Rotary District 5610 Unite for Water Initiative is underway! From April through June, Rotary Clubs across six states and five districts are coming together to highlight Rotary’s impact on one of our most important causes — clean water and sanitation. This initiative is gaining momentum, and we want to showcase the collective impact Rotary can make when clubs unite around a common goal.
Rushmore Rotary and Rapid City Rotary Clubs are participating in several local events:
April 11 - Cleanup on Rapid Creek sponsored by Black Hills Flyfishers and Breadroot Cooperative.
April 25 - Cleanup on 44th Street near Steven's High School (Rapid City Cleanup Day)
April 25 - Volunteering at Earth Day Expo - WDT (Water testing)
May 9 - Cleanup on Rapid Creek sponsored by Black Hills Flyfishers and Loam Yoga.  
May 9 - Cleanup at Black Hills Playhouse campus
May 16 - Highway 16 Cleanup near Old McDonalds Farm (SD Adopt a Highway)
For additional information check out our website at rushmorerotary.org

Today's speaker was Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller.  Sheriff Mueller has over 30 years with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office and brings blended leadership from previous Sheriff's (Holloway and Thom).  He shared information on the four divisions:  law enforcement, jail, juvenile services, and the care campus (drug/alcohol treatment).  Pennington County covers over 2800 sq. miles.  There are around 450 staff and 150 volunteers.  He shared that the jail's capacity is a challenge but they are working to fix critical infrastructure and finish an addition.  Collaborative initiatives/partnerships play a major role in the success of the department.  One program, IGNITE programming (Individual Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education), gives inmates the skills and resources for success in turning their lives around. Thank you for the informative update.  
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Today we welcomed our club’s 4-Way Test Essay Contest winner, Riannon and our Impact Club’s winner Brandon. They read their essays which were incredible! Great job kids.

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Today’s speakers were our own Magistrate Judge Todd Hyronimus and veteran Darla Crown, Mentor Coordinator for the Pennington County Veterans Court.

The program began about 10 years ago as an alternative sentencing program to avoid unnecessary incarceration of veterans with a goal of guiding them to recovery and providing them with the resources and earned benefits they need to lead productive law-abiding lives.  

The Pennington County Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary program that provides intensive case management to adult felony offenders whose service in the U.S. Armed Forces has resulted in substance abuse and/or mental health disorders.  

The Veterans Treatment Court program is challenging and requires accountability on behalf of the veteran participants.  The veteran participants are held accountable through regular court appearances before the Veterans Treatment Court Judge, frequent and random drug testing, substance abuse counseling and/or mental health counseling in individual and group settings, educational classes, a system of behavior modification based on incentives and sanctions, and intense community supervision by the Veterans Treatment Court Team.  

The program length depends on each veteran participant’s progress in meeting the requirements of the Veterans Treatment Court, but is no less than one year.

The program has a retention rate of 66% and a graduation rate of 60.66%. The mentor program provides a veteran “battle buddy” that meets with the veteran and acts as a friend, advocate, role model and guide.

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Five Rushmore Rotarians served lunch at the Cornerstone Rescue Mission. 

Thanks for your help!