The money is coming from the Veterans Affairs State Home Construction Grant Program and it amounts to $21.4 million dollars. This federal money. And it can be used to fund 65 percent of the nearly $35 million dollar construction project at the Hot Springs veterans' home. The State of South Dakota is coming up with the rest.

     Plans have been in the works for some time now.Larry Wilcox says, "We've been working on the project since late 2010, starting in October, and filed our papers in 2010. And today was quite a day for us. Everybody is pretty elated that we can now start on the project." The new facility will provide one hundred units housed in a new, neighborhood-style living arrangement. Which means that the residents will have an environment that's less like a hospital and more like a small town.

     Residents will be able to make their own decisions on when to eat, when to go to bed and when to socialize. The new residence section will be completely new, and the old hospital-like dormitory will be torn down. Some of the older buildings will remain, such as the unique and historic administration building. The maintenance building will also continue to be used. Governor Dennis Daugaard said today the funding is  "a big win for South Dakota." Senator Tim Johnson said in a statement today that he is proud to have funded the program as chairman of the committee that oversees such projects.

Al Van Zee