Last week the Meade County Commission approved the Department of Game Fish and Parks’ plan to build a big shooting range northeast of Rapid City on Elk Vale Road. And after posting its invitation for bids to build the project in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on February 23 and March 2, GF&P received one bid for building the South Dakota Shooting Sports Complex:
The Meade County Commission draft minutes from its March 28 meeting confirm that the only bid GF&P received for this project came from Scull Construction, owned by Jim Scull, who already made $900,000 selling the land GF&P acquired for the shooting range. Now Scull is the only outfit offering to build that shooting range, and his bid is $7.2 million higher than the original $9.9M price tag proposed by GF&P in August 2021. Add the alternates included in the bid—a shotgun bunker and a solar array—and the shooting range could cost $19.1 million.
Governor Noem rejected $3 million from Uncle Sam to plan for climate change for fear that such government spending would worsen inflation. Good grief—by that thinking, pouring $19.1 million in state funds into mere recreation should tank the whole state economy! Where’s that VETO branding iron when we need it?
Ha, no kidding. If $3M will cause inflation, $19M will cause life threatening inflation.
Plus this must be one hell of a shooting range for that amount of money when one only needs a long open space and paper targets to get pretty good.
Jim and Mary Scull are Future Fund recipients; also, they gave at least $3000 to help reelect South Dakota’s last GOP governor and J. Scull Construction Services has enjoyed years of tribal contracts. In 2015 the Sculls and other Republican Future Fund pay-to-players fended off a boycott by bribing Oglala Lakota County Schools. Jim Scull is often the first respondent at Mayor Steve Allender’s personal blog where he touts Republican domination West River. J. Scull Construction Services has enjoyed years of tribal contracts mostly funded by the US Department of Education.
Okay, and so when fi he/they/it (assuming Scull is incorporated and therefor a multi-gendered “being”) BUY the land the sold for this and how much did they pay? How far in advance did they know about “the plan” and how does that collate with the whole buying and selling and building “scheme”? Any info there?
I notice that the GFP no longer is claiming that the National Guard would be doing a large portion of this development. What gives? More state $$$ to go to a favored political donor, of course. Scull bought the land, knowing ahead of buying it, that the GFP of SD would buy it from him and build the range against all local opposition and logical thinking with Noem’s blessing and political persuasion.
Just another in a long list of SD GOP corrupted government.
Republicants = graft. Are you not entertained? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI1ylg4GKv8
So why in the world don’t the voters vote these terrible corrupt republicans
out of office?
It’s OK, we have a shooting range just a few miles from us across the interstate. The popping sound we occasionally here when we walk reminds me of the stupidity of those who believe they are contributing to the safety of our community.
By the way Cory, the DeSantis boys are adding sports to New College. Add that cost to the massive salary of the guy that’s now running it. The funders of the school are withdrawing all their donations. The Hillsdale of the South is going to cost the state untold amounts of money. They just offered young conservatives 10,000 dollar scholarships to go to New College. Where they plan to find the intelligence needed to apply at New College who knows? DeSantis can’t close it, at least until he wins the Presidency. It’s going to be fun to watch. I’m sure they will dumb down the entrance requirement too.
I guess that the nearby landowners have absolutely no say in this. What Noem wants, she gets and doesn’t care how many toes she steps on to get it. Wondering if Noem, or her family, want a shooting range in their backyard? As for Scull’s involvement in all this, something stinks. We, as South Dakota residents should be used to swallowing everything we get pushed down our collective throats, and thanking our “wonderful” Governor for what she says is in our best interest. She’s definitely going to fit right in in Washington DC – already talks out of both sides of her mouth and takes care of those who scratch her back
What do you expect from the party that blocked an anti corruption ballot initiative? This needs to be investigated. 19,000,000 for a shooting range? No F-ing way.
I am so tired of all this republican corruption. Could use that money for Healthcare for people who can’t afford it. Such a shame..voters get this right. I am tired of being taken advantage if….aren’t you????
I wonder if they knew that they were going to be the only one to bid on it and decided to double the cost. We are dealing with that at the hospital I work at. We are trying to build a new hospital addition and we only got one bid and it was about double what we had money for.
It’s hard to blame a fellow for just making good business decisions.
More of the same big money stupidity spending of Know-Nothing-Noem and the pro-guns Looney Tunes. This is a total waste of taxpayer dollars. Where is money for the schools? Housing dollars? Expanded Medicaid we voted for? 19million for a shooting range sounds like another gift to a big donor and the citizens get the shaft again.
Pay to play and public/private partnerships are the devil’s work on Earth according to West River principled conservatives but they aren’t squawking about it because training white christianic jihadis for the End Times is the Lord’s work.
grudz – it’s easy to blame a “guy” for corrupting a government and leeching off the rest of us via our tax dollars with the collaboration of said corrupt government. Some guy’s “campaign donations” are simply a pre-paid kick-back in schemes like this. The campaign finance system needs to change to all public finance of individual candidate races and private politicking left strictly to engage in promoting or denigrating policy. They can certainly afford to hire some non-elected spokesperson to state their positions on various policies just as easily as paying any elected officials to do so.
South Dakota voters and sportsman need to have some facts!!! Local ranchers and neighbors testified in Pierre at 2022 legislature against this scam and were able to convince OUR legislature not to fund this pipe dream by certain supporters and our executive branch in Pierre. Scull bought the land and sold it to Wildlife Federation which is a 501 C nonprofit corporation owned by SDFWP to hide secret purchases. This info was held from area ranchers and neighbor for over a year. This will ruin some area ranches of which some have been family ranches since the 1800s. This bid for construction was not advertised locally-in the Argun Leader and a national bid processing firm. local contractors were not even aware this was out for bid-Is this a conspiracy or what!!!! Pleas call your area FWP commissioner and tell them not to approve this horrible project.
There have been several incidents in the now-grounded Powder River Training Complex and airmen have been killed there, so was a priest from Lead. After the 1997 crash of a B-1 in Carter County, Montana a responding volunteer firefighter from Alzada told an interested party the multi-million dollar aircraft was brought down by a rancher with a .30-30 Winchester.
Imagine the mischief some shooter in this approach to Ellsworth Air Force Base might make by diverting her/his/their fire from a paper target to a nuclear armed B-21.
Edwin, Edwin, Edwin, – So why in the world don’t the voters vote these terrible corrupt republicans out of office?
Your command of history and human nature is shallower than the James River in an August drought. The German nightmare taught us that when the fascist state supporters control the media it is laughably easy to manipulate public opinion.
Willfully blind grudz, was Clarence Thomas making 20 years worth of “making good business decisions”? I resume that you also loved Nixon, Agnew, and the Clintons.
To say this gun range is bad news is an understatement. Because of this gun range the neighboring landowners are joining forces and are no longer allowing hunting on their properties. We have been fortunate enough to develop a friendship with one of the affected ranching families and after 6 years, we will need to find a new place to hunt. The ranchers who have been raising cattle on these ranches since the late 1800s will now have to deal with the noise pollution that this gun range will bring to their quiet way of life.
It seems quite ironic that the only contractor to bid on this project has had been a driving force behind the project since the beginning. Jim Scull has already started reaping the rewards by selling the land at an escalated price. He has also doubled the price of the project and it appears nobody is going stop him. Please support our area ranchers, they deserve to be heard and treated better!
Well John, what’s your solution? Do you want democracy or not?
I think that Nixon was one of the most competent Presidents we ever had,
but he also turned out to be a crook, as did Agnew.
Bill Clinton signed legislation deregulating the banks, and I also think
about Elian Gonzales, Ruby Ridge, and Waco. But, ah, Clinton was
a democrat, wasn’t he? Oh yeah, there was also something called
whitewater, and the names Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinski
come to mind, but Clinton was a democrat.
Interesting metaphor though, John.
Edwin, if the DOJ didn’t have a “rule” (not a law mind you, just an intra-departmental rule sort of like which bin one can put their recyclable trash in) Reagan would have been charged with criminal conspiracy and numerous other federal crimes in the Iran-Contra affair.
From SD’s Game, Fish, and Psrks–more parks and trails? Nope–at Gov. Noem’s request a $19.1M gun palace.
The U.S gun carnage legacy of the NRA’s A+ rated Noem, Thune, Rounds, Johnson–and complicit SD legislators–
goes on. And their essential curriculum message for school children today? “Run, hide, fight” active shooter drills.
https://www.dcreport.org/2023/03/28/another-day-in-america-another-mass-shooting/
I am still a life member of a range in Orugun with over 3,000 paid members. It’s been a range since 1947. I live in SD now. The state police, city police and county sheriff’s train there monthly. Some shooting disciplines have over 250 competitors who pay up to $150 to compete. No accident or deaths. Far safer than “an open area and put up a paper target “. By reading the comments most are from left wing anti-firearm democrats.
Guns bring to my mind the 2nd Amendment to our U.S. Constitution which states: “A ‘well-regulated militia’ being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Arms manufacturers, NRA members,etc. have focused on the second half of this amendment for generations for a reason for anyone that desires to have a gun of any type. But, would anyone, -anyone at all dare call the current situation of craziness a “well-regulated militia”? Militia “training” (regulated the preemptive word here) would require responsibility and sacrifice of which most modern gun-owners would chafe under this burden.
If this jihadi training center gets built little would make this interested party happier than seeing Nick Tilsen lead a Native/Two Spirit boot camp there.
I raised this very issue during the committee hearing and on the floor. My colleagues didn’t care then and I bet they don’t care now.
Isn’t Mr. Tilsen in jail, again?
Reagan wasn’t called the teflon president for nothing. He was too dang
popular to touch. That’s the nature of politics. And somebody said
something about human nature too. And then there are disagreements
about what constitutes corruption. Interesting world we live in.
speaking of jail, Scull was represented by the beloved caffeine freak Gary Colbath (RIP) in a federal felony prosecution in the 80s-90s involving bidding, perhaps involving the tribes, was convicted, and received a suspended imposition of his sentence, so its as if it never happened. bidding improprieties pattern?
i wonder if dog-whistled militias will come out of the woodwork to “train” at Kristi and Jim’s new armament palace?
however someone needs to tackle Edwin’s every “disinformated” suggestion above about bogus Dem impropriety. Yes, Clinton lied to the nation about his affair and was impeached (i think, yet it’s hard to remember the sleazy details of Republican overreach to punish him for his immorality, i guess. His law license was also sanctioned.)
It is that kind of continuing, “Childish Right Wing Vitriol” (C) that drives the power mad-demographically challenged GOP to nominate fools like Trump and MTG etc who will trumpet Hillary Clinton hate and protect Putin’s aggression. 2016 election interference was a disaster culminating in Jan 6 and the Ukraine war. Big stuff from Republicans. Thanks Edwin. And your billionaire disinformers.
…and larry, is there any truth to your chilling story of the .30-30 B1B crash of my kids’ best friend/school mate’s dad’s tragic death (the EAFB pilot)??
Hi Leslie. I was working for Sysco in 1997 and Alzada was part of my territory then. The owner of the Stoneville Saloon was (maybe still is) on the volunteer fire department and was a first responder to the scene. A local rancher confessed to it but the Air Force ruled it inconclusive so no one was prosecuted. Recall a bird brought another B-1 down not far from the previous crash.
Area ranchers hated the PRTC and exercises there have been suspended.
Exactly ONE amendment says WELL REGULATED. Our constitution says nothing about regulating speech or women or assemblies or where I am allowed to hold a sign. Just the 2nd amendment mentions regulating.
Rapid City has so much gun violence it is the most absurd thing to come up with building a shooting range anywhere close by. At any given time, we have 50-100 unsolved missing/murdered kids. We also already have hate groups cropping up all over the place with manifestos chalk full of mass murder using assault rifles.
The NRA is sick. Their president shoots and kills elephants at point blank range after missing three times. He doesn’t even know how to use a rifle. Only sick mofos have the urge to kill a magnificent animal like the elephant.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RCO1NaM7WVc
That area is a wetlands stop for migratory birds and has ancient artifacts. Hell no. This is mental. Plus, Mr. Kurtz makes an excellent point about the proposed shooting range being in close vicinity to our air force base. What a bunch of wise guys. Man, we gotta get rid of these yayhoos.
Nothing is sacred in SD. We need to flip this inbred, greedy bs. Like, get woke hehe.
I’m one of the ranchers who is next to this boondoggle. I to will be shutting down the hunting and fishing on property. I also will push for others to do the same. The gfp is out of control!! They use us to raise and feed there wildlife for there moneys. They also promote hunting and fishing on school ground. I have to rent the school ground at an auction to run my cattle on and pay the taxes. Gfp gives our school kids nothing for the use of there ground!!!! Over 800000 acres they pay nothing on to be able to sell licenses to the public to hunt. They will pay landowners 3 to 5 dollars an acre for the right for walk in hunting. How come our school kids don’t deserve 3.2 million a year for the gfp for walk in on school lands???!!! Oh because they need a 19 million dollar thump your chest good old boys club. And will leave the kids in the dust as soon as It is built Get on these commissioners to reject this bid until they can pay the back money to the school. This start in 1996. They need to step up and quit stealing from our school kids
Ken, some of the ranchers who live next door to the proposed recreational facility are far more conservative than I ever was. The opponents include operators of a Bible map who I’m sure swing right.
And where in the above post do you read anything that is anti-gun? I’m pointing out that the guy who made $900K selling the land for the project now stands to make millions from the contract to build the shooting range, a contract that was not advertised in the local paper, a contract for which the state appears to have solicited bids for maybe four weeks, and a contract for which the guy was the only bidder. I like shooting guns every now and then, but even I can smell the corruption over the bracing fragrance of gunpowder.
Ken, do you see nothing strange in the nature of the advertising, bidding, and awarding of the contract?
Ken: You are totally wrong on this issue-the people against this are ranchers and neighbors who were lied to and never let in on what was happening. This is not an anti-gun issue so get you story right!!!! This is cow-calf operation ranchers and a family bible ranch/cow calf operation who is hugely affected by this proposed shooting range. It has also been revealed to us that an industrial park will now be built on south side of proposed shooting range for who knows what in our neighborhood. This will destroy many ranchers in this area as well as Larry’s Bible Ranch. Get a grip people that this is a scam and huge misappropriation of tax payers money to put millions in a private individual [pocket.
Let’s remember also, that our governess Noem was a big supporter of this GF&P extravaganza-gun range after she got shot out of the saddle on her proposal to build the “pie-in-the-sky” campground to make money for the GF&P in our Custer State Park.
And, speaking of Custer State Park, who does law enforcement, rescues, ambulance runs etc. etc. in the park? The GF&P? I’m not thinking so…….
Ken, can you explain to me what you think the founding fathers meant by “A we;;-regulated militia?” In your own words, please, not some
NRA gunsmoke and mirrors.
Well-regulated! (sorry)
Well-regulated! (typo, sorry)
If a gun range is needed why can’t some enterprising individual build one and charge admission? If a gun range is needed why can’t a group of like minded people form a club, pay dues and build their own gun range? Why is it the responsibility of government to provide an amenity that in other places (apparently Oregon) is provided by the private sector?
It never ceases to amuse how Republicans hate government ownership of anything unless it suits Republicans.
In 2016 South Dakota’s senior US Senator called an end to lead contamination in the watersheds that support all life in the United States, “silly.” Lead tackle is often swallowed by fish then ingested by other wildlife and not just by raptors. A potent neurotoxin, lead is released by coal-fired power plants, too. The Victoria Lake area on Beretta Road above Rapid City, South Dakota is a lead Superfund site in the making after decades of unrestricted shooting.
Yes, Republican environmentalism is an oxymoron. When Republican domination is literally deadly to wildlife and humans alike maybe it’s time for a little hope and change where a red state owns the means of production like a shooting range.
Mr Nemec, I expect the RC gun range will become members only after it is built,to exclude the riff-raff.
Whitewater was an absolute nothing burger, a trumped up charge against Clintons only because their partner, James MacDougal sold a plane used for business and misspent that money instead of paying loans. Bill and HRC lost over 50k out of their own pockets to settle the loan.
Would be nice if people learned the results about Clinton’s investigation and the criminal acts committed by Starr’s bunch of right wing persecutors against Clintons.
tourism gun range perhaps?
auto weapons. a few tweaks to 2nd amend rights, eh? compliant legislature.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/nine-year-old-accidentally-kills-gun-instructor/#x
big bucks. Black Hills, Badlands, Lakes & .50 cal Machine-guns, everybody!!
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/nine-year-old-accidentally-kills-gun-instructor/#x
Tourism! Rally! Black Hills Badlands Lakes and .50 Cal. Machine Guns, everybody roar!!
Compliant legislature can legalize anything, tweaking the 2nd Amend right, eh?
So where is the money coming to build this? The legislators killed funding multiple times last term.
Well, Susan, GF&P told us they’d look for private donors. They told the Meade County Commission at its March 28 meeting that they had raised $2.8 million in private donations. If they plan to break ground in May, they’d better accelerate their fundraising.
So no taxpayer dollars then, Mr H? Or just fees collected from hunters and the fatcat donors?
Nothing screams, “hung like a light-switch” more than this maga shooting emporium.
That’s just pure crazy, that’s a Sarah Palin move. I own Cloverleaf Pheasant Farms and sporting clays, I am a private club, where is my government money? That makes it a little tough for me to compete against.
That’s just pure crazy, that’s a Sarah Palin move, I own Cloverleaf Pheasant Farms and sporting clays, I am a private club, where is my government money? That makes it a little tough for me to compete against.
Grudz, the funding remains unclear. Even if the GF&P can get rich guys to foot this bill, they are shifting fundraising capacity away fro other projects, meaning taxpayers will have to foot more of other bills.
$19.1 million dollars for a “sport” complex that has NO market research, much less tangible evidence that is is marketable or much less needed? $19.1 million dollars for a venue that by my most generous guess would be used by a fraction of 1% of the state population in their lifetime?
A plan conceived and designed by none other than Jim Scull, et al, that mysteriously goes thru against all oubluc opinion, cimes in with thw ONLY BID, and serendipitously just happens to lowball at $7.2 million dollars over his own design estimate?
Robber baron.
Cory: You need to revisit all the the media reporting and historical public statements made by both GFP, Scull and other supporters to better demonstrate the ruse and the corruption that has gone on here. What you also need to do is review what has been done at the Fall River County Shooting Range near Hot Springs since this controversy started. GFP has blown a ton of money down there and in some ways, that range is more sophisticated than the proposed project. This isn’t the only program that redirects much needed conservation money away from wildlife and private landowners. This project, from the get go, was a Jim Scull inspiration right along with a retired GFP person and a couple of others in Safari Club International and Scull’s SD Youth Hunting Adventure organization that basically hijacked the local National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter as a basis for it’s fund raising. We should never forget that it was Scull that publicly stated that he bought the land on a contract for deed and then sold it to GFP because he wanted “a place to shoot for his Youth Hunting Adventure Kids.” John Kanta and Robling both stated publicly that the range was designed (presumably by Scull and Staff in conjunction with NRA planning guides) specifically for competitive shooting that would bring gun nuts and long range shooters from all over the US in grand tourism style leaving tons of money in motels, campgrounds, restaurants and other businesses. In truth, even at the original construction price of close to 10 million, the place will never pay for itself or to the local economy. A feasibility study was never done to predict a cost to benefit and the EA done for the project is a sham. You will also remember that the range’s facilities would be free to the public but if LE or government organizations wanted to use the range, they would have to pay. Remember that this is publicly owned land that will (or should) pay property taxes at a non-ag rate and can’t be club exclusive. There have been a lot of promises made that were nothing but promotional selling points that were never intended to be operational policy. Anybody look into statute law to determine if the State of South Dakota is empowered to operate shooting ranges? True, there won’t be general fund tax dollars spent on this travesty but license money, Pittman Robertson federal money, and NGO matching money will be exploited to the max to make this thing appear solvent.
Scull was the general contractor that built the “Outdoor Campus West”. Look around Rapid City and see just how many public works projects have or have had a Scull Construction Sign in front of them including “The Monument” arena. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Mr. Scull has lobbied the public servants to approve his ideas for the betterment of Rapid City and the Black Hills region. In turn, the expectation is that the Region should reward him handsomely for his foresight and dedication to cultural support and recreational opportunity. He’s not a conservationist. He’s an exploiteer!
Mr. Scull is a shrewd businessman. Probably a pretty swell fellow, once you get to know him.
Thank you, Mr. Wrede.
Oh Edwin, Clinton had a lust for life at a time when that was being covered. Looking back you could get many president’s who had many similar characteristics that weren’t covered at al but simply covered up.
Jim Scull needs to be reigned in. He has repeatedly used the public and the state to his personal benefit. He has cheated the system for years. If anyone one of us tried to do the same thing he has with this project, we would have had the book thrown at us. Why aren’t more media outlets covering this story? It’s because Jim has led the public to believe he is a giver and a good person to the community. All while stealing and conspiring against everyone behind their backs.
People need to call the gfp commission to reject this insider bid and do it correctly. Call the State attorney office and tell them this kind of deal is unacceptable and illegal. If we don’t start standing up to things like this, then we will have no rights left at all. If your a fellow contractor or business owner, you should be outraged and scared that the state may let a deal like this happen.
Wake up people. Time to fight for our rights back!
The reason private ranges are very limited and those that do exist are expensive is the related liability. Who is going to pay the bill for liability insurance for this range?, those of us who pay fees and taxes. Or, the state operates this as self insured and the tax payers will get stuck.
It is inevitable that bullets will exit the range, by accident or on purpose and only a matter of time one of them creates a liability.
Well it was revealed today that Scull was not awarded the construction of GF&P shooting range. It will go out for rebid in smaller parcels. GF&P not returning email or phone calls on this horrible mess. They are still short millions of dollars!!! I suggest they return donations for this extremely unpopular project and scrap the whole idea!!!!
I know Joe Norman and he’s as Republican as they come but he called out the Scull plot for the political mess a shooting range will bring.
https://www.sdnewswatch.org/stories/rapid-city-gun-range-south-dakota-gfp-proposal/
This thing is a yuge test for NIMBYism in my home state.
Summit Carbon Intrusions is condemning property East River and the Chinese Communist Party is a threat?
If the Chinese are beating Lar and grudznick at the phone app game, isn’t that “free market?”
sleazy attempt by “para-military” kristi and conspirators authoritarian grab to steal bankrolled unspent covid emergency pandemic money