• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A South Dakota legislative panel has decided to have an outside agency review the operation of the Legislature's professional staff.
• The National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan organization that represents state legislatures across the country, will conduct the review.
• Some legislative leaders have suggested that the South Dakota Legislature should hire additional staff, including partisan staffers who would work for Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The staff of the Legislative Research Council is now nonpartisan. Each staffer works in a specific area of expertise.
• Sen. Ryan Maher of Isabel says the review will look at the performance and organization of the Legislature's staff. Maher says a consultant has said there is a right way and a wrong way to organize partisan staffers.
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• NEW UNDERWOOD, S.D. (AP) -- More than 73 municipal officials representing 11 cities gathered at the South Dakota Municipal League's annual District 9 meeting this past week.
• South Dakota Municipal League Executive Director Yvonne Taylor talked about the effect that new laws will have on South Dakota municipalities and discussed the direction and future of the Municipal League.
• Taylor says taxpayers would be proud of their local governments if they were fully aware of how much service a municipality provides at a relatively low cost.
• Custer Mayor Gary Lipp was re-elected as District 9 Chair and Harley Lux, the city administrator in Hot Springs, was elected as vice chair.
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• BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) -- An Arbor Day event at South Dakota State University next week will remind people about the importance trees play in the community.
• The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Arbor Day Park. A swamp white oak tree will be planted in the park during the ceremony, which is open to the public.
• Under the leadership of plant science professor John Ball, SDSU is making an

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