Jon Michaels' Forum

Jon Michaels' Forum

A community issues and answering program that focuses on the city and people of the Sioux Empire.

Episodes

October 18, 2025 29 mins

Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Angela Kennecke, CEO and founder of Emily's Hope. 

From her website:

At the heart of Emily’s Hope lies a profound commitment to illuminate the path to understanding and recovery for individuals and families grappling with substance use disorder. Born from a story of profound loss and unwavering love, our mission transcends the boundaries of awareness, education...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Ryan Vandehoek and Steve Harrison, hosts of a new podcast called "Unconfined Conversations with Ryan and Steve" where they aim to engage in conversations concerning incarceration and the men and women who have experienced it.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Jim Olander - President | CEO | Voice of Stampede Hockey and Cole Ripperda, Director of Game Operations.

from Wikipedia:

The Sioux Falls Stampede are a Tier I junior ice hockey team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Stampede are members of the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The team plays home games at the Denny Sanford Premier Center,...

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(Repeat "best of")

Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with non-fiction writer Wayne Fanebust about his now eleven books about Sioux Falls and Upper Plains historical characters. From Amazon.com:

Chasing Jesse James

Frank and Jesse James, the infamous brothers from Missouri, rode with marauding Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. Having learned to kill and raid without compunction, they easily transitio...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Mick Nesseim and Bill McGinnes of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 959 about their ceremony and celebration of identifying and bringing home the remains of two South Dakotans. The Sioux Falls POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony will be held at Veterans Memorial Park, 1021 W Bailey Street on Friday, September 19th at 6:30 pm. Bring your lawn chair. Incase of bad weathe...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels talks with Lt. Col. Todd Epp, Post Commander, and Chief Mungunkhet, Flight Sergeant at the Sioux Falls Composite Squadron about the Civil Air Patrol in Sioux Falls and Tea.

from their website:

Emergency Services

Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has continued to save lives and alleviate human suffering through a myriad of emergency-services and operational missions.

...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Lifelight CEO Josh Brewer about the music festival in downtown Sioux Falls on Sunday, August 31st.

from their website:

what makes lifelight unique?

• Every Lifelight event and the LifeLight Youth Center is FREE to the public and is done by faith, and yet is still able to maintain top-quality production and event.  

• LifeLight reaches and attracts...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Mr. and Mrs. Gee. He turns 100 years old this October. He is also one of the last surviving members of the U.S.S. Battleship South Dakota crew. He tells about his service from enlistment to building his own business after his Navy experience. Mr. Gee gets choked up still after 80 years about crew members getting blown up from a gun powder accident to the charred pilots tr...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Becky Rasmussen, founder of Call to Freedom in Sioux Falls, about new South Dakota Legislation SD 58 that took affect last month.

Call to Freedom now has 28 staff members. The AG has prepared a large law enforcement presence armed with his new legislation SD-58 that took effect on July 1.  

    ...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels talks with Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead and Chief Deputy Jeff Gromer about the new prison, license plate readers, immigration holds and jail inmate programs.

from their website:https://sheriff.minnehahacounty.gov/dept/so/so.php

Sheriff's Office

Our mission is to preserve public safety and quality of life within Minnehaha County. Our agency’s mission must be carried out by employe...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Task Force members Representative Jack Kolbeck of District 13, Gary Jamison of District 12 and Senator Jim Melhoff of Pierre District 21 about the finalizing of the four hear process of a new penitentiary campus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Rick Tupper and Karen Dunham, Board Directors of the Battleship South Dakota Memorial about the upcoming Navy Week celebrations.

80th Anniversary of the End of World War II

August 9 10:00 AM Battleship South Dakota Memorial, 12th Street and Kiwanis Ave. Sioux Falls, SD

Guest Speakers Senator John Thune and Rear Admiral Wosje

Navy Band Ambassadors

Navy Ceremonial Guard

Sai...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Siouxland Librarians Neliesha Daws and Nicole Norton about the many opportunities for families at all of our City of Sioux Falls libraries.

from their website: siouxlandlib.org

Siouxland Libraries Mobile App
Download our app to search the catalog, access your account, renew and place items on hold, and turn your phone into a digital library card.

Get the Siouxland Libr...

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My Life in Broadcasting by Quent Neufield (Getting Started at KELO Radio in 1958)

Description

Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Bee and Quent Neufeld about his book "My Life in Broadcasting: Growing up in Minnesota".  Quent also gave us a recording of news, weather and sports of his 4 years at KELO AM radio in Sioux Falls in 1958.

From Amazaon.com: Book  My Life in Broadcasting by Quent Neufield

...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Pam Pakieser and Caseworker Andrea Christianson about how the new women's addition is starting to take hold.

from their website:

We are a faith based, non-profit (501c3) organization ​established in 2013 to come alongside men upon their release from prison. The board of directors is comprised of Christian men and women from a two-state area: Iowa and South Dakot...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels  (since 1977)  talks with Bernie Tyrrell about Automania and other car shows every week this summer.

About Automania

The largest free to the public Automotive Event in the Midwest is back again in 2024! We plan to have hundreds of vehicles on display, along with quality food, automotive and specialty vendors! AutoMania will be held in Valley Springs, SD. This is the premier c...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Pastor Jeff Hayes, Director of the Faith Temple Food Giveaway and Josh Hayes Assistant Director of Operations at Faith Temple Food Giveaway.

From their website:

 Our MISSION

Our mission is simple:  We want to bless and help others out of an overflow of the ultimate gift we have been given through Jesus. We believe we are called to carry out what Jesus&...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Lisa Ottmar, Helpline Center Development Director.

from their website:

Your Steps Matter. Your Support Saves Lives.

​At 9:00am on Saturday, June 7, over 300 attendees will have the opportunity to hear from our guest speaker Stefanie Kummer who lost her son, Alex, to suicide at the age of 16 in 2021After we hear her story of hope, names of those lost to su...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Jon Mammenga,
Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Sioux Falls Children's Home, about their history and major fundraiser this summer.

Join us in helping prevent, treat, and heal trauma

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Sioux Falls Convention Center
1201 N. West Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD

For the past 29 years, Caring For The Kids has raised nearly $9.8 million to support Children&rs...

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Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) had the honor to interview Col. Glen D. Frazier, of the few survivors left of the Bataan Death March in WWII.

(from the description about his book "Hell's Guest" on Amazon:

“It was the 1930s in southern Alabama where cotton and cornfields were the backdrop of my childhood stage. I was growing up just like everyone else—wrapped in a simple and predictable way of life. Fol...

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