Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Has Important Message For You: Shop Local!

Winter has made an early appearance in South Dakota, and due to the recent harsh weather conditions, local Sioux Falls businesses are struggling.

Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken calls the month of December the "Super Bowl" for local small businesses. So far, local shops have had "crappy" weekends for holiday shopping.

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In a heartfelt video on his Facebook page, Mayor Paul says seeing the early winter storms on the weekends "kills the small businesses in our community." So Mayor Paul has a major Christmas wish this year: Keep your dollars in Sioux Falls! Shop local for all your holiday needs.

Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken explains in his video that he does not blame anyone for staying indoors when the weather gets bad. But he wants to remind residents that when small businesses succeed, it benefits all of us.

I know how easy it is to hop online and hit that Amazon site or hit the Walmart site and have it shipped to your house. It's convenient. I do it, and there's a time for that. But there's also a need to shop local. And shop small.

With this past weekend's cold temperatures and snow, he was pleading with the community to get out and find small businesses to patronize, and to drive safely, too! Sioux Falls couldn't agree more!

Such an important message!! Support local during the week when you can!!

Thank you Paul TenHaken! As a small business owner in Sioux Falls I can sadly say we are struggling. This year has been a hard one. Thanks for the support we appreciate you! Keep up the great work and all you do!

Thank you ! For bringing this community together and sharing this ! We love the small business .

Keep the holiday cheer here! Thanks for the reminder, Mayor!

Sioux Falls: Then and Now

The City of Sioux Falls has changed dramatically over the past several years. Some of the streets, landscapes, and neighborhoods look vastly different than just 10-15 years ago.

Here's a look at Sioux Falls, then-and-now. See if you can recognize some of these old buildings, businesses, and city streets.

Gallery Credit: Andy Gott

11 Things You’ll Only Understand After Living in South Dakota

From soda to pop to sloppy Joes, different parts of the country have their local quirks and language. Simple phrases can have totally different meanings, local events may seem weird, and food may go by a unique name.

If you're new to South Dakota, here is a sort of translation guide for some odd things you may see or hear.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns