The wires have been overrun with political news the past week and with the June 3 South Dakota primary just around the corner, it's unlikely that will cease anytime soon.
So I went to the video logs for a little relief, and their were plenty of political videos there, as well.
Still, there have been a few stories the past few days worth noting that have nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain or Teddy Kennedy. Here are my favorites.
1. More bad press for big cats
Something in the New Mexico wilderness attack a young boy and tried to drag him off into the brush. His parents are saying it was a mountain lion.
Big cats have faced their share of bad press - deserved or undeserved - over the past few years throughout the West and in South Dakota in particular. Still, seeing a story such as this reminds us that the problem of wildlife - whether it be mountain lions, deer, bears, etc. - in growing municipalities is one common throughout the region.
You may have seen this earlier in the week, but it's one of my favorite. Tim Appel hit the bricks to get Rapid Citians take on what the most common baby names in South Dakota may be.
To be honest, I kind of like their list more than the actual one. Not that there are any horrible names on the list (Queequeg was noticeably absent), but do all girls' names need to end with an a?
3. Still searching for Charles Manson's murdered
Just as "Helter Skelter" was working its way into the almost forgotten parts of our memories, this story crops up in the heart of the Californian desert.
Work crews have been busy excavating a site the infamous cult leader Charles Manson led his followers to nearly 40 years ago in Death Valley, which, it turns out, may be an appropriate name.
Using specially trained dogs, they believe that Manson and his followers may have murdered even more people than their infamous Tate and LaBianca murders in Southern California.
And 40 years later, it still creeps us out.
4. Is paper money unfair to the blind?
Well, is it?
The question is being raised by advocates for the visually impaired who claim U.S. paper currency puts them in a bad spot, having to rely on those they don't know to be honest in transactions.
Is it too much to ask to completely revamp U.S. currency to create currency that would allow the blind to confidently complete transactions? How much would it cost? Oh, so many questions
To their credit, advocate for changes aren't demanding anything specific, just that the government take their concerns to heart and try to develop a solution.
5. Why is gas priced at 9/10ths? Ask AP
Not technically a news story, but AP Video's series of question and answer videos are great for trivia junkies.
Last, but not least, I offer one of the most popular videos at www.rapidcityjournal.com - the dashboard cam. Here, a group of people literally run for their lives as a vehicle plows through a shoulder traffic stop.
A police officer is hit by the car and remains in serious condition, but it looks like he'll pull through.
