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Vergene Stockland- Fletcher Vergene Grace Stockland- Fletcher, 83, of Akron, Iowa went home to her Lord and Savior on Au- gust 9th, 2013 following complications from a stroke. Vergene was born Jan- uary 3rd, 1930 in Freeman, South Dakota to Paul and Mary (Wipf) Wollmann. She grew up in Freeman and Hurley. Vergene married Frank Stockland, Senior on March 18th, 1948. They farmed near the Wakonda area and raised nine children. Frank passed away in 1979. Vergene mar- ried Robert “Bob” Fletcher of Sioux City on April 2nd, 2005 and they resided in Akron, Iowa. Vergene enjoyed bak- ing, dancing, embroidery, bingo and spending time with her family and friends. She was known as the but- terfly grandma to her grand- children and great grandchildren because she always wore a butterfly as part of her outfit. Vergene was a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Sioux City, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her husband Frank, her second husband, Lloyd Fick- bohm, her parents, two brothers (Art and Arnold) and two sisters (Edna and Erma). Survivors include her hus- band, Bob Fletcher of Akron, Iowa; nine children, David (JoAnn), Carol (Guy), Linda (Carl), Steve, Pam (Jim), Julie (Al), Frank (Robin), Banita (Musie) and Lee (Angie); as well as 23 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. Visitation will be at Hansen Funeral Home in Ver- million on August 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral service will be held August 13 at 10:30 a.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church in Sioux City, Iowa followed by a private burial ceremony at Union Cemetery with bur- ial next to her first husband, Frank. Yankton Press & Dakotan August 12, 2013 Steven Aune Steven F. Aune, 59, of rural Volin died at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Trondhjem Lutheran Church, Volin, with the Rev. Mark Os- trem officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Visitations begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Opsahl-Kos- tel Funeral Home & Crema- tory, Yankton, with a Scripture service at 7 p.m. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Monday, 8.12.13 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net NEWSROOM: [email protected] PRESS DAKOTAN PAGE 3 the midwest OBITUARIES Omaha: 2 Bodies Found In Pickup Truck OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha police officer has found the bodies to two men in a pickup truck near a city pool. Police say the officer was on patrol just before 5 a.m. Sun- day when he noticed the pickup near Spring Lake Park pool. The officer checked on the pickup and found two dead males inside. Police say the deaths are being investigated as homicides, but they provided no more information about their identities or how they died. 1 Man Dead In North Omaha Shooting OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say a 23-year-old man has been killed in a north Omaha shooting, and one man has been arrested. Police say officers were in the area around 2:40 a.m. Saturday when they heard gunshots. Upon investigating, the officers found 23-year-old Craig Brown on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound. Brown was taken by ambulance to an Omaha hospital, where he died. Police say 44-year-old Dwayne Blackson has been arrested on suspicion of criminal homicide and several weapons counts. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of failing to appear on a warrant in a separate case. Police say Blackson is being held at the Douglas County jail. RC Man On Mission For Late Navy Pilot RAPID CITY (AP) — A 73-year-old retired Navy fighter pilot from Rapid City is on an honors mission for a revered South Dakota pilot who died more than 30 years ago. Ken Schroeder has spent the last two years trying to secure the Medal of Honor for Cecil E. Harris, a World War II pilot who received numerous honors in his long military career. But not the nation’s highest military decoration. The Rapid City Journal reports that Schroeder is spending the weekend driving more than 600 miles round-trip to attend the annual Corn Fest in Cresbard, the birthplace of Harris. The governor has proclaimed Sunday as Captain Cecil E. Harris Day in South Dakota. Schroeder is seeking donations for a proposed memorial to Harris at his college alma mater, Northern State University. Man Turns Biz Resort Into Academy SIOUX FALLS (AP) — A South Dakota wind power entrepre- neur has transformed a resort for business retreats into a training academy for former foster children. Joe Kolbach had originally turned the former South Dakota School for the Blind campus in Gary into the Buffalo Ridge Re- sort and Business Center. Now it will be home to former foster children ages 18 to 24 and military veterans ages 20 to 25. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that students will spend their six-month program living in a dorm on the Buffalo Ridge campus and receiving on-the-job training. They will be taught how to balance a checkbook and work with local governments. The academy opened July 18 with five students. Kolbach says it may take 20 years, but he believes the academy will “change the world.” Man Dies After Neb. Feedlot Accident MITCHELL, Neb. (AP) — An Idaho man trampled by a steer in a western Nebraska feedlot accident has died. Scottsbluff radio station KNEB reports that 65-year-old Rod- ney Dickensen of Nampa, Idaho, died this week after being trampled by a steer Tuesday and suffering severe head injuries. Authorities say Dickensen was sorting cattle at the Sioux County Feedlot in rural Mitchell when the accident happened. Underground Lab Seeks $20M Budget LEAD (AP) — The Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota’s Black Hills is seeking a $20 million budget for the next year. The Black Hills Pioneer reports that the lab is seeking $12.7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2 million from state government, $3.8 million from a gift given by T. Denny Sanford, and some money from other funding sources. Officials at the federal supported lab nearly a mile under- ground are conducting research on complex subjects such as nu- clear reactions within stars and dark matter, an elusive substance that scientists believe makes up 25 percent of the universe. Sanford Lab Executive Director Mike Headley says most of the operating money is used for salaries, and the lab tries to operate as efficiently as possible. Yankton School District hosts... Thursday, August 15 th 4:30-6:00 p.m. See where the action is! Annual Elementary School Parents and students are invited to tour their school building: Beadle, Lincoln, Stewart, or Webster. Visit your classrooms and meet your teacher. pen H uses 2216 Broadway, Yankton D WD />z >hE,^W/>^ Mary H. Sternhagen who passed away on August 15, 2012 Ronald R. Nysven who passed away on August 16, 2012 Terrell C. Schanche who passed away on August 18, 2012 Lillian (Manas) Hlavac who passed away on August 14, 1961 Our care and concern does not end with the funeral service. This week we remember with family and friends the anniversary of the deaths of: 665-9679 • 1-800-495-9679 www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com Guiding and serving families with compassion and trust. Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton Memorial Resource Center, Tyndall Memorial Chapels, Tyndall, Tabor & Menno This remembrance is brought to you free of charge. If you have a loved one you would like remembered, contact us at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory. Honoring Their Memory Our Thoughts And Prayers Are With Them T HOUGHTS For Your Family W INTZ & R AY Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Inc. t t Z & , ^ / K z Directors: Steve, Jerry, Jim & Paul Wintz K> d < t Stockland- Fletcher BY DAVID MONTGOMERY Argus Leader SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Suzanne DeMore was 39 when leg problems forced her into a wheelchair and out of the teaching job she no longer felt she could adequately do. Sam Kooiker was 16 when a restaurant rejected his job application because of his cerebral palsy. Patricia Docken is 23 and out of the workforce because of a combination of develop- mental and physical disabili- ties. All three situations will, in- directly, be on the agenda of a new task force appointed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard to ex- amine ways to help people with disabilities enter the workforce. “People with disabilities work hard for themselves and their fami- lies, and I am encouraging South Dakota employers to give them opportunities to prove themselves as employees,” Dau- gaard wrote in a column announcing the task force. A collection of 34 business leaders, nonprofit representatives and state offi- cials are trying to find a way to make that happen. “The vast majority of people with dis- abilities are still unemployed or underem- ployed compared to people without disabilities,” said Shelly Pfaff, executive di- rector of the South Dakota Coalition of Citi- zens with Disabilities, a statewide advocacy group. “There’s a need to do work when it comes to creating a level playing field.” Kooiker, the Rapid City mayor who to this day walks with an unusual gait be- cause of his cerebral palsy, said it’s not a question of people with disabilities not wanting to keep busy with jobs. “There are many people with disabili- ties who want to work, but they don’t know how,” he told the Argus Leader. The task force has a broad purview, in- cluding people with physical and develop- mental disabilities, as well as those who were born with their disabilities and those who were not. Most members of the governor’s Em- ployment Works Task Force say they’re coming in with open minds rather than specific proposals. A common goal is to help change the culture in South Dakota about people with disabilities. Pfaff said her goal is “to break down some of the attitudinal barriers that exist, in terms of seeing people with disabilities as people first.” “They have abilities and capabilities and skills as other people do,” she said. Even disability advocates call for real- ism — some people physically cannot do certain jobs. DeMore, the owner of The French Door bridal salon in Sioux Falls, said some of her jobs require mobility, while others require minimum levels of critical thinking and memory. But others would be very doable. “A person cannot help a bride get dressed in a wheelchair. However, they could be an alterations person,” said De- More, who’s relied on a wheelchair for more than two decades. “People in wheel- chairs have to have different kinds of skills than regular people, because you have to overcome those.” It’s possible the task force could rec- ommend changes in government policy, too. Kooiker is a champion of a rule, now in place for state and Rapid City govern- ment jobs, that guarantees at least an in- terview for qualified applicants who have certified disabilities. They’re not guaran- teed the job, but Kooiker said giving peo- ple a chance to make their case in person can make a big difference. The policy was controversial in Rapid City when Kooiker first proposed it, requir- ing him to break a tie on the City Council. But when the policy came up for renewal a year later, it was approved unanimously. State Sen. Billie Sutton, D-Burke, said the task force should look at state funding for local community support providers who already are helping people with dis- abilities. Sutton is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair to move around. Deb Docken, a task force member and Patricia’s mother, said current services for people with disabilities often don’t focus on employment. “That’s a discussion that needs to occur,” Docken said. “Sometimes, when you get into adult services, (employment is) not even a part of the conversation, and it needs to be.” But task force member Cindy Walsh said simple solutions also can make a big difference. “Hopefully, as an employer I can give input as to how valu- able these people are,” said Walsh, in charge of human re- sources for Dakota King Inc., a franchisee that operates 35 Burger King restaurants in Sioux Falls and throughout the North- ern Plains. “We do hire people with disabil- ities who have limited jobs they can do, but they have been wonderful assets to our team. They’re very committed and en- thusiastic, the customers love them, and they’re grateful to have a job.” Members of the task force and people with disabilities alike said jobs are an im- portant focus. “Employment is a very big piece of my day,” Deb Docken said. “It’s a very big piece of my life. It’s a big piece of what’s meaningful for me. It’s no different if you have a disability.” DeMore agreed. When she was forced to rely on a wheelchair, she and her hus- band launched a search for something pro- ductive she could do. “I did not want my mind to not be busy,” DeMore said. “I couldn’t watch an- other soap opera in my life.” Julie Benz, an assistant vice president at Avera McKennan Hospital who oversees rehabilitation, among other areas, said em- ployment “gives us great pleasure” aside from the money. “It’s something we all aspire to, really contributing to our families and contribut- ing to our communities,” Benz said. “This is a human characteristic, and this is one way we can better support that.” SD Task Force Aims To Help Disabled Enter Workforce “The vast majority of people with disabilities are still unemployed or underemployed compared to people without disabilities. There’s a need to do work when it comes to creating a level playing field.” SHELLY PFAFF PIERRE (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the city of Sioux Falls $4.9 million to help pay for cleaning up debris from an April ice storm. The funds will reimburse the city for the cost of remov- ing debris caused by the ice storm that knocked down power lines, trees and tree branches throughout Sioux Falls. State Emergency Manage- ment Office director Kristi Tur- man says the April storm caused widespread damage that required a massive cleanup effort. She says the federal funding will help the community and its residents. The federal funds repre- sent reimbursement of 75 per- cent of the eligible expenses for the project. The state cov- ers 10 percent of the cost, and local governments provide the remaining 15 percent. FEMA Awards SF $4.9M For Storm Cleanup

Transcript of P D [email protected] RESS PAGE 3 SD Task...

Page 1: P D News@yankton.net RESS PAGE 3 SD Task ...tearsheets.yankton.net/august13/081213/081213_YKPD_A3.pdf · Terrell C. Schanche who passed away on August 18, 2012 Lillian (Manas) Hlavac

Vergene Stockland-Fletcher

Vergene Grace Stockland-Fletcher, 83, of Akron, Iowawent home to her Lord andSavior on Au-gust 9th, 2013followingcomplicationsfrom a stroke.

Vergenewas born Jan-uary 3rd, 1930in Freeman,South Dakotato Paul andMary (Wipf)Wollmann. She grew up inFreeman and Hurley. Vergenemarried Frank Stockland,Senior on March 18th, 1948.They farmed near theWakonda area and raisednine children. Frank passedaway in 1979. Vergene mar-ried Robert “Bob” Fletcher ofSioux City on April 2nd, 2005and they resided in Akron,

Iowa. Vergene enjoyed bak-ing, dancing, embroidery,bingo and spending timewith her family and friends.She was known as the but-terfly grandma to her grand-children and greatgrandchildren because shealways wore a butterfly aspart of her outfit. Vergenewas a member of CalvaryEpiscopal Church in SiouxCity, Iowa.

She was preceded in deathby her husband Frank, hersecond husband, Lloyd Fick-bohm, her parents, twobrothers (Art and Arnold)and two sisters (Edna andErma).

Survivors include her hus-band, Bob Fletcher of Akron,Iowa; nine children, David(JoAnn), Carol (Guy), Linda(Carl), Steve, Pam (Jim), Julie(Al), Frank (Robin), Banita(Musie) and Lee (Angie); aswell as 23 grandchildren and23 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be atHansen Funeral Home in Ver-

million on August 12 from 5p.m. to 7 p.m.

Funeral service will beheld August 13 at 10:30 a.m.at Calvary Episcopal Churchin Sioux City, Iowa followedby a private burial ceremonyat Union Cemetery with bur-ial next to her first husband,Frank.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

August 12, 2013

Steven AuneSteven F. Aune, 59, of

rural Volin died at his homeafter a courageous battlewith cancer.

Funeral services are at 10a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, atTrondhjem Lutheran Church,

Volin, with the Rev. Mark Os-trem officiating. Burial willbe in the parish cemetery.

Visitations begin at 5 p.m.Tuesday at the Opsahl-Kos-tel Funeral Home & Crema-tory, Yankton, with aScripture service at 7 p.m.Visitations will resume onehour prior to the service atthe church.

Monday, 8.12.13ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net

NEWSROOM: [email protected] PRESS DAKOTAN P A G E 3

the midwest

O B I T UA R I E S

Omaha: 2 Bodies Found In Pickup TruckOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha police officer has found

the bodies to two men in a pickup truck near a city pool.Police say the officer was on patrol just before 5 a.m. Sun-

day when he noticed the pickup near Spring Lake Park pool.The officer checked on the pickup and found two dead

males inside.Police say the deaths are being investigated as homicides,

but they provided no more information about their identitiesor how they died.

1 Man Dead In North Omaha Shooting OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say a 23-year-old man

has been killed in a north Omaha shooting, and one man hasbeen arrested.

Police say officers were in the area around 2:40 a.m. Saturdaywhen they heard gunshots. Upon investigating, the officers found23-year-old Craig Brown on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound.Brown was taken by ambulance to an Omaha hospital, where hedied.

Police say 44-year-old Dwayne Blackson has been arrested onsuspicion of criminal homicide and several weapons counts. Healso faces a misdemeanor charge of failing to appear on a warrantin a separate case.

Police say Blackson is being held at the Douglas County jail.

RC Man On Mission For Late Navy PilotRAPID CITY (AP) — A 73-year-old retired Navy fighter pilot

from Rapid City is on an honors mission for a revered SouthDakota pilot who died more than 30 years ago.

Ken Schroeder has spent the last two years trying to securethe Medal of Honor for Cecil E. Harris, a World War II pilot whoreceived numerous honors in his long military career.

But not the nation’s highest military decoration. The Rapid City Journal reports that Schroeder is spending

the weekend driving more than 600 miles round-trip to attendthe annual Corn Fest in Cresbard, the birthplace of Harris. Thegovernor has proclaimed Sunday as Captain Cecil E. HarrisDay in South Dakota.

Schroeder is seeking donations for a proposed memorial toHarris at his college alma mater, Northern State University.

Man Turns Biz Resort Into AcademySIOUX FALLS (AP) — A South Dakota wind power entrepre-

neur has transformed a resort for business retreats into atraining academy for former foster children.

Joe Kolbach had originally turned the former South DakotaSchool for the Blind campus in Gary into the Buffalo Ridge Re-sort and Business Center.

Now it will be home to former foster children ages 18 to 24and military veterans ages 20 to 25.

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that students will spendtheir six-month program living in a dorm on the Buffalo Ridgecampus and receiving on-the-job training. They will be taughthow to balance a checkbook and work with local governments.

The academy opened July 18 with five students.Kolbach says it may take 20 years, but he believes the

academy will “change the world.”

Man Dies After Neb. Feedlot AccidentMITCHELL, Neb. (AP) — An Idaho man trampled by a steer

in a western Nebraska feedlot accident has died. Scottsbluff radio station KNEB reports that 65-year-old Rod-

ney Dickensen of Nampa, Idaho, died this week after beingtrampled by a steer Tuesday and suffering severe head injuries.

Authorities say Dickensen was sorting cattle at the SiouxCounty Feedlot in rural Mitchell when the accident happened.

Underground Lab Seeks $20M BudgetLEAD (AP) — The Sanford Underground Research Facility

in South Dakota’s Black Hills is seeking a $20 million budgetfor the next year.

The Black Hills Pioneer reports that the lab is seeking $12.7million from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2 million fromstate government, $3.8 million from a gift given by T. DennySanford, and some money from other funding sources.

Officials at the federal supported lab nearly a mile under-ground are conducting research on complex subjects such as nu-clear reactions within stars and dark matter, an elusive substancethat scientists believe makes up 25 percent of the universe.

Sanford Lab Executive Director Mike Headley says most ofthe operating money is used for salaries, and the lab tries tooperate as efficiently as possible.

Yankton School District hosts...

Thursday, August 15 th

4:30-6:00 p.m. See where the action is!

Annual Elementary School

Parents and students are invited to tour their school building: Beadle, Lincoln, Stewart, or Webster.

Visit your classrooms and meet your teacher.

pen H uses

2216 Broadway, Yankton

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Mary H. Sternhagen who passed away on August 15, 2012

Ronald R. Nysven who passed away on August 16, 2012

Terrell C. Schanche who passed away on August 18, 2012

Lillian (Manas) Hlavac who passed away on August 14, 1961

Our care and concern does not end with the funeral service. This week we remember with family and friends the anniversary of the deaths of:

665-9679 • 1-800-495-9679 www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com

Guiding and serving families with compassion and trust.

Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton Memorial Resource Center, Tyndall

Memorial Chapels, Tyndall, Tabor & Menno

This remembrance is brought to you free of charge. If you have a loved one you would like remembered,

contact us at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory.

Honoring Their Memory

Our Thoughts And Prayers Are With Them

T HOUGHTS For Your Family

W INTZ & R AY Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Inc.

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Stockland-Fletcher

BY DAVID MONTGOMERYArgus Leader

SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Suzanne DeMorewas 39 when leg problems forced her intoa wheelchair and out of the teaching jobshe no longer felt she could adequately do.

Sam Kooiker was 16 when a restaurantrejected his job application because of hiscerebral palsy.

Patricia Docken is 23 andout of the workforce becauseof a combination of develop-mental and physical disabili-ties.

All three situations will, in-directly, be on the agenda of anew task force appointed byGov. Dennis Daugaard to ex-amine ways to help peoplewith disabilities enter theworkforce.

“People with disabilitieswork hard for themselves and their fami-lies, and I am encouraging South Dakotaemployers to give them opportunities toprove themselves as employees,” Dau-gaard wrote in a column announcing thetask force.

A collection of 34 business leaders,nonprofit representatives and state offi-cials are trying to find a way to make thathappen.

“The vast majority of people with dis-abilities are still unemployed or underem-ployed compared to people withoutdisabilities,” said Shelly Pfaff, executive di-rector of the South Dakota Coalition of Citi-zens with Disabilities, a statewideadvocacy group. “There’s a need to dowork when it comes to creating a levelplaying field.”

Kooiker, the Rapid City mayor who tothis day walks with an unusual gait be-cause of his cerebral palsy, said it’s not aquestion of people with disabilities notwanting to keep busy with jobs.

“There are many people with disabili-ties who want to work, but they don’tknow how,” he told the Argus Leader.

The task force has a broad purview, in-cluding people with physical and develop-mental disabilities, as well as those whowere born with their disabilities and thosewho were not.

Most members of the governor’s Em-ployment Works Task Force say they’re

coming in with open minds rather thanspecific proposals. A common goal is tohelp change the culture in South Dakotaabout people with disabilities.

Pfaff said her goal is “to break downsome of the attitudinal barriers that exist,in terms of seeing people with disabilitiesas people first.”

“They have abilities and capabilitiesand skills as other people do,” she said.

Even disability advocates call for real-

ism — some people physically cannot docertain jobs. DeMore, the owner of TheFrench Door bridal salon in Sioux Falls,said some of her jobs require mobility,while others require minimum levels ofcritical thinking and memory. But otherswould be very doable.

“A person cannot help a bride getdressed in a wheelchair. However, theycould be an alterations person,” said De-More, who’s relied on a wheelchair formore than two decades. “People in wheel-chairs have to have different kinds of skillsthan regular people, because you have toovercome those.”

It’s possible the task force could rec-ommend changes in government policy,too. Kooiker is a champion of a rule, nowin place for state and Rapid City govern-ment jobs, that guarantees at least an in-terview for qualified applicants who havecertified disabilities. They’re not guaran-teed the job, but Kooiker said giving peo-ple a chance to make their case in personcan make a big difference.

The policy was controversial in RapidCity when Kooiker first proposed it, requir-ing him to break a tie on the City Council.But when the policy came up for renewal ayear later, it was approved unanimously.

State Sen. Billie Sutton, D-Burke, saidthe task force should look at state fundingfor local community support providerswho already are helping people with dis-

abilities. Sutton is paralyzed from the waistdown and uses a wheelchair to movearound.

Deb Docken, a task force member andPatricia’s mother, said current services forpeople with disabilities often don’t focuson employment.

“That’s a discussion that needs tooccur,” Docken said. “Sometimes, whenyou get into adult services, (employmentis) not even a part of the conversation, and

it needs to be.”But task force member Cindy

Walsh said simple solutions alsocan make a big difference.

“Hopefully, as an employer Ican give input as to how valu-able these people are,” saidWalsh, in charge of human re-sources for Dakota King Inc., afranchisee that operates 35Burger King restaurants in SiouxFalls and throughout the North-

ern Plains. “We do hire people with disabil-ities who have limited jobs they can do,but they have been wonderful assets toour team. They’re very committed and en-thusiastic, the customers love them, andthey’re grateful to have a job.”

Members of the task force and peoplewith disabilities alike said jobs are an im-portant focus.

“Employment is a very big piece of myday,” Deb Docken said. “It’s a very bigpiece of my life. It’s a big piece of what’smeaningful for me. It’s no different if youhave a disability.”

DeMore agreed. When she was forcedto rely on a wheelchair, she and her hus-band launched a search for something pro-ductive she could do.

“I did not want my mind to not bebusy,” DeMore said. “I couldn’t watch an-other soap opera in my life.”

Julie Benz, an assistant vice presidentat Avera McKennan Hospital who overseesrehabilitation, among other areas, said em-ployment “gives us great pleasure” asidefrom the money.

“It’s something we all aspire to, reallycontributing to our families and contribut-ing to our communities,” Benz said. “Thisis a human characteristic, and this is oneway we can better support that.”

SD Task Force Aims To HelpDisabled Enter Workforce

“The vast majority of people with disabilitiesare still unemployed or underemployedcompared to people without disabilities.

There’s a need to do work when it comes tocreating a level playing field.”

SHELLY PFAFF

PIERRE (AP) — SouthDakota Gov. Dennis Daugaardsays the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency hasawarded the city of Sioux Falls$4.9 million to help pay forcleaning up debris from anApril ice storm.

The funds will reimbursethe city for the cost of remov-ing debris caused by the icestorm that knocked downpower lines, trees and treebranches throughout SiouxFalls.

State Emergency Manage-ment Office director Kristi Tur-man says the April stormcaused widespread damagethat required a massivecleanup effort. She says thefederal funding will help thecommunity and its residents.

The federal funds repre-sent reimbursement of 75 per-cent of the eligible expensesfor the project. The state cov-ers 10 percent of the cost, andlocal governments provide theremaining 15 percent.

FEMA Awards SF $4.9MFor Storm Cleanup