Registration is now open for our first State of the Community luncheon of 2019!
This event will feature the City of Yankton and Yankton County. Guest speakers will be City Manager Amy Leon and County Commissioner Dan Klimisch.

Doors open at 11:30 am | Lunch is served at 11:45 am | Speakers begin at 12:00 pm

Tickets to this event are $20 each and include a plated lunch provided by Minervas Grill & Bar . The deadline to purchase your tickets for this event is Wednesday, February 21 at noon.

We are looking for sponsors for our 2019 State of the Community series.
Click below for details.
The Yankton Chamber's website is getting a visual update!
The layout and functionality of www.yanktonsd.com will be more modern, better for search engine rankings, and will display better on mobile devices.

Some of the pages we are really excited about include the member directory listings, the events calendar, hot deals, job postings, and news releases. ALL of these pages are intended for YOU, OUR MEMBERS to use, so check out the changes next week and take full advantage of our website to market your business!

As always, give us a call or email if you have any questions about how to make the most of your presence on our website.
The Yankton Chamber is launching a Food Challenge to get consumers out and eating at our member restaurants and bars!

The challenge will take place in February, March, April, and May, with each month being its own challenge with featured foods and prizes. We encourage all Chamber members who serve food to participate in this challenge to boost traffic and increase sales.

If you're a member who serves food or coffee, we will be contacting you this week to fill you in with more details and see which months you'd like to be part of. Stay tuned!
Yankton Day was cold but successful! Thirty Yankton community leaders, including representatives from the city, the county, our business sector, and various interested parties spent last Tuesday at the SD State Capitol. They met with representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Labor, Department of Tourism, Department of Education and Department of Game, Fish & Parks. The representatives also met with Gov. Kristi Noem. and hosted a social in the evening for legislators to attend.

Now that the 2019 SD Legislative Session has officially begun, we look forward to updates from the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and will pass the information along to our members.

This issue contains:
Getting our Workforce to Work
Guns in Trucks is Back - and It's Worse Than Ever!
A Partial List of Bills Being Tracked By SDCCI

(The Yankton Chamber is a member of the state South Dakota Chamber & Industry. The positions within this newsletter are those of the state chamber and may differ from local positions.)
Hy-Vee Store Director Retires

Tonya Graff, Yankton Hy-Vee store director, retired this week after 34 years of service to the company, and nine years at the Yankton location.

Photo Credit: Yankton P&D
Ben's Brewing Co.'s Peach Genius Recognized By Beer Travel Guide

The Beer Travel Guide  chose their favorite beer in each of the 50 states, and claims our Ben's Brewing Co.'s Peach Genius is the tastiest beer in South Dakota.

MMC's Patrick Frank, A Legend

Pat Frank has spent nearly 20 years at Mount Marty College, working for Facilities Department and dedicating numerous hours to Lancer Athletics. He has touched many lives and is a fixture at Yankton's college.

Photo Credit: Yankton P&D
Progress on Port Yankton

Legislation was introduced in Pierre last Tuesday to amend the state constitution and allocate a casino license for Port Yankton to be considered by the voters of South Dakota in the 2020 general election.
The Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) backed proposal will be heard by a committee yet to be determined.

Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings

Wednesday, February 6 at 1:30 pm
714 Mulberry St. Ft. Knox Storage building)



Friday, February 8 at 10:00 am
300 West 3rd Street



Wednesday, February 13 at 10:00 am
1101 Broadway Avenue, Ste. 115B


WestRock Ribbon Cutting

Tuesday, February 19 at 10:00 am
Yankton Chamber Building
803 East 4th Street


Recent Ribbon Cuttings
The Yankton Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking nominations for an award recognizing leaders in tourism.

Nominations should be submitted for an individual or organization making strides to attract new visitors to Yankton or improve their overall experience through events, media, business ventures or other means.

Nominations can be submitted to the Yankton Chamber of Commerce prior to February 28, 2018. Forms are  available online  or at the Yankton Chamber, 803 E. 4th Street.
Jack Willhite Rock & Roll Comedy Show
Friday, February 8
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Old Mill Event Center & 1872 Saloon
106 Capital Street
LINC FUNdraiser: Prom of the Ages
Saturday, March 9
8:00 - 11:00 pm
The Elks Lodge
504 W. 27th Street
United Way's Delta Dental Mobile Program
March 18 - 22
Registration is Required

Dueling Pianos Southeast CASA Annual Fundraiser
Saturday, March 23
5:30 pm -10:30 pm
NFAA Easton Archery Center


Question: "Can I get a government grant to start or grow my business?"

Sue's Answer  : The federal government generally offers grants only to nonprofits, educational institutions and state and local governments, not private businesses. Free money for business is rare and difficult to find. The old adage, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”, holds true when seeking grant funding.
Be informed! Follow Senate and House bills at  www.sdlegislature.gov  and contact your District 18 legislators with your thoughts and concerns.
Craig Kennedy, Senate | (605) 773-3851 | craig.kennedy@sdlegislature.gov
Jean Hunhoff, House | (605) 773-3851 | jean.hunhoff@sdlegislature.gov
Ryan Cwach, House | (605) 773-3851 | ryan.cwach@sdlegislature.gov
The Yankton School District School Board regular meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 pm in the YSD Administration Building unless otherwise arranged.

The Yankton City Commission meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7 pm in the RTEC City of Yankton Community Room, 1200 W. 21st Street.

The Yankton County Commissioners meet the first and third Tuesday of the every month at 4 pm in the Commission's Meeting Room of Government Center.
2018 Chamber Board
President -  Barb Rezac;  Vice President -  James Grotenhuis; Secretary/Treasurer - Ashli Danilko;
Past President - Becky Souchek; Board Members -  Cheryl Beck - Shawn Brock - Lee Gill - Kami Guthmiller
Lacey Johnson - Mike Krajewski - Jason Larsen - Cynthia Miller - Stephanie Moser - Tom Schroeder - Todd Woods