Mclaughlin/Mobridge?

[prairiechicken]

Originally Posted by Yzzyx

The job is a medical position working for the IHS. I suppose this is why it is so close to the reservation.

My wife just graduated from college. (It took forever!) We're looking to pay off her school loans and get settled a bit. This job offers benefits like that.

We have several other opportunities to explore but I'm personally drawn to a job that provides "cheerful service" to others, rather than just a run-of-the-mill 9-5 job. My wife is too, but she is most likely less willing to give up all of her creature comforts and habits. All I have to do is figure out which ones she considers off limits. I'd be (very) happy in a singlewide on 40 acres of land. She would not.

I miss living a simple life. Everything here is so hectic and impersonal.

The big draw for me is also the outdoors and Scouting with my son. I've looked up the opportunities in this area and they are incredible compared to what we have where we are now. (Of course, a lot of places would be more incredible.)

Raleigh is okay, and you are only a few hours away from the beach or the mountains, but it isn't "North Carolina" to me. It feels like the Northeast, transplanted to the South. (Which it basically is.)

Western North Carolina is also an area we are looking at. We've been there and it is beautiful, but it is a bit "touristy" at times, and the gulf between the reservation and the locals is pretty awkward and hard to deal with. (I'm not sure I'm expressing this right, sorry!)

the gulf is still there between the rez and the locals. I grew up on this rez and this is not a place you would want your 7 yr old to grow up in. actually I don't think your wife will like the clinic she will be working in. Hope this helps somewhat.

[Wildlifb]

Hmm, have lots of friends there who seem happy, however they are tribal members at Standing Rock or other Reservations. We live onver on the Sisseton Reservation and like it a lot. It is cold and windy up here but great outdoor activities and, if you get involved in the community, it can be rewarding. have not really seen this major "crime" problem people talk about. Can give you more local contacts if you write me me directly.

[Sandhills Guru]

As an outsider who has done business in the Mobridge area in past years. I don't live in this area let me make that clear. I found the people and businesses I dealt with in Mobridge very pleasant and willing to do what they could. Sure for the a town that size it did not have a great selection of things, but it did have pretty much what was needed for daily needs if I were living there I would say.

I also enjoyed the area scenery wise. Laid back community that made you feel welcome. I think the town would make a good place to raise a family.

[mobridge guy]

I live in Mobridge, and have read the other posts. I would agree with what has already been written. However I think you should follow up on your plan to come here and see for yourself. Its true that now Mcglaughlin would be risky for your family. But no one mentioned that the tribe is working hard to clean it up, and they are having some success. Mobridge is a great place to live if you want real people that care enough to do good and help others out. Also the population decline has seemed to bottom out, and indications are that it will increase again. That is not only because the 2 billion dollar power plant is on the drawing board, but other things too like a new high school, river front improvements and downtown revitalization.If you do chose to come here to scout things out, I would be glad to help show you around and tell you the real pros can cons to see if this area is for you

[leroyleroux]

I lived in Mobridge for three years. I liked it a lot, my wife...not so much. It was a small enough community that you felt like you knew everyone, but not so small that the necessities weren't there.

Shortly after I moved, there were some heavy racial tensions. Three white teenagers were hanging with a Native American (that had a lot of problems), when they placed him in a trash can as a joke. Turns out the kid died there (he had a lot of alcohol in his system). There was a march across the bridge, and thighs were tense.

Whoever said Mobridge is 100 miles from any bigger city is exactly right. 100 from Bismark, Aberdeen and Pierre.

Again, I liked it very much and I'm not really an outdoorsman. But if you are, I don't know how you could not like it.

McLaughlin is a pretty rough town, but I've never lived there, so I'll leave it at that.

I'd be happy to provide more information on Mobridge if you like.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by mobridge guy

I live in Mobridge, and have read the other posts. I would agree with what has already been written. However I think you should follow up on your plan to come here and see for yourself. Its true that now Mcglaughlin would be risky for your family. But no one mentioned that the tribe is working hard to clean it up, and they are having some success. Mobridge is a great place to live if you want real people that care enough to do good and help others out. Also the population decline has seemed to bottom out, and indications are that it will increase again. That is not only because the 2 billion dollar power plant is on the drawing board, but other things too like a new high school, river front improvements and downtown revitalization.If you do chose to come here to scout things out, I would be glad to help show you around and tell you the real pros can cons to see if this area is for you

Why wouldn't SD embrace large scale wind farms instead of favoring another coal plant? It truly does not make any sense at all to me. Coal emits: mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, radiation, and CO2. Wind energy does not.

[debey]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Why wouldn't SD embrace large scale wind farms instead of favoring another coal plant? It truly does not make any sense at all to me. Coal emits: mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, radiation, and CO2. Wind energy does not.

we have wind farms going up. as well.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by debey

we have wind farms going up. as well.

The Northern Plains are the "Saudi Arabia" of wind. I don't think adding additional coal capacity makes much sense when much of the wind energy potential has not been tapped yet at all. North Dakota should also be a wind energy leader as well, but it is not. It seems like the lignite coal interests dominate the Missouri River basin.

[DannyBanany]

Minnesota has a lot of windfarms. Hopefully that will rub off onto the Dakotas and Wyoming here in the near future.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by mobridge guy

I live in Mobridge, and have read the other posts. I would agree with what has already been written. However I think you should follow up on your plan to come here and see for yourself. Its true that now Mcglaughlin would be risky for your family. But no one mentioned that the tribe is working hard to clean it up, and they are having some success. Mobridge is a great place to live if you want real people that care enough to do good and help others out. Also the population decline has seemed to bottom out, and indications are that it will increase again. That is not only because the 2 billion dollar power plant is on the drawing board, but other things too like a new high school, river front improvements and downtown revitalization.If you do chose to come here to scout things out, I would be glad to help show you around and tell you the real pros can cons to see if this area is for you

Here is just one example of the hidden danger of coal.

"Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2009) -- Proposed coal plants across the United States would produce nearly 18 million tons of dangerous waste, including toxic metals, each year. Nearly 130 million tons of coal waste from existing plants is being produced annually, most of which is disposed of in largely unregulated landfills, ponds and other locations, posing serious public health and environmental risks.

According to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the 15 states that would be the biggest polluters -- the “Filthy 15” -- have proposals for 54 coal plants and would create nearly 14 million tons of dangerous waste.

The list is topped by Texas (rank #1, 8 proposed plants, 4,093,087 tons of coal ash waste); followed by: South Dakota (#2, 2, 952,630); Florida (#3, 3, 911,118); Nevada (#4, 3, 888,272); Montana (#5, 3, 848,278); Illinois (#6, 4; 797,450); South Carolina (#7, 2, 731,110); Ohio (#8, 3, 711,616); Wyoming (#9, 5, 697,850); Michigan (#10, 5, 686,897); Kentucky (#11, 4, 593,662); Missouri (#12, 4, 515,709); Wisconsin (#13, 3, 507,952); Georgia (#14, 2; 445,202); and West Virginia (#15, 3, 430,275).

(A complete list of states and national data can be found here: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/coalwaste.)"