Editorial: Commissioners again recognize importance of an informed public

WOW! It’s likely not a “good thing”when a newspaper is at a loss for words, but “WOW!” is the first thing that comes to mind.

Again, this year, the Minnehaha County Commission voted unanimously to name four newspapers as their “official publications.” Why is this such a big deal? The county has gone beyond state requirements, which stipulates that a county only has to name three newspapers as “legal publications.”

So once again this year, the Brandon Valley Journal will be publishing all county public notices for our readers (as will the Garretson Gazette, Minnehaha Messenger and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader).

In a time when so many people believe the only news is what they find on the Internet, and in a time when people are learning that much of what they see on the Internet can fall into the category of “fake news,” our county commissioners are leading the way in seeing that Minnehaha citizens are kept informed.

In the Journal, readers will find the exact minutes of the meetings, learn about land and surplus property auctions, legal disputes, and more.

Also, we have a correspondent who attends weekly meetings and presents our readers with “the highlights” of county issues that may affect them.

As a case in point, at the Jan. 7 Minnehaha County meeting, commissioners were asked to become the “official” government entity on record so a group at Wall Lake could start applying for grants in the hopes of building a walking/biking trail around the lake.

A Wall Lake resident spoke up about work she had done to show that 47 Wall Lake area residents were totally against the trail, and she claimed that at least one of those people had never heard anything about the proposal.

If this is true, that person only had to look as far as his local newspaper, the Minnehaha Messenger in Harford, to be informed. Two extensive articles on the project were written and printed, in addition to a photograph showing the area under consideration for the trail.

If the public only hears from someone who is against the project, it would be fair to say opinions are formed on just one side of the issue. Looking at an issue from one side usually leads to poor decisions.

The Journal does not favor or oppose a bike trail on the other side of the county, but what we are talking about is that local newspapers give people the chance to be informed about what is going on in their communities.

And by their recent vote in naming legal newspapers, the Minnehaha County Commission supports opening the lines of communication, as well.

So, today, when so many look at governing bodies and scratch their heads, we get to look at the Minnehaha Commissioners and, again, say, “WOW”!