Just when I’m thinking Angela Kennecke is our best new investigative reporter, she tosses this mostly useless clickbait onto KELO-TV:
I should perhaps shield Kennecke from blame. She does not appear to be responsible for the two most egregious bits of sensationalism.
She probably did not write the headline, “Mystery Grows in Platte.” That headline does not reflect the actual content of her story, which provides no new substantive, “mysterious” details about the deaths of Scott Westerhuis and his family, the fire that destroyed their house, or culpability of the Westerhuises and their employer, Mid-Central Educational Cooperative, in possible crony misuse of GEAR UP and other federal grant money. Kennecke does get a neighbor to say on camera that the unfinished construction visible on the property was supposed to be an indoor swimming pool, further reflecting the Westerhuises’ living beyond their apparent means. But the “mystery” does not significantly grow from that one detail. The headline should have read, “Mystery Remains in Platte.”
Kennecke also did not speak the sensational lead-in lines that are written in the online story:
Did Scott Westerhuis really shoot and kill his family before turning the gun on himself as investigators believe?
People in Platte are having a hard time coming to terms with that finding [attributed to Angela Kennecke but not spoken on camera, “Mystery Grows in Platte,” KELO-TV, 2015.10.14].
That opening line leads the reader to believe we’re going to hear evidence that contradicts the Attorney General’s conclusion that Scott Westerhuis shot his family members and himself. No such evidence appears in Kennecke’s report. Kennecke mentions one Westerhuis neighbor “who didn’t want to go on camera who says a strange car was in her driveway at 4:30 the morning of the fire,” but Kennecke connects no dots— how long was the car there? what did it look like? what plates did it have? did it leave in a hurry? did you see the driver and any occupants sitting in the car or leaving and coming back? did you see or hear anything that would lead a reasonable observer to suspect that Scott Westerhuis did not really shoot and kill his family before turning the gun on himself? And if the witness isn’t willing to go on camera and put a face and a name to the claim, is that claim really news? Kennecke has the good journalistic sense not to specify any of the other “rumors” swirling around town; why does she include this rumor?
The discussion of the Westerhuises’ death, the destruction of their house, Scott and Nicole Westerhuis’s work as business managers for MCEC, and the oversight of the millions of tax dollars funneled into MCEC needs to stick with the evidence. The usual assertions of Oh, he was a nice guy, you’d never imagine he’d do such a thing weigh no more in this case than they do in the countless others where the guy you’d never suspect of doing evil does evil. If neighbors have real evidence, they need to step forward and provide that evidence, at least to the Division of Criminal Investigation, if not to the press.
And if KELO doesn’t have new evidence, it shouldn’t let its headline and lead-in writers explode the story into something it isn’t.
Rumors are for the GOP spin blog, not real journalists.
Agreed. The headline is overreach. The anonymous neighbor seeing a strange car in the driveway is borderline sensationalist. But the video of the construction work that was going on is absolutely real. For the people who aren’t reading about your findings in the MCEC minutes, this is pretty convincing evidence that something fishy was going on. Doesn’t hurt to remind folks of that while we’re waiting for audit results.
C.H. does the state auditor get involved in this also does he also get involved in the high schools also?
Moses, the State Auditor’s website lists that office’s mission as follows:
That includes school districts.
Sally, yes, the pool is a useful bit of information contributing to the big picture, indicating there was still good money flowing into the Westerhuises’ pockets. But we need to know the costs of the pool in the context of other costs and income. Had I been writing the story, I’d have led with the pool, linked to the previous story about the Westerhuises’s big real-estate assets, and repeated the analysis that their stated incomes did not appear to support that much construction.
Let’s put this in perspective. Anyone in Platte will tell you that Scott was a really nice guy when he was in the spotlight. However, he was cruelly controlling with Nicole; and unilaterally made family decisions. Thus, the manic overreaching lifestyle. King of the hill mentality.
Nicole was a wonderful devoted mother. That is why she never left him.
I hope that the journalism criticism does not deter Angela Kennecke as her reporting is the closest the public will come to unraveling the deep corruption that created this tragedy. And it goes all the way to the top in Pierre.
You really think it is terrible to cast some doubt in the direction of impartial investigations in South Dakota? It may be that KELO is just catching up with blogs in that regard. Maybe it is about time.
Impartial?….. only in your mind. The only reason you criticize the investigations is because they didn’t find out what you wanted the end result to be.
Buresh, you have no clue about my reasons as I have no clue why your mind produces any comments.
No one has a clue about your reasons, nor will they defend such speculation and ignorance. Trying to reason with a person who got there without reason is futile.
The story reflects the tabloid rules of news presentation that is inherent in the media which constantly strives to garner an audience. However, an underlying factor in this story is the South Dakota rule of keeping the processes of investigation secret. I am in Denver in conversation with some colleagues who have worked wrongful conviction cases. South Dakota has a special distinction to them. In most states, although they don’t necessarily like doing it, the investigators keep the media informed of their findings. The professional media insists upon such information because their Amendment Function is to report to the public what its government is doing. In Third World South Dakota, that is no the case. And as is the case where protection of the corrupt is the first order of business, the precise findings in the deaths of Morgan Lewis, Richard Benda, and the Westerhuis family will be the private business of govern;ment.
I disagree Cory. I think Kennecke conducted a good interview, and South Dakotans deserve to know where their tax money was going.
Remember, state govt wants this story to be forgotten.
The Platte folks she interviewed were open to talking and they want to know the truth also.
Cory so do you think the State auditor will get involved in this, or will it just go away.Will the money paid to other people aslo be investigated
Jenny is on the right track: the public right to know is more crucial than a news presentation that appeals to the sensational. I offer this link as part of that discussion: http://www.cjr.org/b-roll/where_the_right_to_know_comes_from.php
“Remember, state govt wants this story to be forgotten.”
The only reason you think Cory is wrong is because it would allow you to make statements such as this with no evidence backing it.
Angela Kennecke is the hottest investigative reporter in South Dakota. I don’t know her feelings about not co-anchoring behind the KELO desk, but news gathering in South Dakota is the winner. I agree this story is not ground breaking, but it sheds some of the human light in this very dark scandal. It also keeps the coals warmed up until the next shoe drops, which was a failure in the reporting of the Rounds Racketing Scam. Both this and EB-5 are high priority news stories that deserve a lot of attention by the public. At least Kennecke isn’t content to let all the news come from Bob Mercer first.
Whatever the merits of this story, it is a refreshing change from the usual media regurgitation of Republican politicians talking points and obfuscation.
What Doug said.
IMHO KELO should be given a mulligan. Between Kennecke and Kevin Woster they are the first (and only) new organization trying to cover the entire state from an unbiased perspective. Ultimately this is good for you blue guys who are underrepresented in SD. If I were you I would fan those flames.
buresh-do you think the state/high placed people have anything to do with shutting down public info on this murder/suicide/fraud? pretty big story in its implications. do you have to protect the state from criticism of lack of transparency?
Starving education, EB-5 corruption scam, MCEC, SoS office mismanagement, redistricting, embracing the Christian values of usury and gambling, crony capitalism, putting politics over people with Medicaid expansion, etc…etc…etc….
The GOP has turned all these from man bites dog…to dog bites man. No news story here, this is just who we are.
Don’t let top-echelon state devils misdirect public attention with all the dung that has been and will continue to be spread by their manure spreader. Try placing all reported facts on a time line; take a look at the big picture:
Why has the Governor failed to request a federal investigator conduct a comprehensive audit of all federal grant programs administered by MCEC?
Why did the Governor and his Secretary of DOE focus the spot light on the GEAR UP federal grant program? Dirty laundry concerns?
Why have top-echelon state officials only referenced the FY 2014 Legislative Audit and the ongoing FY 2015 Legislative Audit? Dirty laundry concerns?
Why has no top-echelon state official referenced the FY 2013 compliance audit findings contained in the Schoenfish & Co Dec 3, 2013 comprehensive review of all federal grants administered by MCEC?
What incidents occurred in FY 2013 & FY 2014 involving MCEC administering federal grants on behalf of the SD DOE is the Machine now trying to hide from public scrutiny in order to protect the Regime’s public image and retain voter confidence?
There are two MCEC FY 2014 Audit Reports to review and consider: (1) Schoenfish & Co’s Nov 20, 2014 30-page federal grant compliance audit of all major federal grant programs administered by MCEC; and (2) DLA federal grant compliance audit focused on just the SD GEAR UP Program (Pages 270 – 275 of the FY 2014 SD “Single Audit Report” that was printed in March 2015).
Schoenfish & Co’s MCEC FY 2014 Audit Report identified no major weaknesses in MCEC’s system of internal controls; contained only one audit finding – errors and omissions were found and corrected to fairly and accurately present year end financial conditions and prior year operations in FY 2014 MCEC financial statements; there were no adverse audit opinion statements in the audit report – it was a favorable audit!
The Legislative Audit Findings with regards to the FY 2014 GEAR UP Program tattooed federal grant compliance deficiencies and weakness onto Secretary of Education Melody Schopp’s ass due to SD DOE having failed to provided adequate oversight guidance and over-watch accountability with regards to MCEC administering the GEAR UP Program on behalf of SD DOE.
Due to top-echelon state officials repeated statements and references to Legislative Audit adverse findings contained in the MCEC FY 2014 Audit Report and reported similar findings in the ongoing MCEC FY 2015 audit, gut-check said need to review the audit findings contained in the MCEC FY 2013 Audit Report. Since Sept 17, 2015 why has no top-echelon state official been quoted in a published or broadcast news report addressing or referencing Schoenfish & Co’s Dec 3, 2013 audit findings that are contained in the MCEC FY 2013 Audit Report? After reading and digesting Schoenfish & CO’s audit findings that are contained in the MCEC FY 2013 Audit Report, smell-test said coverup in progress hiding the “gravy train of rewards” served up by top-echelon officials to their loyal cronies:
1. Audit Finding 2013-001 states, “A material weakness in internal controls noted due to a lack of duties for revenues. This comment applies to Fund for the Improvement of Education … Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs … Teacher Quality Partnership Grants … College Access Challenge Grant Program … Special Education – Grants to States … and Special Educations – Preschool Grants … and affects the reporting compliance requirement category. This is the fifteenth consecutive audit in which similar deficiencies have occurred … Proper segregation of duties results in increased reliability of reported financial data and decreased potential for loss of public assets … A limited number of employees process all revenue transactions from beginning to end. They also receive money, issue receipts, record receipts, post receipts in the accounting records, prepare bank deposits, reconcile bank statements, and prepare financial statements … As a result, there is an increased likelihood that errors could occur and not be detected in a timely manner by employees in the ordinary course of performing their duties … We recommend that the Mid Central Educational Cooperative officials be cognizant of this lack of segregation of duties for revenues and attempt to provide compensating internal controls whenever, and wherever possible and practical … This comment is due to the size of Mid Central Educational Cooperative, which precludes staffing at a level sufficient to provide an ideal environment of internal controls …”
2. Audit Finding 2013-002 states, “Errors and omissions were noted in the annual financial statements prepared by cooperative officials. This is the seventh consecutive audit in which similar deficiencies have occurred …
3. Audit Finding 2013-003 states, “The Mid Central Educational Cooperative purchased to vehicles without advertising for competitive bids as required by SDCL 5-18A-14. This is the first audit in which a similar deficiency has occurred … SDCL 5-18A-14 states in part, ‘a contract for the purchase of supplies or services … that involves the expenditure of twenty-five thousand dollars of more, the purchasing agency shall advertise for bids or proposals.”
Note: Gut-check asking if former SD Education Secretary Rick Melmer and former SD Indian Education Director Keith Moore, who from July 2013 – Oct 2013 were not required to complete MCEC activity logs/time sheets, were provided with the two vehicles that were paid for without advertising for competitive bids – illegal no bid contracts?
4. The basis for adverse audit opinion states, “We were unable to verify the proper classification of several items of revenue and expenditures. We were unable to determine the total amount of misclassification beyond the fact that this is a material amount.”
5. The adverse audit opinion states, “In our opinion, because of the matter discussed in the prior paragraph (basis for adverse audit opinion), the financial statements referred to above do not present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the Mid Central Educational Cooperative as of June 30, 2013, and the respective changes in financial position thereof for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”
What caused the Department of Legislative Audit to conduct a federal grant compliance audit of only the MCEC FY 2014 GEAR UP Program?
Why didn’t the DLA conduct a compliance audit of all federal grants administered by MCEC in FY 2014?
How big is the pile of dirty laundry top-echelon state officials are trying to hide from public scrutiny. Without a federal investigation, will we ever know the whole truth and all the facts?
Keep digging,
Badger, Out!
“buresh-do you think the state/high placed people have anything to do with shutting down public info on this murder/suicide/fraud? pretty big story in its implications. do you have to protect the state from criticism of lack of transparency?”
No, the investigation is just getting going. I have full faith in leaving things in the hands of the professionals. I understand that trying to get 100+ people to cover up a crime is not going to happen. It isn’t possible. So many agencies involved it just doesn’t make sense that it would happen. There is no way there are going to get that many people to all lie to cover up for someone. Mr Westerhuis was in a position to embezzle, and more than likely, his wife was in on it. My guess is they both came to the conclusion that ended in that fateful day. Things will be investigated and I have no doubt they will find out what was going on. It’s possible others may have been involved, but I will wait to know more before I drag any other innocent people’s name through the mud to score political points. Now, I agree their lack of controls are to blame and that needs to change, but to imply that the lack of controls was done purposely so people could game the system and fill their pocketbooks…..hahahaha, better bust out that tinfoil. The attempts to discredit others because you “think” they are in on it simply because you haven’t seen the proof that they aren’t is complete and utter bullshit. The more you guys push that, the more insane you look.
As for the EB-5 death, I know that releasing the Benda autopsy would only prove how morons think TV is real. A guy who has a hole through him the size of a soup can with so much trauma and blood loss will be dead in minutes if not seconds. There is no such thing as consciousness after being shot in the abdomen at point blank range with a shotgun. This isn’t like a western movie where a guy gets shot in the gut from 10 yards, lays on the floor of a rickety homestead, sweating and holding a bloody rag on his guts until he passes hours later. I’d bet, half his organs blew out his back and splattered against the tree, including parts of his spine. The muzzle force of a shotgun blast alone would tear you up, that’s not even including the projectiles. If it were buck shot, I would bet he would have been almost split in half, literally. ONce again, if you think our leaders were in on his illegal activity, I have some ocean front property to sell you here in SD. Rounds is not going to stick his neck out for someone to make a small amount of cash when the guy is already worth millions. The attempts to act like he didn’t have the best in mind when pushing for NBP is annoying as well. Sure they will make bad choices, that project being one, but I certainly believe they have the best interests of our state in mind. They aren’t creating projects that they know are going to fail just to fill the pockets of others. I know you guys really want that to be true, but it isn’t.
If Keloland wants to chase these stories? Go ahead, I really don’t care
My view is though, rather than chase conspiracies, follow the money.
If you can find out where they were getting their money from, I think you can find out more to the story.
I do think it was rather quick for a murder-suicide declaration from Jackley, I do think there are questions, I would like more of the report. I think sometimes Jackley makes statements too quickly.
Having lived in small towns all of my life, generally there is a little truth in every rumor, however very few rumors are 100% true.
But again follow the money, I’d like for more information on the Shoenfish audits, and then what did the state think? I could just call them, but I’d rather ask someone on here, does the state contract Shoenfish (or any audit company) to do the audits, or does MCEC (schools/state businesses).
Follow the Money…….
Joe, bulls eye — follow the dirty, dusty, moldy money trail — over the hill and through the creek — an it is all going to trickle back to the bottlenecked source — Office of the SD Secretary of DOE (which is within the Governor’s “State Department”). Secretary of DOE — initial recipient of federal educational grant funds.
Damn good question — who paid Schoenfish & Co’s auditing fees and expenses for FY 2013 & FY 2014 MCEC audits? Gut-check says SD DLA retained the Schoenfish & Co’s auditing service and paid the fees:
March 6, 2015 South Dakota Auditor General Martin L Guindon sent a letter addressed to Scott Westerhuis, Business Manager, Mid Central Educational Cooperative PO Box 288 Platte, SD; a courtesy copy was mailed to Schoenfish & Company Certified Public Accountants PO Box 247 Parkston, SD. In the letter Auditor General Guindon stated:
• We have reviewed and accepted your audit report on Mid Central Educational Cooperative (for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2014). Our review was limited to the report and did not include a review of the working papers. Please present a copy of this letter to the governing board to indicate our acceptance of the audit report …
If above gut-check is correct, then an ethics violation/conflict interest situation may have existed and potentially tainted the creditability of the Schoenfish & Co audit findings and opinions. Schoenfish and Co employs Rep. Kyle Schoenfish, R-19/Scotland.
Did Kyle Schoenfish in any way or manner participate in conducting the FY 2013 and/or FY 2014 comprehensive audit review of all the MCEC federal grant programs? How about prior to FY 2013; a 13-year period of time? How about the FY 2015 audit? If Kyle Schoenfish did participate in conducting MCEC audits, then it sure smells like ethics violation and conflict of interest would exit given that Kyle is a member of the SD Legislature.
Keep digging,
Badger, Out!
I know Kyle and the Schoenfish family well, the reason I ask is I understand they conduct many of the city/school audits in the area, and its one of those, for the state, but also for the city/school type of things where they are more guiding them rather then trying to catch them. (at least that is what I have been involved in).
In many states the state auditors are the ones who do this, and then go out and hire forensic auditors (at the businesses expense) if any wrong doing is suspected.
I’d email Kyle and ask for a quote, ask him if he can comment on their audit and if he felt this was a conflict of interest. He is usually good to respond.
As for their books, I’ve talked to people who do audits, and they always say look for a few things, round numbers, duplicates, reimbursements to people not on salary, large single payouts, and numerous large payouts.
I’ve seen a few things but the one big thing that I saw was that they reimbursed Melmer for travel in June and May (I think) but he was not paid for either of those two months.
Another one is the payout to Harry Wong of $5,500 out of Gear Up. Now those who don’t know Harry Wong is an education consultant who is quite popular. I’d just think that it would go to a Wong and Associates or something like that, maybe I’m wrong there.
icymi:
http://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/voices/2015/10/16/voice-sd-living-corrupt-reputation/74076142/
REGENTS, TECH PRES. OVERREACH IN POWERGRAB-BHSU wants to help-no word of collaboration with Sinte Gleska or Oglala Lakota College. I for one have NO confidence in Regents until they come clean, then clean up their EB5 mess. SOS Krebs wants SD to be another corporate safe haven like infamous Delaware. Do any of these elite-wanna-be’s care or think these proposals through, wonder who benefits? Not a benefit of the average citizen, but rather on the backs of the average citizen, i’d wager.
POWER GRAB is in the ever-quiet “arson /suicide/murders in Platte” vacuum left by MCEC: Regent’s environmental exploiter Heather Wilson, SDSM&T Pres. is who they recently installed to assure DEEP BORE HOLE DISPOSAL OF HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN SD, since nevada is either not big enough, doesn’t want it, is smarter than SD or doesn’t have beautiful shale layers that will never crack and pollute surrounding geology! Or deep crystaline bedrock! There are highly qualified financial and federal grant administration people on the rez’s that can take up the slack, and should be included on the State Board of ED. Melody Schopp thinks previous oversite was fine, apparently. Give us a break.
FEDS: their is a reason this state has the problems it has!! Don’t be duped by partisan ppolitics either.
Thune, “Missing Votes at Senate Rolll-call” Rounds and Clueless Noem may have been out visiting with the Indians but haven’t quite engaged on bringing the Indians in to help administer GEARUP, what with all their effort to salvage Indian country votes for 2016. GOP is in a death spiral, I am predicting. Not sure how long it’ll take to hit the ground.
It would be funny if it didn’t take tragedy like we have had from GOED activity and GEARUP to expose SDGOP hogs. Oh, notice the hogs coming for MCEC’s money! Same as the EB5 and DEEP BOREHOLE/SHALE hogs!
buresh- never one to question how a suicide occurs, how many lawyers paid by the state (publically and privately) did it take to outsmart the dem’s single lawyer, digging into the EB5 financial fraud cover-up?
It wasn’t benda either.
Republicans all across the state cover up for rounds and daugaard. did you miss cory’s EB5 coverage. It was in depth.
IMHO it would be hard to splatter his guts on the tree if the gun was tied to that tree. I’m inclined to think that mean old Dakota pheasants took Benda’s gun away from him and shot him. Did the state ever collect money from Benda’s ex-wife or estate?
Jenny, the public does have a right to know where their tax dollars are going. However, the headline and opening line don’t expand what the public knows. The story adds no evidence to the rumor that Westerhuis may not have killed his family and himself. The only nugget we get that suggests misuse of public dollars is the new info about the swimming pool… and even there, the story doesn’t connect dots, just adds to the evidence that Westerhuis may have been living beyond his means.
Now let’s see the family will. Let’s see the manifest of the Westerhuises’ assets and where those assets now go.
King, wouldn’t it discredit us “blue guys” to ignore shabby journalism just because those journalists’ better-quality work benefits us “blue guys”?
Feds took the bait and gave regents the contract.
of course, Paul Ryan, about to be rewarded with speakership of the house, was an initial instigator of GOP OBSTRUCTIONISM the night of the 1.20.2009 back-room 4 hour strategy dinner.
pretty damn quiet in Platte. daugaard’s government employ since 2003 (and earlier?) certainly has enabled him to tamp down scandal and cover-up of sdgop cover-up! EB5 fraud. Cover-up of same. Westerhuis criminality. Cover-up of MCEC fraud. four scandals since benda’s suicide
Yes. I imagine it is quiet in Platte except for all the pheasant hunters eating boisterously at Fergie’s.
always the greasy food. grow up grudz.
ah, to have dick cheny and his ilk back in winner (or where-ever). the best thing about pheasant hunting was sitting up in a farmer’s wine sap tree guzzling sweet fresh crisp apples on a sunny 80 degree afternoon, as a single digit (maybe with a halloween carmel or two in my pocket), as parents tromped the cornrows , fence lines and draws. would much rather jump a stock dam any day. shooting pheasants in SD is like standing around mt. rushmore red-white -blue republican back-slap political events or being forced to stand like a robot reciting some dumb post-civil war pledge or religious prayer, written to sell something. pleeeaaaasssseeee
a familiar historic figure wrote this:
O Lord, our God, help us to tear their solders to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the sheiks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it—for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen” slc
recite that with your hand over heart before every morning, before every public meeting ect., before u slurp your next gravy boat
Ms. leslie, I have a great recipe for you the next time (if there really is a next time) you jump a stock dam.
Take that mud eating duck and get it into the car as soon as possible. Put it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t poop or drip in the trunk of your car and to retain the aromas. Drive as fast as you can to the nearest east river farm with a pig pen. Throw the duck into the pen and wait for the pig to eat it. Makes the duck taste just like bacon.