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• Other events since her death show that the circumstances surrounding her life are just one example of how people who are entrusted with upholding laws sometimes look the other way instead. Most recently, the Wagner police chief was arrested on charges of failing to report his girlfriend's meth use. Then we hear that the tribal leaders let politics and whatever else gets in the way of using the $157,252 federal grant to hire someone to investigate drug crimes.
• Charles Mix County State's Attorney Pam Hein wants more cooperation between law enforcement agencies, including the BIA, local officers and federal agents. That would be a good start, but that already should be happening because there is a program in place called Safe Trails Task Force to do that very thing. Except, no Yank

ton Sioux Tribal officer is a member. In addition, Charles Mix County Sheriff's deputies and Wagner Police are not cross-deputized to enforce tribal law or respond to an emergency call on tribal land.
• Excuses and exceptions don't matter anymore. What matters is that grown adults empowered to make life safer for 2-year-olds and others get on top of the drug problem and set aside any jurisdictional anomalies.
• It's time for leadership that is no longer a word but action. Someone needs to call the community together to sit down and work out among themselves how to move forward and crack down on an insidious problem that is destroying lives and killing innocent people.
• Drugs have been a problem on reservations longer than RieLee Lovell was alive. Ineffective or corrupt leadership has been around longer too. The collective "system" that failed her has failed others.
• It's time to end the apathy and take to heart the job of enforcing laws and protecting people. It's time for those safeguarding our communities to take action and use the resources available to back the fight against meth and other drug use.
• ___
• Rapid City Journal. Aug. 9, 2012
• Foreign workers get repaid
• Many people come to the United States for better-paying jobs. Unfortunately, sometimes the workers are exploited.
• Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor concluded a two-year investigation into violations of a foreign worker visa program in the Black Hills and ordered six hospitality industry businesses to pay back wages and fines.
• The department said the businesses hired temporary foreign workers through a now-closed Sturgis recruiter, Global Employment Agency, for seasonal tourism jobs.

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