There was an abundance of high-interest news across northeastern South Dakota in 2024.
Even discounting the general election, plenty of issues were discussed around town, in business circles, among farmers and ranchers, by coffee klatches and at public meetings. Again, local residents took strong interest in matters like the proposed carbon pipeline, Aberdeen’s need for more water and changes in the business community.
What follows is a list of The Aberdeen Insider’s top news topics of 2024. It is based largely on the number of people who read various articles and discussion in the community, but is in no particular order.
Here we go:
To nobody’s surprise, Summit Carbons Solutions‘ proposed carbon capture pipeline remains a hot topic and again dominated headlines.
A trial for an ongoing legal dispute between opponents of the line and Summit has been set for September, and it’s hard to imagine the issue won’t be discussed during the upcoming legislative session.
MORE: Lawsuit between Summit Carbon Solutions, pipeline opponents set for trial in September 2025
Summit has, for a second time, applied for a permit from the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Local informational public meetings about the project have been set for Friday, Jan. 17 with one at 10:30 a.m. at the Dakota Event Center, 720 S. Lamont St., in Aberdeen and the other at 6 p.m. at the Redfield School Auditorium, 111 E. Sixth Ave.
Summit has received the permitting necessary in North Dakota and Iowa as well a portion of the proposed route in Minnesota. No state permit is needed in Nebraska.
The company hopes to build an $8 billion pipeline that would capture carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska and pump it underground in western North Dakota for permanent storage, or sequestration.
Two projects that will provide affordable apartments in Aberdeen are moving forward, both on the former Presentation College campus.
The Aberdeen Housing Authority plans to convert three North Suites buildings along North Fifth Street into 36 low-income apartments. A fourth building will be used for offices, and renovation work Is expected to begin soon.
MORE: East Suites on former Presentation campus will be converted into apartments
St. Joseph Catholic Housing will transform the East Suites on the east side of campus into a 45-unit affordable apartment building. The Zoning Board of Adjustment took action to allow that in December after hearing concerns from neighbors that included the prospect of increased traffic.
The year started with the opening of a new 100-unit apartment complex for those 55 and older. Forte Living is at 1004 27h Ave. N.E., opened Feb. 1.
MORE: Northern State, Avera St. Luke’s partner on Advanced Nursing Simulation Center
New nursing and agricultural business programs were approved for Northern State University in 2024. Both programs will begin in fall 2025.
With the nursing program comes the addition of a new building on campus, the Business and Health Innovation Center. It will house a host of spaces, including a simulation lab for the nursing program. Construction began after Lincoln and Briscoe halls were demolished.
The American Rescue Plan Act is providing $29.5 million in federal grant money for the new building. With a $20.15 million bid from Quest Construction, some features that were eliminated from the original plan can be added back in.
The nursing program will help fill a void left by the 2023 closure of Presentation College. The ag program is a partnership with South Dakota State University.
A stretch of strife at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office continued in 2024.
The issue is complex, but at the base level, it involves Sheriff Dave Lunzman’s decision to hire his wife to work at the Brown County Jail. That has not sat well with county commissioners, some employees at the sheriff’s office or the Aberdeen Police Department.
MORE: Brown County sheriff feels commission wants to ‘neuter’ his authority
With the sides clashing, Brown County Commission meetings have been interesting, though for all of the wrong reasons. Police department leadership has referred to the “nepotism issue” at the sheriff’s department. Lunzman, meanwhile, has defended his wife and her credentials.
Problems came to the forefront in 2023 after questions arose about whether a blood draw taken by M.J. Lunzman at the Brown County Jail from somebody arrested on suspicion of drunken driving was done before or after a warrant was issued.
Most recently, she has been working from home, which commissioners have questioned.
Smack Pet Food announced in fall that it plans to set up shop in Aberdeen, a plan that should result in about 150 new jobs.
MORE: Smack Pet Food to move into west Banner building
In tangential news, Banner Engineering first announced that it would close, then that it was keeping its Aberdeen plant open.
While Banner will maintain its main building, Smack will move into what has been a smaller Banner structure at 714 Corporation St., just to the west of the plant.
Banner cited changes in economic conditions as why it will keep about 110 jobs in town. That’s down about 200 from when the business announced in February that it would be closing by year’s end.
Smack’s investment in Aberdeen is expected to approach $6 million with the business planning to open in mid-2025.
MORE: Aberdeen to get new industrial park, Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Other big business-related news in the past year included:
As Aberdeen looks to the future, residents will begin paying more in 2025 for water services.
The city has two pressing water-related plans. One is expanding the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant from 8 million to 12 million gallons a day to benefit economic development. The other is building a new water tower.
MORE: Aberdeen seeks $30M loan from state for wastewater treatment plant
To accommodate the treatment plant jobs, water rates for Aberdeen consumers will increase about 15% in 2025. Here’s what’s in the works:
That amounts to an increase of $11.72 a month for a home that uses 5,000 gallons of water.
PKG Contracting of Fargo, N.D., submitted the sole bid for the wastewater treatment plant work, with a base of $78 million and an alternate of $13.69 million for an updated filtration system.
So far, the city has only $66.3 million set aside for the job. That includes a $32.4 loan from the state’s revolving fund, $18.9 million in state American Rescue Plan Act grant money and $5 million in city ARPA grant money. It will likely seek two more low-interest loans totaling about $30 million from the state to account for the rest of the money, but that’s already accounted for in rate increases for 2025 and 2026.
The 1.5 million-gallon water tower will be in the northeast part of town to equalize water pressure. It has yet to be bid, but could cost in the neighborhood of $12 million. With it, water rates will tick up even more, though how much isn’t yet known.
MORE: One of two WEB bids accepted, high costs could delay more water for Aberdeen
Additionally, Aberdeen continues to work with WEB Water and BDM Rural Water to expand the amount of water available in the years to come. The Water Investment in Northern South Dakota project, called WINS, continues to move forward.
About 4 million gallons a day more for Aberdeen probably won’t happen by 2030, City Manager Robin Bobzien has said.
Two Aberdeen shootings in 2024 were in the same block three months apart.
On Sept. 10, police were also called to the 700 block of North Congress Street. In that incident, a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg three times, according to information released by police at the time. The incident was in front of a residence, and the people involved know each other. Charges are expected to be filed, but have yet to be.
Police were called to the same block on Dec. 10 for an incident in which two people were wounded. Jose Aguirre Rivero, 20, is accused of breaking into somebody else’s apartment and firing shots. He’s charged with attempted murder.
MORE: Bond set for defendants in shooting; incident involved parents, son
The victim, who returned fire, will not be charged, authorities have said, adding that the two men knew each other.
Rivero’s father, Alfredo Aguirre Matos, 64, is charged with first-degree burglary and aiding and abetting burglary. Rivero’s mother, Yormelis Rivero Terrero, 46, is charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder and accessory to attempted first-degree murder.
The shooting incidents were unrelated and involved different people, according to police.
Far right Republicans prevailed in both the primary and general elections in the Aberdeen area and across much of the state. One of their prime focuses was on property rights, a hot subject in recent years as the result of Summit’s pipeline plan.
In the District 3 GOP state Senate primary, Carl Perry of Aberdeen defeated Katie Washnok of Aberdeen by 114 votes to earn a two-year seat in Pierre. Washnok, an Aberdeen businesswoman, was considered a more moderate candidate. Perry was unopposed in November.
Across the region, other right wing Republicans were also successful in the primary.
The general election saw similar results. In the District 3 House race, Republicans Al Novstrup and Brandei Schaefbauer upended Democrat Erin Ronayne Rudner for two-year terms.
MORE: Schaefbauer, Novstrup elected to District 3 House
District 3 includes most of Aberdeen.
In the District 1 House race, Republicans Logan Manhart of Bath and Chris Reder of Warner defeated four others — two Democrats and two Libertarians.
Local candidates supported by Toby Doeden and his Dakota First Action political action committee were all victorious. He threw his support behind those who were further to the right on the political spectrum.
Doeden formed an exploratory committee as he considered challenging U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., for a seat in Congress, but decided against doing so.
It was no surprise, but Aberdeen and the Presentation Sisters in 2024 finalized a deal with which the city bought the Strode Center, dome and undeveloped property for $1.75 million.
MORE: Prep Redzone scouting event draws nearly 150 football players to Aberdeen Dome
Local residents are now making use of the facilities, which are open to the public for walking, working out, basketball and other activities. The Aberdeen Dome has since hosted soccer tournaments, softball games, a baseball tournament and a scouting event for high school athletes who hope to play in college.
