(Continued from page 15)

more united country that is better equipped to meet all of the challenges of our time."
•

• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- Rapid City's new police chief says he hopes his swift confirmation will end the controversy surrounding the City Council's rejection of the mayor's first choice for the job.
• The council on Monday unanimously made Interim Chief Karl Jegeris the permanent replacement for Steve Allender, who recently retired as chief after three decades in law enforcement.
• The council last week had rejected Lt. Elias Diaz for the chief's job, citing a lack of experience, a flawed selection process and a lack of transparency on behalf of Mayor Sam Kooiker in choosing who he felt was the right candidate.
• "Now that that distraction is behind us, I'm looking forward to the future as we work together," Jegeris said.
• Kooiker said he believes the process worked and that he's "very excited about moving forward."
• Jegeris joined the Rapid City force in 1995 and has served as a patrol officer, a school liaison officer, a juvenile detective, juvenile sergeant, patrol lieutenant and patrol captain. He became assistant chief in 2012.
• Jegeris is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and has a bachelor's degree in law enforcement from Mankato State University in Minnesota. He is pursuing a master's degree in public safety executive leadership from St. Cloud State University, also in Minnesota.
• As Rapid City's chief, he will oversee a departmental budget of about $12.5 million and lead 153 employees, 119 of whom are sworn officers.
•

• CANTON, S.D. (AP) -- Fifty minimum-security prisoners and five staff members from the State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls are helping with cleanup from last week's severe storms.
• Gov. Dennis Daugaard authorized the inmates and staff to help out, and on Tuesday they headed to the Canton area in southeastern South Dakota.
• The area got more than 8 inches of rain on June 16. Flooding affected both road and rail traffic.

(Continued on page 17)