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The Constitution is talking to you, my friend. Well, and to me, too. To all of us citizens, actually. That’s what that “We the People” is referring to—in a democracy, it’s really our job to run the country. Sure, we delegate it during elections every few years, but the responsibility to pay attention is written right in there with freedoms ... Read More »

Redfield, S.D., could be called a small city or a big town. It has features that are the best of both. “Main Street is a very interesting, fun place to go visit on a Saturday afternoon. You’ve still got those good, enjoyable family things and shopping” as in a larger community, according to Lisa Zens, executive director of Grow Spink, ... Read More »

How should we deal with the painful chapters of our history? Bring them up and make people uncomfortable? Think about only the parts that make the people who are most like us look good? Skip them altogether? I was fortunate enough to go to Berlin in June—not only fortunate to go, but also fortunate to go at a time when those questions (which we asked ... Read More »

Note: This is an updated version of the editorial that appears in the July/August 2016 issue.  We at Dakotafire Media are making changes in how we distribute our content—changes that we think, overall, will make us a stronger company and better able to do our central work: in-depth, solution-focused journalism that helps rural places thrive. End of most newspaper partnerships First, starting with ... Read More »

                  YES, I’M FIRED UP! MAKE ME A MEMBER! Read More »

The latest Dakotafire Café, a series of events intended to spark community and regional conversations, will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at the Milbank Visitor Center in Milbank, S.D. Dakotafire Cafés intend to get people talking about the topic presented in the latest issue of Dakotafire magazine, according to Dakotafire Publisher and Editor Heidi Marttila-Losure. ... Read More »

Our next Dakotafire Café event will be in Miller, S.D., where we gather in conversation around the topic of youth empowerment. This is the last event that is part of the Prairie Idea Exchange, a grant-funded projected intended to share fruitful, community-building ideas across northeastern South Dakota and beyond. Read on as Tammy Caffee, executive director of On Hand Development Corporation, ... Read More »

The January/February 2016 issue of Dakotafire is the last issue of the Prairie Idea Exchange project. The final gathering of the Prairie Idea Exchange brought together people from around the region to talk about what kinds of efforts to look beyond their communities are working, what has torpedoed the regional reaches that didn’t work, and how other efforts could build ... Read More »

Every other issue of Dakotafire magazine features a section called “Perspective.” The goal of this section is to highlight a scene or work of art that shows some insight into Dakota life. The section also includes space for the artist or photographer to share a little bit about his or her perspective on the world, and more specifically how he ... Read More »