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DFP Top Ten +66 Most Viewed and 20 Most Commented Stories of 2017

By Cory Allen Heidelberger on 2017-12-31

What did you think were the most click-worthy stories of 2017 on Dakota Free Press? Here are ten most-viewed DFP blog posts of 2017, plus 66 more that received more than 1,000 views (as of this morning, sixteen hours shy of the end of the year):

Rank Title Date
1 House Raids Sales Tax Meant for Teacher Pay; Blue Ribbon Promise Gone Mar 7
2 Noem’s 1994 Estate Tax: $84,454, Due to How Dad Wrote Will Dec 12
3 Watertown City Council Considers Cutting New Mayor’s Pay 14% Jul 16
4 Jury Awards Zylstra Kaiser $1.2M for DCI Retaliation, Throws Sexual Harassment Bomb at Jackley, Milbrandt, and Lunzman Dec 16
5 Trump Immigration Ban Doesn’t Include Countries 9/11 Attackers Arrived from or Countries Doing Business with Donald Jan 28
6 What Other Scandals? Ask Rep. Mathew Wollmann and Legislative Interns with Whom He Had Sex Jan 18
7 DSS Forces Catheter into Three-Year-Old Boy; Avera Complicit in Torture Apr 8
8 Maria Butina Connects Russians, NRA, Trump, Sibby, and Mathew Wollman Mar 27
9 Caron-Thorson Battle for Watertown Mayor Draws Lederman Attack Mailer Jun 17
10 Obituary: Mike Myers, Former Law Prof, Indy Gov Candidate Apr 28
11 Noem/Trump Tax Plan Kills 409 Wind Turbine Blade Jobs in Aberdeen Dec 6
12 Former Republican Legislator: House GOP Caucus Laughed Off Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Abdallah Dec 5
13 Rushmore PAC Backs Watertown Mayoral Candidate Who Owes IRS $83K Jun 19
14 Creationism in Disguise: SB 55 Passes Senate Jan 28
15 Mexican Senator: Buy Corn from Brazil and Argentina, Not United States Feb 14
16 Trump Begs the Question: “The News Is Fake Because So Much of the News Is Fake.” Feb 17
17 Trump Tax Triggers Pay-Go, Costs SD Mineral Royalty, Farm Subsidies, Medicare Funding… Dec 20
18 Thune to Shooting Victims: Get Small Oct 3
19 Muslim Gun Nut Makes Anti-Islam Crowd Nervous About Second Amendment Apr 18
20 Women March in Sioux Falls, Rapid City January 21 Jan 7
21 UPDATED: Philip, Belle Fourche, St. Onge Cattle Barns Advertise in White Supremacist Publication Mar 20
22 Nazis Aren’t Americans First, and Comment from Other South Dakotans on Charlottesville Aug 13
23 Rural South Dakota Votes for Trump, Gets Job-Killing Water Moratorium Mar 29
24 Rules Committee Votes Down Ban on Legislators Having Sex with Pages and Interns Jan 11
25 Mickelson Threatens to Withhold State Funds If Counties Don’t Roll Over for CAFOs Dec 12
26 Solution to Non-Meandered Waters Conflict: Full Tax Abatement and Nominal Title? May 9
27 Faced with Facts, Noem Changes Story on Father’s Will Dec 17
28 Former Legislator, Lobbyist Say Sexual Misconduct Common in Legislature Oct 14
29 Shamed by Outcry, Watertown Council Abandons Plan to Cut New Mayor’s Pay Jul 18
30 Bail Bondsman Murdered at Lederman’s Iowa City Office Apr 25
31 Aberdeen Groping Story Grabs White Supremacists’ Attention Jan 4
32 Wollmann Resigns over Sex Scandal, Signals Desire for Re-Election Jan 23
33 Anti-Islam Speaker Brings Propaganda Pole Dance to Aberdeen Tonight Apr 6
34 IM22 Repeal Goes Over Poorly at Aberdeen Crackerbarrel Feb 4
35 Campbell Names Abdallah as Harassing Legislator Oct 27
36 Mentele Claims SDSU Cops Assaulted Daughter on Campus Saturday Night Sep 12
37 Full Senate Rejects Ban on Legislator Sex with Interns and Pages Jan 16
38 Noem Gets Naked on Committee Desk During Midnight Health Care Hearing Mar 9
39 Jackley, Krebs Attend Anti-Muslim Hate Session in Rapid City May 8
40 Auditor General Finds Millions in Stolen or Miscounted Money at Mid-Central May 19
41 Former South Dakota Food Stamp Admin Implicated in Wisconsin, Virginia SNAP Abuse Apr 18
42 Peters to Sexual Harassment Victims: Don’t Put Yourselves in Dangerous Situations Dec 27
43 Las Vegas Shooting Prompts Reminder of How the Social Contract Should Work Oct 2
44 Zylstra Kaiser Lawsuit Spotlights Sexual Harassment in Aberdeen This Week Dec 10
45 Pischke Helps Cheapskate Divorced Dads Sabotage Needed Child Support Update Bill Jan 30
46 Noem Awkwardly Opposes Trump’s Cuts to Her Crop Insurance Cash Cow May 26
47 Secretary Krebs Rejects Kobach/Trump Election Commission’s Request for Voter Data Jun 30
48 SD Secretary of State Website Displays Teen Wiseguy’s Confederate Flag Aug 13
49 Committee Investigating House Sex Scandal Meets Tuesday, Invites Victims to Testify Jan 21
50 Speaker Mickelson and Former Ag Official Kostboth Run CAFO Consulting Business Dec 13
51 In What Context May I Appropriately Talk About Your Butt and Underwear? Dec 15
52 Werdel Met with Moore, Westerhuis, Phelps, and Guericke to Express GEAR UP Concerns Aug 30
53 Abdallah’s Brutish Response to Sexual Harassment Allegation Shows Unfitness for Parole Board Nov 28
54 Marijuana Petitions Prompt Senator Ewing to Avoid Spearfish Sears Jul 21
55 Thune, Rounds Support Cutting Federal Funds to SD, Raising Premiums 750% Sep 22
56 Nelson Requests Lengthy GOAC Meeting in Vermillion to Review GEAR UP Evidence Aug 23
57 Trooper Steals $69,668 from Drug Bust Evidence; Sentence Comparable to Bollen’s? Feb 9
58 Republicans Kill Workplace Protection for Pregnant Women and New Moms Feb 10
59 South Dakota Fiscally Flounders, Minnesota Money Merrily Mounting Mar 3
60 Sutton Invites Everyone to Ranch for Lunch, Music, and Campaign Announcement May 29
61 Nelson and Belfrage Discuss Legislature’s Ethical Failure in Wollmann Affair Jan 25
62 Thune Town Hall Monday 1:30 p.m. at Aberdeen Police Station Apr 7
63 Caron Wins Watertown Mayoral Race, Beats Thorson and Lederman PAC Money Jun 21
64 Democrats Block State-Tribal Committee Inquiry into Mid-Central/GEAR UP Corruption Dec 15
65 Stace Nelson Queried LRC about Sexual Misconduct Allegations in November Jan 20
66 License Plate in Pierre Declares Aryan Sentiment Apr 25
67 Lynne DiSanto Misses Special Session Vote, Updates Facebook Photo Jun 12
68 Keystone Pipeline Spills 5,000 Barrels of Oil in Marshall County Nov 16
69 Woster Catches Team Noem or Pennington County Sheriff in Town Hall Press-Control Fib Jul 14
70 Mid-Central Blames Schoenfish Accounting Firm for Missing GEAR UP Embezzlement Feb 28
71 Thune: Good Democrat Can Compete in 2018 SD Governor’s Race May 14
72 Announcing for Governor out in the Sticks—Not a Bad Idea Jun 2
73 Noem Votes to Take Medicaid Services Away from Special Education Students May 5
74 KSFY Refused to Comply with Select Committee Subpoena in Wollmann Affair Jan 26
75 All I Want for Christmas Is a Congressman… Dec 24
76 Noem Votes to Make Rape Pre-Existing Condition Again May 4

Kristi Noem, the GEAR UP/Mid-Central scandal, and the Legislature figure prominently among the DFP topics getting the most attention. But surging this year were sexual harassment, racism, and Watertown, where the unsuccessful intervention of big Republican donor money in the mayoral election proved highly interesting to our readers. Even with Trump dominating our brainwaves (now that’s an ongoing violation of our personal dignity), a good local story can still draw readers.

Trump figures more prominently in the posts that drew the most comments:

Rank Title Date
1 Trump Tax Triggers Pay-Go, Costs SD Mineral Royalty, Farm Subsidies, Medicare Funding… Dec 20
2 Creationism in Disguise: SB 55 Passes Senate Jan 28
3 Solution to Non-Meandered Waters Conflict: Full Tax Abatement and Nominal Title? May 9
4 Admitting Obamacare Works, Trump Can’t Come up with Better Plan May 3
5 Nazis Aren’t Americans First, and Comment from Other South Dakotans on Charlottesville Aug 13
6 Energy Dept. Cancels Deep Borehole Field Test May 23
7 South Dakota Fiscally Flounders, Minnesota Money Merrily Mounting Mar 3
8 Keystone Pipeline Spills 5,000 Barrels of Oil in Marshall County Nov 16
9 Committee Investigating House Sex Scandal Meets Tuesday, Invites Victims to Testify Jan 21
10 Firing Comey Makes Case for Trump Impeachment May 10
11 Las Vegas Shooting Prompts Reminder of How the Social Contract Should Work Oct 2
12 Trump Back to Saying Terrorists Wage War on Civilization May 28
13 Anti-Islam Lies More Harmful Than Jaber’s “Terroristic Threat” Apr 24
14 Comey: Trump Wasting Government Time Seeking Ego Boosts with Idle Chitchat May 19
15 Democracy Malfunctioning, But What Moral Alternative Do We Have? Nov 10
16 Debate Coach: What-Aboutism Is Red Herring Aug 18
17 Trump Wants to Kick Transgender Soldiers out of Military, Without Evidence of Real Harm Jul 26
18 Tsitrian: Thune Can’t Back Claims That Corporate Tax Cuts Create Jobs Nov 20
19 Thousands of South Dakota Women (and Friends!) Protest Trumpist Bullying Jan 22
20 Nelson and Belfrage Discuss Legislature’s Ethical Failure in Wollmann Affair Jan 25

Eleven of the twenty most commented posts don’t appear in the list of the 76 most viewed posts. That disparity indicates we shouldn’t read a low comment count as a sign of low interest in a story.

I welcome your take on the importance of the stories above and your suggestions of topics that maybe didn’t make the above list but stuck in your mind as worth remembering in 2017.

Published in South Dakota

17 Comments

  1. John Tsitrian 2017-12-31 11:09

    #18 on your second list was by far the most important, relevant and informative post of the year. :-) Thanks for doing such a great job and continuing your role as by far the best political blog in South Dakota and among the best in the country, Cory. Wishing you continued success and influence in 2018.

  2. mike from iowa 2017-12-31 12:54

    How would you rate 18 as far as lie of the year for South Dakota? My guess would be a clean sweep of top honors.

    Dog grant every state an Attorney General like iowa’s Tom Miller.

  3. John Tsitrian 2017-12-31 13:14

    I’d say it’s right up there, but number one honors go to to our reps in Pierre, who collectively said, in effect, “the voters didn’t understand what they were voting for, so we’ll repeal IM 22 and replace it with a batch of laws that actually reflect the voters’ will.”

  4. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-12-31 14:18

    Ha! Thanks, John. The Blogosphere is better with you in it, and with all these voices like yours that contribute their thoughts, tell their stories, and help us learn more about South Dakota.

    Lie of the Year for South Dakota? The GOP’s bogus reasons for repealing IM 22 certainly contend for that title, and could have the greatest impact in 2018 if candidates and our Amendment W friends properly remind voters of that affront.

    Also contending: Lt. Gov. Michel’s claim that there is no culture of misogyny in Pierre, and Kristi Noem’s claim that the federal estate tax jeopardized her family farm.

  5. mike from iowa 2017-12-31 14:41

    I hate when that happens, the voter’s intentions get changed by pols. I hate even worse when pols comeback with the tired old song voters need to educate themselves on the issues.

    Cory and John T are valuable assets in bringing out the truth of what goes on behind closed doors in Pierre.There are several other blogs in South Dakota worth reading. I can’t seem to find any equivalence in iowa. Please to keep up the good works, gentlemen.

  6. Ben Cerwinske 2017-12-31 16:19

    Thanks for a great year of blogging Cory!

  7. Donald Pay 2017-12-31 20:56

    I was glad to see the end of the Borehole saga (#6 Most Commented). That would have been a 5-10 year drawn out saga with Doc telling us how great it was, and probably longer if they decided, as I suspected, that they would stick the defense wastes in South Dakota.

    North and South Dakota had a lot to do with killing that idea. Had Obama started the drilling as planned, the Trump Administration may not have put an end to the ongoing program, as there would have been sunk costs. So all the delays caused by citizen and local government concern in the Dakotas probably caused the program to die.

    It’s interesting that Trump has not yet retracted the Obama decision regarding separate disposal of most defense and commercial wastes. The Trump Administration appears to not really have a clue about how to deal with this issue, except for the fall back position of Yucca Mountain, which is not likely to ever be licensed. Republicans are likely to lose a Nevada Senator, and the majority in the Senate over this issue.

  8. grudznick 2017-12-31 22:51

    Mr. Tsitrian, you are right about those in the legislatures fixing the heinous IM #22. I am sure you and Mr. Stan still talk about that at his big house on the hill as you sip brandies. It was glorious.

  10. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-01-01 14:21

    Mike, Ben, thank you for reading and commenting! You’re an important part of the conversation.

    Donald, I’m sure the Trump Administration has no clue about dealing with nuclear waste, because the Deep Borehole Field Test, Yucca Mountain, and other technical issues are too complicated for Fox & Friends to give the President* his Tweeting points in the morning.

  11. Sam@ 2018-01-01 19:57

    Amazing local political scandals in Watertown made 3 out of the top 13, along with a incumbent Mayor not paying his taxes, now ex mayor. Watertown more scandalous than Pierre?

  12. mike from iowa 2018-01-02 10:52

    Here is one for the ages- Drumpf is taking personal credit for the safest year ever in aviation history. Must be all that hot air would not allow planes to even land.

    Where did I leave my escape reality pills?

  14. mike from iowa 2018-01-02 11:18

    Doc-where ever you be- the Dutch are building a man made island to hold the world’s largest wind farm. Personally, I hope it blocks Drumpf’s view from his golf course in Scotland, if for no other reason to build it.

  16. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-01-02 12:01

    Well, Sam, that corruption could explain why the SDGOP leadership gravitated toward the race. :-D

  17. mike from iowa 2018-01-03 09:40

    Here is a story that needs be told-getting to the reason whitey wingnuts vote against their best interests.

    https://tinyurl.com/ybtg7oqm

    Interesting stuff from WEB duBois who was tied in with Margret Sanger and accused of planning genocide against black babies through abortion clinics. Of course abortions didn’t become legal until several years after Sanger’s death in the late 1060’s.

Comments are closed.