ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA: COUNTY OF THE MONTH

Largest City: Parker

County Seat: Parker

Population: 8,520

Founded: 1871

Home of the towns of Parker, Centerville, Marion, Viborg, Irene, Hurley, Chancellor, Dolton, and Monroe, Turner County was founded in 1871. According to the South Dakota Association of Counties, Turner County was named for John W. Tuner, a member of the Dakota Territory Legislature of 1865-66. Swan Lake City was named the county seat. With the arrival of the railroad, the question of moving the county seat from Swan Lake City started and what is known as the "County Seat War" followed. After a long and bitter fight, the county seat was moved to Parker in 1885.

The Turner County Fair celebrated its 126 year in August. This annual event brings families from all around to enjoy the state’s oldest fair.

Tim’s Work for Turner County

As South Dakota’s senior Senator, Tim Johnson is well-positioned to secure federal funding for projects that are important to the people of Turner County and to all of South Dakota. He has used his seat on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee to secure funding for programs that directly impact the lives of people in Turner County.

Tim Works To Get a Weather Radio in Every Home

Tim forged a partnership between the National Weather Service and South Dakota Public Broadcasting to fit public broadcasting towers with weather radio transmitters. He went to the floor of the U.S. Senate and secured funding for those transmitters, as well as additional towers to carry the alert broadcasts throughout South Dakota.

More than 95 percent of South Dakotans are now covered by the early warning system. Homes and businesses with working weather radios in these areas will be alerted when a damaging storm approaches their area, even if it comes in the middle of the night while they sleep, or during a power outage.

A weather radio receiver can provide the advanced warning families need in order to find shelter. When activated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), weather radios sound an alert, letting people know that a dangerous weather system is approaching and giving them as much time as possible to find shelter.

Weather radios come in a variety of sizes and styles, with prices typically ranging from $25 to $100. They are available at electronics and hardware stores throughout South Dakota. When severe weather strikes, they turn on automatically, broadcasting an alert or sounding a siren. They work even when all in a household are sleeping. Because they run on batteries or have a battery back-up, they continue to work even if there is a power outage.

Drinking Water Improvements in Centerville

Tim worked to secure funding to the community of Centerville, which has approximately 28,000 feet of deteriorating water mains that were cracked, allowing ground water to enter and contaminate the drinking water system. In order to ensure the availability of clean, safe drinking water, the water mains had to be replaced. The total cost of the water main replacement was projected to exceed $1.5 million dollars, which would be cost-prohibitive for a community of 910 residents, particularly when the community is already facing the financial challenge of rebuilding their sewer system to comply with state and federal regulations and is investing in the Lewis and Clark Water System that will serve many communities in Southeastern South Dakota. Tim was able to secure $650,000 in aid to making these changes.

Tim and the Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Project

Funding will be used to acquire critical easements from willing landowners, helping to preserve the last remaining native tallgrass prairie lands in existence. The Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Project received $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2006 and projected $250,000 FY 2007. At one time, the tallgrass prairie that included the easternmost counties of North and South Dakota was the largest grassland on earth, but today only about 10% of it remains. This project preserves native grasslands, including the historic habitat and rare species found in such areas, by purchasing perpetual easements from willing sellers. The easements prevent the plowing or cultivation of such lands, but the landowner is free to hay the grasslands or allow livestock to graze on the land.

Road Improvements

In 2005, Tim announced Turner County would receive more than $1 million to resurface roads. This money was included in the 2005 highway reauthorization bill.

Turner County Dairy

In 2005, Tim announced that Turner County Dairy would receive $500,000 in rural development funding to purchase equipment for a unique project. They will purchase an anaerobic digester that will use manure from the dairy facility to create methane that is converted into electricity. That electricity will be sold to the local utility.

FIRE Grant

In 2005, Tim announced that the Parker Fire Department would receive $77,500 from FEMA as part of the FIRE grant program.

Viborg School District

Viborg School District received a total of $16,220 in E-Rate funding to aid in Telecommunication Services and Internet services in 2005. Of that amount $3,991 was announced in June, and an additional $12,229 was announced in September 2005 to aid in Telecommunication Services and Internet services.

Transportation Funding

Parker shared $368,000 in transportation funding with Watertown and Wessington Springs in 2005. The funding, which was used to construct bus garages in all three communities, comes via a Fiscal Year 2004 earmark in the Transportation Appropriations bill providing $2 million for bus services and facilities throughout South Dakota.