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in Sioux Falls and Rapid City and drug courts in Yankton County and James Valley. Other programs are under development, including one in Mitchell.
• Judge Pat Riepel volunteered to help launch the Sioux Falls drug court in 2010 because the city was lagging behind others of comparable size across the country. Riepel said there are 21 in the program now; since it started, 16 have graduated and 6 have dropped out.
• "I thought our circuit needed to have one," she said. "These clients are going to be in our community and we should be proactive."
• Some courts allow participants to clear their records if they're first-time offenders, but Sioux Falls' participants have been in the system repeatedly and are facing prison sentences, she said.
• The cost of housing and some of the drug and alcohol screenings falls to most of South Dakota's program participants, though the state and some federal grants cover treatment and supervision.
• But overall, Gilbertson said, the drug courts save the state money -- immediately and in the long term. It costs $25,000 to house a prisoner for a year, but drug courts cuts that cost in half, Gilbertson said. Plus, the program reduces the number of repeat offenders.
• Once participants complete the program, they receive a graduate ceremony, which Gilbertson said is "quite a festive occasion."
• Petik will graduate from the program later this summer, and says support groups help him stay sober.
• "I'm pretty optimistic now," he said, "I used to not be."
•

• NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- As Don Meyer's coaching career progressed, he eventually realized coaching kids was more important than coaching basketball.
• He did an outstanding job with both.
• Before he left Lipscomb University in 1999 after 24 seasons he had led the Bisons to 12 seasons with 30 or more wins. In 1986, his team won the NAIA national championship.
• The 1989-90 team set a national season record with 41 victories, losing only five. He left the school with a career record of 665-179. He finished his career with 923 victories, sixth in college victories.
• His players also succeeded at record levels. He produced the top two scorers in the history of college basketball, three national players of the year and 22 All-

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