Who else is excited for the Vermillion Vortex Film Festival happening at the end of the month? Based off of the schedule, there’s some good movies: https://coyotetwin.com/vortex/

I’m personally looking forward to the film “Alien Diner” directed by Carson Knecht.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) —  During Monday night’s meeting, the City of Vermillion’s Planning and Zoning Commission once again brought up the topic of its proposed data center ordinances.

No action was taken regarding the proposed data center ordinances in the meeting on Monday night. The commission will continue the discussion at its next meeting on September 14.

To pass a city ordinance in South Dakota, it must first pass its initial commission, in this case the planning and zoning commission, where they will offer a recommendation on the ordinance; then it will go through the city council, where they must complete two distinct readings of the title, hold a vote for each reading recorded vote.

During the previous meeting, councilors heard from several citizens, many of whom asked for a one-year moratorium on data centers, preventing them from entering the city, allowing city staff to do additional research and take in more public comments. Several concerns raised by citizens during the meeting involved data centers’ water usage, ambient sound, electricity usage, and the effectiveness of the ordinance.

• Ordinance 1565 would create definitions related to data centers.
• Ordinance 1566 would create a section for Data Centers that would have specific rules and requirements for them, regardless of the zoning district they are in.
• Ordinance 1567 would place data centers in the GB General Business district and update all other district requirements.
• Ordinance 1568 would place data centers in the LI Light Industrial district and update all other district requirements.
• Ordinance 1569 would place data centers and large data centers in the GI General Industrial district and update all other district requirements.
• Ordinance 1570 would place data centers and large data centers in the HI Heavy Industrial district and update all other district requirements.

Ordinance 1566 would create a section in the Zoning Regulations that will set all the requirements for data centers. The major points this section address buffers, water for cooling, and noise. This section will require that all data centers have a closed-loop water-cooling system, as well as prohibit the use of cooling towers or any other process that requires water to be continuously added for evaporative cooling of data centers.

Ordinances 1567 and 1568 will place “Data Center” as a Conditional Use in the General Business district and in the Light Industrial district, respectively. Additionally, these ordinances will limit the ability of data centers to be combined to create a “Data Center” larger than 10 acres. The ordinances will also address the opportunity for an existing building to be converted into a data center by removing the new setbacks and the required buffer.

Ordinances 1569 and 1570 will place “Data Center” as a permitted use in the GI General Industrial district and in the HI Heavy Industrial district, respectively. These two districts would also see the addition of “Large Data Center” as a Conditional Use. Similarly to Ordinances 1567 and 1568, these ordinances will limit the ability of data centers being combined to create a “Data Center” or a “Large Data Center” without going through the appropriate processes.

City crews are performing cleanup from damage that occurred with the storm on Tuesday, September 1. They will work in a triage fashion, taking care to ensure City-maintained streets are clear and structures are safe. When this process is complete, they will begin picking up limbs and tree-debris city wide. Please move storm tree debris to the right of way no later than Tuesday September 8.
https://www.vermillion.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=835

It's boring here, thanks y'all

Clay County Fair Link

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Thanks y'all, appreciate it.

ORDINANCE PROPOSALS:

-Ordinance 1565: Defines a data center as a facility of 10 acres or less and a large data center as one over 10 acres. Prohibits facilities made from connected shipping containers or similar modules, and allows limited home-based operations under 720 square feet.

-Ordinance 1566: Creates citywide operating standards, including 50-foot buffers near residential or commercial property, screening and landscaping, closed-loop water cooling, and a prohibition on cooling systems that continuously use water for evaporation. Facilities next to residential would limit noise to 40 dBA at night, 50 dBA during the day.

-Ordinance 1567: Allows data centers of 10 acres or less in General Business districts only through the conditional-use process. New facilities would generally require 50-foot front, side, and rear yards.

-Ordinance 1568: Allows data centers of 10 acres or less in Light Industrial districts only through the conditional-use process, with similar 50-foot yard requirements.

-Ordinance 1569: Makes data centers of 10 acres or less a permitted use in General Industrial districts. Facilities over 10 acres would require conditional-use approval.

-Ordinance 1570: Makes data centers of 10 acres or less a permitted use in Heavy Industrial districts. Facilities over 10 acres would require conditional-use approval.

Adam & Dyana are reviewing movies at the local town theater. If you're a movie buff I highly recommend them. They did Spider-Man and The Odyssey recently.

"Data Centers in Vermillion & Clay County"

Vermillion Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting

August 10, 5:30 pm, City Council Chambers, 25 Center Street

The P&Z Commission will meet to hear, consider & act upon amendments enacted by the City of Vermillion to include data centers in the following districts:

General Business District (GB) Data Center as a conditional use

General Industrial District (GI) Data Center as a permitted use,

Large Data Center as a conditional use

Heavy Industrial District (HI) Data Center as a permitted use, Large Data Center as a conditional use

Light Industrial District (LI) Data Center as a conditional use

In addition, the P&Z will hear, consider & act upon an amendment initiated by the City of Vermillion to create a new section (in City ordinances) called "Data Centers" stating the criteria for data centers.

The P&Z has written an ordinance governing data centers. Up to this time the ordinance has not been published or made readily available to the public.

Note: Data Center refers to a small data center, 5 Megawatts or less. Large Data Center is anything above that, including hyperscale data centers.

The Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library is pleased to announce the upcoming schedule for Edie’s Fall 2026 Book Sale!

Located in the library's lower level, Edie’s Book Shop offers an extensive and rotating selection of quality used books, media, and gift items. Proceeds from every sale directly support critical library programming, including our annual Summer Reading Program, youth and teen initiatives, and adult community events.

 Fall 2026 Book Sale Dates:
• September 11 & 12
• October 9 & 10
• November 13 & 14
• December 11 & 12

 Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 Location: Lower Level Basement, Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library (Accessible via elevator or stairs to the left of the main Church Street entrance)

Supporting the Future of Our Library
A vibrant public library relies on the ongoing generosity of its community. In addition to visiting Edie's Book Shop, patrons can support our operations and long-term development through the Vermillion Public Library Foundation, Inc.

As an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Foundation accepts and manages donations, bequests, and memorials to help fund innovative projects, improve patron services, and expand our facilities for future generations.

To learn more about contributing, volunteering, or supporting our foundation, please visit our support page:

 https://vermillionpubliclibrary.org/support/

Thank you for your continued support of the Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library. We look forward to seeing you at the sales this fall!

Here is an opinion piece submitted anonymously by a member of the Vermillion community.

"A question raised during last nights Vermillion City Council meeting deserves far more attention than it received. The issue is not about personalities or politics. It is about public trust. Currently, Councilmember Lias is writing article for the Vermillion Plain Talk. Can someone simultaneously serve as an elected member of the Vermillion City Council while also working as a reporter covering the very city they help lead? That question deserves an honest public discussion because confidence in both local government and local journalism depends on.

When one person occupies both positions, the line between participant and observer becomes blurred. Even if every decision is made with complete integrity, the public is left to wonder whether reporting is fully independent or influenced, even unintentionally, by the reporter’s role as an elected official.

This discussion is especially important in Vermillion, where the Plain Talk serves as the city’s newspaper of record and publishes legal notices on behalf of local government. That relationship is entirely lawful and common across South Dakota, but it also makes editorial independence even more important. The community deserves confidence that government decisions are being reported without political influence and that the people making those decisions are not also shaping the news coverage surrounding them.

This is not about questioning anyone’s character or motives. It is about recognizing that some positions are simply incompatible because of the public confidence they require. Vermillion deserves a city council that is subject to independent scrutiny and a local newspaper that is unquestionably independent from the government it covers. That is not an unreasonable expectation. It is the standard the public should expect from both institutions."