Sound Off: What Would You Change About The South Dakota Flag?

There have been a lot of lively debates about changing flags throughout various states, especially in Minnesota. Pretty soon Minnesotans will be represented with a new state flag. Does that mean other states could follow Minnesota's lead and change their flag?

A new article from USA Today reports that over 2,000 submissions for the new Minnesota state flag design were sent in. Since so many Minnesota residents have ideas about their state flag, it got me wondering about what South Dakotans think about the current flag.

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Before you create your new flag suggestions, you should know that South Dakota's state flag has been changed before.

Oleksii Liskonih via Getty Stock/ThinkStock

South Dakota Bureau of Administration has a resourceful page about the History of the South Dakota State Flag. It's a great tool for new South Dakota residents or life-long South Dakotans who ever wonder about the state flag's history.

Fun fact: South Dakota did not have an official state flag until the year 1909. A legislative librarian named Ida M. Anding created the flag. This was Ida's vision for the flag according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration:

The Flag of South Dakota shall consist of a field of blue, one and two-thirds as long as it is wide, in the center of which shall be a blazing sun in gold, two-fifths as wide in diameter as the width of the flag. Above this sun shall be arranged in the arc of the circle, in gold letters, the words 'South Dakota' and below this sun in the arc of the circle shall be arranged the words in gold letters, 'The Sunshine State', and on the reverse of the blazing sun shall be printed in dark blue the Great Seal of the State Of South Dakota. The edges of the flag shall be trimmed with a fringe of gold, to be in proportion to the width of the flag. The staff shall be surmounted by a spearhead to which shall be attached cord and tassels of suitable length and size.

The flag for South Dakota actually changed twice. The first time was in 1963 to cut costs. It was a little pricey to have two different emblems on the flag. The second time was in 1992 when the state changed the wording on the flag to "The Mount Rushmore State."

So if you had the opportunity, what would you change about the South Dakota flag? Do you like the flag as it is now?

Twelve South Dakota Places to Put on Your "Must Visit" List!

Make the most of summer in South Dakota and visit these spots that speak to why SD is great!

A lot of them you might have visited, some you haven't for sure, and some are old favorites that maybe you haven't been to in a while. So, while there is still a little time or even one more weekend, and gas prices are down a bit - - try and make it to one of these great places.

What can be found in these 12 locations?

What can't? Camping, fishing swimming, kayaking, birdwatching, and tons of other great outdoors-type activities. Historical, educational exploration, hobby interests, kids activities, just plain old beautiful scenery, and- - to use an overused phrase- -lots more!

With all of that in mind, let's dive in!

Gallery Credit: Patty D

The 10 Most Redneck Towns in South Dakota

Are you a 'Redneck?' I guess to some people, all of us in South Dakota are rednecks.

If we use the Jeff Foxworthy Scale of Redneckeness, I have, in fact, been too drunk to fish. So by definition, I am a redneck. And so are many people I know.

Not that being from the country is a bad thing, and it can be fun to poke fun at ourselves.

With that in mind, we found that the folks at RoadSnacks put together a list that claims 'These Are The 10 Most Redneck Cities In South Dakota.'

What is a Redneck?

The dictionary says that a redneck is someone "...who lives in a small town or in the country, especially in the southern U.S., who typically has a working-class job, and who is seen by others as being uneducated and having opinions and attitudes that are offensive."

Well, a few things. First, South Dakota isn't THAT kind of 'south.' We're to the south of North Dakota, but to the north of 'The South.'

Plus that definition sounds awful mean and serious. I thought we were having fun here.

RoadSnacks leaned into the funny, Jeff Foxworthy-based version of a redneck. Then they rounded up select data on places in SD to determine their rankings. RoadSnacks Redneck Criteria:

Small towns
Least amount of high school graduates
Number of bars per city
Number of mobile home parks per capita
Number of tobacco stores per city
Number of places to get fishing gear
Number of guns and ammo stores per city
Walmarts, Bass Pro Shops, and dollar stores nearby

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

Source: Sound Off: What Would You Change About The South Dakota Flag?

Filed Under: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota, Sioux Empire, Downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota Towns, South Dakota History, small south dakota towns

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