Don’t forget - - - Part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 includes a $7,500 tax credit for any first-time home buyer who purchases a home before July 1, 2009. Past homeowners don’t count yourself out yet! Even if you have owned a home in the past, remember that a first-time home buyer is someone that has not owned a home in the last 3 years. Better yet, interest rates are near record lows and intenvory is better than it has been in years. If you have been thinking about purchasing a home, now is the time to make your move!
Meade School Board Members are hosting an open house for the public tonight from 5:30-7pm at the new Sturgis Elementary School, formerly known as Bear Butte School off of Ball Park Road in Sturgis. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 5:30pm at the main entrance of the school’s new addition. Tours of the school will follow the ribbon cutting. Coffee and cookies will be served in the new cafeteria, courtesy of the Meade Food Service.
February is American Heart Month, aimed at raising awareness of cardiovascular disease, especially among women. To celebrate the Black Hills have named Feb. 13th the official day to wear red. Help save the ones you love!
Once again, South Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Contest is looking to award young artists not only for their artistic abilities, but also for their wildlife appreciation. The contest is open to all South Dakota students in grades K-12. Each year, the top 9 artists in 4 different age groups are recognized with generous prizes. Check out sdjuniorduck.org for details. But remember the deadline is March 15th!
2008 was a hard year for many, but according to an annual survey by MSN Money, life in South Dakota was pretty darn good. MSN Money’s “Misery Index” measures the number of bankruptcy and foreclosure filings aganist the number of households in each state. With only 0.4% of households in South Dakota facing bankruptcy or foreclosure, we tied with Vermont for dead last in the ranking of all 50 states. Compare that to top ranking Nevada where 4.8% of households face one of these hardships. Some days you just have to say it, life is good!
Main Street isn’t the only place in Sturgis with a changing face. The west side of town is set to experience a fair numbers of changes too, beginning with the reconsturction of Exit 30. Part of those changes involve closing the access from I-90 at Exit 30 for a period of time during construction. Like any road closure this will have a significant impact on the citizens and businesses that call the west side of Sturgis home. To brainstorm the best possible solution to solve the traffic flow issue of this reconstruction, the South Dakota Department of Transportation is holding an informational meeting, open to the public, tonight at the Sturgis Community Center Theatre at 6pm. All interested parties are invited and encouraged to attend.
Did you know that an average of 14,500 tons of chips and an accompanying 8 million pounds of guacamole are consumed on Superbowl Sunday at superbowl parties across the country? And all this celebrating doesn’t come cheap. The average consumer spends $49.27 on Superbowl-related items, anything ranging from food and drink to reclining chairs and televisions bought with this particular event in mind.
As usual, The Loud American Roadhouse is kicking off the Stock Show with a Dustin Evans and the Good Times Band concert. A week before you can see him at the stock show, you can see this South Dakota native who has gone on to become a Nashville recording star perform live on Main Street tongiht at 9pm!
The Black Hills Stock Show opens today at the Rapid City Civic Center. If you have never been to this event before, it really is a must-see Black Hills area attraction. There is truly something for everyone - nightly rodeos, livestock auctions, vendors selling anything from food to clothing and jewelry to livestock equipment, a petting zoo for kids and the young at heart, a quilt show, and special appearances by Miss Rodeo South Dakota and the Budweiser Clydesdales - just to name a few. The Black Hills Stock Show is one of the largest events the Rapid City Civic Center hosts each year and one of the largest stock shows in the country. Even if you aren’t a self-proclaimed cowboy or cowgirl, find a time to check it out between today and February 8th. You won’t be sorry you did!
For more information, visit the Black Hills Stock Show website.
As you have read on Sturgis Living before, legendary Main Street, Sturgis, SD, is about to see some major changes. Changes that will make Sturgis a great place to visit and an even better place to live than it already is year-round. A variety of government and citizen groups are working together to decide which changes will most benefit the community and how to make those changes happen as soon as possible. In working toward this goal, a architect consultant has been brought on board to offer his professional opinion.
If you have ideas on ways to improve Main Street and the Sturgis community as a whole, please join us at the Loud American Road at the corner of 3rd and Main today for lunch at noon to offer your ideas and hear the exciting possibilities on what can be done!