Community Growth and Development

The City of Yankton is helping contribute to efforts to make the new aquatics center affordable to all.
During its meeting Monday night, the Yankton City Commission voted unanimously to approve $10,000 from the BBB (bed, board and booze tax) go to two entities — the Boys & Girls Club’s Gupp...

2nd Round of Applications Being Accepted for Small Business and Healthcare Provider Relief Grants
Dec 14 2020Governor Noem announced up to $345 million in additional grants for small businesses, non-profit organizations, and healthcare providers dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.This grant program will use South Dakota Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars.
Eligible applicants for this grant program include:
Small Businesses
Small Non-Profit Businesses
Small Start-Up Businesses
Community Based Healthcar...

Together, We Can help slow the spread of COVID-19.This includes taking steps now to follow CDC guidelines that will keep businesses open, keep kids in schools, and support our medical community. Join us, take the pledge, and download the pledge badge and share on social media. Together, we can.
https://yanktonsd.com/pledge

The Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce, Yankton Area Progressive Growth, and Yankton Convention and Visitors Bureau are launching an exploratory process to look into and potentially develop a unified strategy.
WHY?
Our primary goal is to explore potential opportunities to combine the best characteristics of all three organizations into a single unifie...

A new approach to outreach is expected to keep student enrollment growing for the foreseeable future at Mount Marty University’s (MMU).
The enrollment numbers announced earlier in the week showed 153 new students this fall, a 36.6% increase over the fall of 2019 and the largest overall Yankton campus enrollment sinc...

Governor Noem Outlines Framework for $400 Million in CARES Act Funding for South Dakota Small Businesses
Sep 10 2020Governor Kristi Noem laid out a framework for up to $400 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to assist South Dakota’s small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“South Dakota is in a good spot as we rebound from COVID-19, but some of our small businesses were still hurt by this pandemic,” said Governor Noem. “These folk...

The City of Yankton will remain under the emergency COVID-19 ordinance for a few weeks longer, but some loosening is already set to happen.
By a vote of 8-1 during its regular meeting Monday night, the Yankton City Commission adopted the city Health Board’s recommendation for an extension of the ordinanc...

SIOUX FALLS — Avera Sacred Heart Hospital was recently named one of the top 20 rural and community hospitals in the country.
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has announced the 20 highest-ranked prospective payment system hospitals in the country based on an evaluation by the Chartis Center for Rural Healt...
By Rob Nielsen rob.nielsen@yankton.net
Tough conversations and a pivotal part of the governing process are on tap for the County and City of Yankton, respectively.
Tuesday’s State of the Community address featured Yankton County Commission chairperson Cheri Loest and Yankton City Manager Amy Leon, who guided the audience through what the entitie...

A Big Start To 2020: Yankton Opens New Year With A 10.44% Jump In Revenues Over Last January
Feb 20 2020By Rob Nielsen rob.nielsen@yankton.net
Mid to late winter has always been considered a slow period for sales tax revenues — not that January 2020 was listening.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the City of Yankton revenues were up 10.44% over the same month in 2019.
Not only was it a giant lea...

This was not an international vacation for Chris Wells.
It was, as he pointed out, a business trip.
Wells, the head of communications for World Archery, traveled from his home in Switzerland to spend three days last week in Yankton in preparation for another major archery tournament Yankton will host this fall.
Th...

Growth Via Immigration Explored At YAPG Event
Feb 12 2020By Rob Nielsen rob.nielsen@yankton.net
Yankton leaders are looking ahead to how they may enhance the city’s workforce and culture.
One potential option has continually popped up — immigration.
During Yankton Area Progressive Growth’s (YAPG) annual meeting on Tuesday, Erica DeLeon, director of One Siouxland — an affiliate of the SIouxland Community Foundation &mdash...

The 2019 camping numbers for the Lewis & Clark Recreation Area were solid despite record rainfall and flooding.
“With the start of the season, we had some flooding and a lot of rain, and kind of a slow start,” District Park Supervisor Shane Bertsch told the Press & Dakotan. “The seaso...

Yankton’s Day In Pierre: Delegation Hears About Potential Housing Opportunity, State Job Climate
Jan 29 2020PIERRE — Yankton officials and other interested parties got a sneak peek of what may be a new way to incentivize workforce housing construction.
This came among a number of presentations during the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Yankton Day at the Legislature in Pierre Tuesday.
Mary Lehecka Nelson of th...

Today, Mount Marty College announced its intention to change its name to Mount Marty University. This change, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020, was approved by both the College’s Board of Trustees and the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.
This change promises to be another step forward fo...

The Huether Family Aquatics Center is going to come complete with a few enhancements.
During its regular meeting Monday, the Yankton City Commission voted 8-0 in favor of passing a $468,763 change order for the project that would include a concrete parking lot and reintroduce a few amenities that had bee...

Yankton City Manager Amy Leon says there’s typically a major growth goal for sales tax revenues, no matter what the budget says.
“I always think if we can get 3% at year end, that’s kind of the goal,” Leon told the Press & Dakotan.
With December’s numbers officially compiled, it turns ou...

It was reorganization day for the Yankton County Commission Tuesday, and it resulted in a new face in the center chair.
This time, it was Commissioner Cheri Loest being elected as chairperson. She steps into the role that had been filled by Dan Klimisch for the past year.
Commissioner Joseph Healy wa...

now may be flying and winter is officially less than a week away, but construction season is still in full swing on the campus of Mount Marty College (MMC).
The Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse and its neighbor — a brand new residence hall — remain on schedule for completion ahea...

PIERRE — The Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is providing $370,000 in incentive funding to help businesses and organizations expand the number of Registered Apprenticeships Programs in South Dakota.
Businesses could apply for up to a maximum of $20,000 in funding to help offset the initial start-up costs when developin...

In its first years, the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton hasn’t gotten the numbers it was seeking — instead, it’s been far greater.
The daily usage at the Yankton site has grown tenfold since its beginning, according to Tim Lease, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of th...

Other school districts are looking to copy Yankton’s successful internship program.
Wednesday, the Yankton School District (YSD) hosted the first of several “CTE: See It In Action!” days set for the 2019-2020 school year by the South Dakota Department of Education. These events are intended to give participants a first-hand loo...

A Yankton manufacturer is adding a new tool to an already robust toolbox for helping students discover a new career.
This spring, Applied Engineering was approved by the state to begin offering an apprenticeship program.
Applied Engineering General Manager Justin Schramm told the Press & Dakotan that the program adds to th...

Workforce and social media presence are ongoing issues, but downtown Yankton is still seeing a continued rebirth.
These were among the topics discussed Thursday during the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Community address.
Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) CEO Nancy Wenande said one of the biggest challenges facing th...