Hello Kadoka Area,
This week, I write in encouragement. Sometimes, education takes a back seat to the community we serve, and I feel this is the time. Recently, storms have rocked our families in our district’s northern and central parts. Reports of no power for many days and families who lost all their food have sur- faced, and my heart goes out to them.
The Dakotas have seen many natural disasters since their founding as a territory. However, our success as a settlement makes the losses of each occurrence all the more costly. For whatever reason, I have had to live and see a few historic natural disasters in my time here. These events include the flood of 1997 in Grand Forks, ND, where I was born and raised; the Northwood, ND tornado of 2007, where I graduated high school; and the 2009 floods of Stutsman County, ND, where I went to college. However, the 2022 storms of western South Dakota have shaken the core of many in our district.
One common theme I have seen in so many in all of the events I have experienced is the ability to get up, stay positive, and face the challenges of what mother nature brings us in the Dakota seasons. I don’t think it matters the area of the Dakotas; a majority of us recognize we can’t control everything. However, we do what we can, when we can do it. This spirit will serve us well as we try to recover from damage to our belongings, and we are thankful that we have people around us to support us in that attitude. It is what makes me proud to call the Midwest home.
In support of the Kougars,
Mr. Lukens