Episodes

  • Emily's Hope - A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic

    Emily's Hope - A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
    Oct 19 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Angela Kennecke, CEO and founder of Emily's Hope.

    From her website:

    At the heart of Emily’s Hope lies a profound commitment to illuminate the path to understanding and recovery for individuals and families grappling with substance use disorder. Born from a story of profound loss and unwavering love, our mission transcends the boundaries of awareness, education, and prevention, aiming to dismantle the stigmas that often shroud addiction in silence and misunderstanding.

    Understanding Addiction

    The Brain’s Intricate Dance

    Dive into the fascinating world of our brain’s reward system, where every moment of joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment plays out. This intricate dance is choreographed by the limbic system, the brain’s own entertainment district, where dopamine, the star performer, leaps and twirls. Dopamine’s dance rewards us for actions essential to survival, such as eating and finding shelter, creating a natural high that motivates us to repeat these beneficial behaviors. Simplified illustrations alongside this explanation will guide you through the luminous pathways of the brain, highlighting how this complex network of neurons and chemicals creates the foundation of our experiences and desires.

    The Uninvited Guests

    Imagine this harmonious dance suddenly disrupted by uninvited guests. Drugs and alcohol crash the party, masquerading as dopamine and tricking the brain into granting them access to the VIP lounge of reward. These impostors amplify the brain’s reward response to unnatural levels, creating a cycle of craving and compulsion that overshadows life’s genuine pleasures. This section explains how these substances hijack the brain’s natural functions, using engaging visuals to illustrate their deceptive tactics and the chaos they bring to the neural network.

    Crossroads of Genetics and Environment

    Our journey through addiction vulnerability is shaped at a crossroads, where our genetic makeup and environmental influences cast long shadows. Some paths are paved with genetic predispositions that make the brain more susceptible to addiction, while environmental factors such as early exposure and social pressures can guide us toward risky behaviors. Insightful text and graphics in this section explore how these elements interact, emphasizing that while we may not choose the roads we start on, understanding these factors can empower us to navigate toward healthier paths.

    The High-Wire Act of Living with Addiction

    Living with addiction is likened to a precarious high-wire act, where the individual must balance life’s essentials — health, relationships, shelter, and nourishment — against the overwhelming pull of substances. This analogy illustrates the constant struggle to maintain balance, with the risk of losing everything dear teetering below. Vivid imagery and narrative describe how the substance’s magnetic pull distracts from the essential pillars of life, making each step on the wire fraught with danger and uncertainty.

    The Hope of Recovery

    In the face of addiction’s challenges, the message of recovery shines brightly as a beacon of hope. This section affirms that with resilience, the right support, and determination, the brain can heal and restore balance. Heartening stories and data on brain recovery illustrate the remarkable potential for renewal, emphasizing that recovery is not just a possibility but a reality for many. Through community, understanding, and compassion, we extend a hand to those ready to step off the tightrope and onto solid ground, where healing and fulfillment await.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • 'Unconfined Conversations with Ryan and Steve' Podcast about Incarceration Life

    'Unconfined Conversations with Ryan and Steve' Podcast about Incarceration Life
    Oct 11 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Ryan Vandehoek and Steve Harrison, hosts of a new podcast called "Unconfined Conversations with Ryan and Steve" where they aim to engage in conversations concerning incarceration and the men and women who have experienced it.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • The Stampede (and Weiner Dog Races ) Season Has Started

    The Stampede (and Weiner Dog Races ) Season Has Started
    Sep 26 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Jim Olander - President | CEO | Voice of Stampede Hockey and Cole Ripperda, Director of Game Operations.

    from Wikipedia:

    The Sioux Falls Stampede are a Tier I junior ice hockey team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Stampede are members of the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The team plays home games at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, the largest facility in capacity and size in the USHL. The team was established in 1999.

    The team holds three Clark Cup championships, winning most recently in the 2018–19 season, two conference and one division championships, and was awarded the Anderson Cup in the 2005–06 season for the league's highest win percentage. The organization holds the USHL single-season attendance record at 200,597 fans over the 2015–16 season and are a five-time USHL organization of the year recipient. Forty-two former players have skated in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • Wayne Fanebust, Historical Writer of Sioux Falls and the Upper Plains

    Wayne Fanebust, Historical Writer of Sioux Falls and the Upper Plains
    Sep 19 2025

    (Repeat "best of")

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with non-fiction writer Wayne Fanebust about his now eleven books about Sioux Falls and Upper Plains historical characters. From Amazon.com:

    Chasing Jesse James

    Frank and Jesse James, the infamous brothers from Missouri, rode with marauding Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. Having learned to kill and raid without compunction, they easily transitioned from rebels to outlaws after the war, robbing stagecoaches, banks and trains in Missouri and surrounding states. It was a botched bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota, followed by an improbable escape through the Dakota Territory and Iowa, that elevated the James brothers from notorious criminals to legendary figures of American history and folklore

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • POW/MIA Celebrate Finding Two South Dakotans This Friday Sept 19th

    POW/MIA Celebrate Finding Two South Dakotans This Friday Sept 19th
    Sep 10 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Mick Nesseim and Bill McGinnes of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 959 about their ceremony and celebration of identifying and bringing home the remains of two South Dakotans. The Sioux Falls POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony will be held at Veterans Memorial Park, 1021 W Bailey Street on Friday, September 19th at 6:30 pm. Bring your lawn chair. Incase of bad weather, the ceremony will be held at the SD Military Heritage Alliance 1600 West Russell Street. Reception to follow at the SD Military Alliance.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • Civil Air Patrol - Learn to Fly Airplanes and Drones Before You Drive in Sioux Falls

    Civil Air Patrol - Learn to Fly Airplanes and Drones Before You Drive in Sioux Falls
    Aug 28 2025
    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels talks with Lt. Col. Todd Epp, Post Commander, and Chief Mungunkhet, Flight Sergeant at the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron about the Civil Air Patrol in Sioux Falls and Tea. from their website: Emergency Services Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has continued to save lives and alleviate human suffering through a myriad of emergency-services and operational missions. Search and Rescue Perhaps best known for its search-and-rescue efforts, CAP flies more than 85 percent of all federal inland search-and-rescue missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fl. Outside the continental United States, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP missions? Approximately 75-100 people are saved each year by CAP members. Disaster Relief Another important service CAP performs is disaster-relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation and an extensive communications network. Volunteer members fly disaster-relief officials to remote locations and provide manpower and leadership to local, state and national disaster-relief organizations. CAP has formal agreements with many government and humanitarian relief agencies including the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast Guard. Humanitarian Services CAP flies humanitarian missions, usually in support of the Red Cross-transporting time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue, in situations where other means of transportation are not available. Air Force Support It’s hardly surprising that CAP performs several missions in direct support of the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, CAP conducts light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. CAP also provides orientation flights for AFROTC cadets. Joint U.S. Air Force and CAP search-and-rescue exercises provide realistic training for missions. CounterdrugCAP joined the “war on drugs” in 1986 when, pursuant to congressional authorization, CAP signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Customs Service offering CAP resources to help stem the flow of drugs into and within the United States. CyberPatriot CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program. At the center of CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. The competition puts teams of high school and middle school students in the position of newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. In the rounds of competition, teams are given a set of virtual images that represent operating systems and are tasked with finding cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the images and hardening the system while maintaining critical services in a six-hour period. Teams compete for the top placement within their state and region, and the top teams in the nation earn all-expenses-paid trips to Baltimore, MD for the National Finals Competition where they can earn national recognition and scholarship money. Aerospace Education CAP’s aerospace education efforts focus on two different audiences: volunteer CAP members and the general public. The programs ensure that all CAP members (seniors and cadets) have an appreciation for and knowledge of aerospace issues. To advance within the organization, members are required to participate in the educational program. Aerospace educators at CAP’s National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., provide current materials that reflect the highest standards of educational excellence. Aerospace education is divided into two parts: internal and external. The internal aerospace education program has two parts as well: cadet and senior. Cadets complete aerospace education as one of the requirements to progress through the achievement levels of the cadet program. Senior members have a responsibility to become knowledgeable of aerospace issues and the AE program that CAP provides. They are further encouraged to share the information obtained with their local communities and school systems. CAP’s external aerospace programs are conducted through our nation’s educational system. Each year, CAP sponsors many workshops in states across the nation, reaching hundreds of educators and thereby thousands of young people. These workshops highlight basic aerospace knowledge and focus on advances in aerospace technology. CAP’s aerospace education members receive more than 20 free aerospace education classroom materials. How to Join For students 12 years old and above interested in becoming a member: Step 1 Contact the squadron or just come by and attend one of our meetings. Step 2 Attend a minimum of 3 meetings and sign-in on the attendance/guest log. Step 3 On or after the 3rd meeting, an interview will ...
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    29 mins
  • Lifelight Festival's Third Year (FREE) in Downtown Sioux Falls, Sunday August 31st

    Lifelight Festival's Third Year (FREE) in Downtown Sioux Falls, Sunday August 31st
    Aug 14 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Lifelight CEO Josh Brewer about the music festival in downtown Sioux Falls on Sunday, August 31st.

    from their website:

    what makes lifelight unique?

    • Every Lifelight event and the LifeLight Youth Center is FREE to the public and is done by faith, and yet is still able to maintain top-quality production and event.

    • LifeLight reaches and attracts multi-generations who gather together in the name of Jesus.

    • Lifelight involves many church denominations, working together in unity based on the truth of God’s Word and the essentials of the Gospel.

    Set against the beauty of downtown Sioux Falls the LifeLight Festival is a dynamic, free event that brings together people of all ages for a powerful celebration of faith, music, and community. Featuring an impressive lineup of Christian music artists, inspiring speakers, and exciting family-friendly entertainment, the festival offers a unique experience filled with uplifting messages and memorable performances. Beyond music, the festival grounds are filled with family-friendly activities, food trucks, and vendors, all designed to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. LifeLight Festival’s mission is to share the hope and joy of the Gospel, making it a highlight in the region for fellowship and renewal.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    30 mins
  • Mr. Gee - 100 Year Old Survivor of U.S.S. Battleship South Dakota

    Mr. Gee - 100 Year Old Survivor of U.S.S. Battleship South Dakota
    Aug 9 2025

    Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Mr. and Mrs. Gee. He turns 100 years old this October. He is also one of the last surviving members of the U.S.S. Battleship South Dakota crew. He tells about his service from enlistment to building his own business after his Navy experience. Mr. Gee gets choked up still after 80 years about crew members getting blown up from a gun powder accident to the charred pilots transferred to the ships hospital.

    from the South Dakota BB-57 website:https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/battleships/south-dakota-bb-57.html

    USS South Dakota (BB-57), 1942-1962

    USS South Dakota, lead ship of a class of 35,000-ton battleships, was built at Camden, New Jersey. She was commissioned in March 1942 and in August was transferred to the Pacific where she was soon involved in the Guadalcanal Campaign. On 26 October1942, her anti-aircraft guns played a prominent role in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, during which her forward sixteen-inch gun turret was hit by a Japanese bomb. Shortly thereafter, she collided with USS Mahan (DD-364). Damage from these incidents was repaired locally, and she was heavily engaged, and damaged again, during the 14-15 November battleship night action off Guadalcanal, a battle that effectively ended Japan's plans to retake that strategic island.

    Following repairs in the United States, South Dakota operated in the Atlantic from February into August 1943, including service with the British Home Fleet. She then returned to the Pacific and took part in the Gilberts and Marshalls invasions in November 1943-February 1944. The battleship operated with the fast carriers during raids on Japanese bases during that time and into the Spring of 1944. She next participated in the June 1944 Marianas Campaign, using her heavy guns to shell enemy positions on Saipan and Tinian. In the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 June, she was hit by another Japanese bomb.

    Another stateside overhaul prepared South Dakota for further Pacific combat operations. From October 1944 to the end of World War II over ten months later, she screened carrier task forces during strikes in the Western Pacific that ranged from the South China Sea to Japan. The invasions of Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were among these operations. In March and April 1945, South Dakota's guns joined in bombarding Okinawa. She shelled targets in the Japanese Home Islands in July and August, during the final acts of the Pacific War, and was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945 during the Formal Surrender of Japan. South Dakota returned to the United States soon thereafter and was decommissioned in January 1947. She remained inactive until October 1962, when she was sold for scrapping.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    29 mins