ailing cities in America get themselves back into prosperity.  The other seven cities named are very strong and prosperous and do a lot of thing right. 

“The questions we were ask, were what we are doing for other cities to benchmark and replicate to get them strong again,” said Huether.  “It was a lot of fun to be a part of the conference and an honor to represent Sioux Falls.”

Mayor Mike Huether was a guest on the Greg Belfrage Show, September 24, 2013.

The podcast for this interview can be heard at: http://kelo.com/podcasts/greg-belfrage-show/935/mayor-huether-optimistic-10-million-dollar-federal-repayment-may-arrive-this-week/

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KEL0 AM) - Parks and Recreation used the recently completed Sertoma Avenue trail connection to Legacy Park in western Sioux Falls to announce that new neighborhood access points are in the works.

     Director of Parks and Rec Don Kearney says there will be more projects connecting neighborhoods to the trail system.

     Kearney says improved access means more trail users.  He says those points provide safe travel for all skill levels of bicyclists, moms with strollers, walkers and joggers.  To have that dedicated trail access, he says, means users may not have cross a city street.           

     Kearney says nineteen kiosks have been placed in parks around the trail with general information and basic trail etiquette.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Representative Kristi Noem, Senator Tim Johnson and Senator John Thune announced today that young South Dakotans interested in being nominated to one of the four U.S. Service Academies for the Class of 2018 should apply by October 31, 2013.

South Dakota residents between the ages of 17 and 23 may apply to any of the four service academies if they meet eligibility requirements in leadership, physical aptitude, scholarship and character. The four service academies are the Military Academy at West Point, New York; the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.

“Nominating students each year for admission to our Service Academies is one of my favorite responsibilities as a U.S. Senator. I am continually impressed by the caliber of South Dakota students who apply,” said Johnson. “U.S. Service Academies are rigorous, but open a world of opportunity for their students.”

“Our nation’s Service Academies attract some of the best and brightest young men and women from around the nation,” said Thune. “These military men and women serve our country with distinction and it is an honor for me to nominate students from South Dakota to serve at these fine institutions.”

“The U.S. Service Academies help build up the next generation of American leaders, and it is a privilege to nominate South Dakotans to the four Academies,” said Rep. Noem. “South Dakota’s young people continue to impress and inspire me, and I look forward to the nomination process.”

Noem, Johnson and Thune will each compile separate lists and make nominations to the academies of the most qualified candidates by January 31, 2014. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications to all three Congressional offices in order to better their chances of receiving a nomination. The academies will make the final decision on acceptance and announce appointments next spring.

Interested applicants should contact: Congresswoman Noem’s office at (605) 275-2868; Senator Johnson's office at (605) 332-8896; Senator Thune's office at (605) 334-9596.

The Government Research Bureau and the W.O. Farber Center for Civic Leadership atthe University of South Dakota are sponsoring a conference on human traffickingfrom 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3 at the Muenster University CenterBallroom