January 31, 2008 in the News

Haven't been able to update recently so there's a lot...

South Dakota Midwife bill headed to House: Story in the Rapid City Journal noting "The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 10-3 Friday to approve a bill to allow midwives to deliver babies under certain limited circumstances."

Crisis Center receives $10K grant: The Fargo Forum notes "The Rape and Abuse Crisis Center has received a $10,000 grant from Dakota Medical Foundation."

Teen pregnancy not an accident: Kathryn Lopez column in the Jamestown Sun noting "Seventeen magazine is a great gift to the youth of our nation. Before the magazine’s February issue, our nation’s adolescent girls were in danger of “accidentally” falling into pregnancy, or so their cover implies: “Shocking Ways You Could Get PREGNANT By Accident.”"

Female Firefighters In Our Community: 'Girls need heroes, too': Sioux Falls Argus Leader story noting "Dragging around a 75-pound hose is part of the job description. So is eating smoke, responding to medical emergencies and working 24-hour shifts. Today's firefighters are the first on the scene in medical emergencies and must merge their first-responder skills with Sioux Falls' growing diversity. That diversity is fueling a need for more variety among the ranks of firefighters, too. With three women firefighters and at least three minority firefighters in Sioux Falls, the city has a need for more, says Jim Sideras, division chief of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue."

Single women get engaged: Sioux Falls Argus Leader story noting "Single women were supposed to be the Democrats' guest of honor on Election Day. Excuse me, unmarried women. The party has studied unmarried women so much it knows they don't like to be called single women. But something wild is happening. Unmarried women are crashing the party early. In Iowa, they were 28 percent of Democratic caucus-goers. In New Hampshire, they were 22 percent of the party's primary voters, and in South Carolina, 30 percent. Those are big numbers - for them."

Women in Blue Jeans offers chance to share ideas, learn and network: The Mitchell Daily Republic notes "Major magazines have their own advice for women when they are stressed. But out on the farm, for instance, those ideas simply aren’t realistic, says Diana Goldammer, a committee member for this week’s Women in Blue Jeans conference."

Workplace experts-Respect is rule No. 1: The Fargo Forum notes "What is and is not acceptable office behavior can be difficult to define, but experts in the area of discrimination and harassment say some rules of thumb apply."

Coffee talk surrounds sonograms: Sioux Falls Argus Leader story noting "Abortion and the choices surrounding it dominated legislative debate again Saturday, only this time the choices concerned a woman watching a sonogram and a pharmacist selling contraceptives." Additional stories here and here.

Reproductive Rights Letters-For and Against: There are lots for North and South Dakota and are as follows The most accurate term in ‘pro-choice’; Women still have a long way to go; Hateful language has no place in Forum; 'Culture of death' affects more than just humans; Crime and abortion links elude us; Safe alternative must exist; U.S. abortions decline to lowest since 1974; Roe's promise remains unfulfilled; Abortion and good parenting don't mix; Our pro-life ethic needs a home; Abortion bill unenforceable; Mothers, babies will need help; Back even a conditional ban; and Talk of reproductive rights is really ‘killing rights’. Told you there's been a lot.