by Joe Sneve, CNS

The South Dakota legislature and Gov. M. Michael Rounds have decided to repeal the emergency veterans' loan program to free up money from the veterans affairs special revenue fund for other veteran programs.

Rounds signed House Bill 1270 on March 10 to end the loan program which provides veterans and their families with small loans to assist in economic emergencies.

On March 3, sponsor of the bill, Sen.

Governor Mike Rounds has announced that most low income South Dakota households will receive additional food assistance as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Beginning April 1, the maximum monthly benefit will increase based on household size.

"An unprecedented number of South Dakotans have applied for food stamp benefits in recent months," Gov. Rounds said.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering a special initiative through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Cover Crop Initiative is designed to help increase soil quality and provide an additional source for grazing among other benefits.

The deadline for submitting an application for Fiscal Year 2009 funding consideration is Friday, April 3, 2009.

They say you can take the farmer out of the country, but not the country out of the farmer, as 29 ag "students" of Class V South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership (SDARL) proved during a week-long seminar in Washington, D.C.

They may have been a long ways from their farms, ranches and agriculture dependent small towns, but farming and agriculture were never far from their minds as SDARL class members spent the last week of February learning how Washington works.

Two friends visit one's aunt and uncle for the weekend. Then they discover he is a mortician, a dead body is waiting burial, and somebody poisoned it. Well, that is what the dead body tells them.

The Milesville Drama Club will put on the three act mystery/comedy Finders Creepers on April 3 through 5. The Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday is at 2:00 p.m.

Directed by Linda Schofield, the play has been adapted for regional appeal, complete with a Dr. Klopper character played by Justin Freeman.

"Basically, the entire time I was there, I didn't sit down to watch a game from the stands. I was running a Public Broadcasting Service camera," said Colton Nickelson, a junior at Philip High School.

Earlier this school year, Nickelson started running cameras for the high school's television station, formally channel 15, now channel 19. He said that none of this would be possible without the help and encouragement of Mike Seager. "Actually, Duke Westerberg is the guy who got me started and interested. He asked me to help record the Philip vs. Irene-Wakonda football game.