Commissioner Nancy Wenande was chosen as the new Yankton Mayor at the regular Monday, May 14, city commission meeting. Wenande is in her third term on the commission. She replaces Commissioner Dave Knoff, who served as city mayor for the past two terms.

Prior to their 2012 reorganization on Monday, the commission spent most of their meeting discussing the purchase of 36 acres of land on the old state hospital campus. And after discussion and public comments, the commission voted 9-0 to make the $1.95 million purchase.

Ben Hovland of Yankton, who recently completed his master's degree in architecture at the University of Nebraska/Lincoln, was awarded a major honor for his graduate thesis project, which re-designed downtown Yankton and the riverfront district.

Kevin Costner seems "untouchable" in the South Dakota Supreme Court. Observer legal correspondent Dan Brendtro tells us why this week in "Less Legalese, Please."

Opinion Page

Editorial columnist Wayne Pibal takes on the city this week when he questions what he feels is the commissions extravagant purchase of almost $2 million in land. And Pibal warns of the possibility of petitions drives to stop it.

Another great Jim Anderson editorial cartoon In Living Color!

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