THE GOOD: Schad Construction of Rapid City is building a new housing subdivision that will utilize aerobic septic systems, an innovation in waste water management that will better protect the Madison Aquifer from groundwater contamination.

THE BAD: The many outdated, poorly maintained septic systems currently in use in far too many places throughout the Black Hills that go uninspected and leak into groundwater and wells after heavy rains.

THE UGLY: The nitrates, fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria that can contaminate and pollute drinking wells and other groundwater sources when septic systems are wrongly constructed or maintained.

THE GOOD: Martin Luther King, Jr. lived a brave life dedicated to equality and non-violence that he summed up in his "I Have a Dream" speech.

THE BAD: That King's life was ended far too soon by an assassin's bullet 40 years ago this year.

THE GOOD: State legislators rejected a bill to abolish personalized, or vanity, license plates. In fact, we should encourage their use, and charge a lot more than the current $25 fee for the privilege, too.

THE GOOD: The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the state of South Dakota $3.25 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. That's great news for low income households that face high heating costs and low temperatures this winter in South Daktoa. To apply for assistance, visit http://dss.sd.gov/energyassistance/ or call 1-800-233-8503.

THE BAD: Rock slide threats posed by an unstable rock formation to traffic moving through Spearfish Canyon on Highway 14A.

THE UGLY: The realization, after a week of blasting work that didn't budge the offending rock, that it was far more stable than the state Department of Transportation originally thought it was.

THE GOOD: A Golden Mouse Award given to Sen. John Thune's official website by the non-partisan Congressional Management Foundation. The site, http://thune.senate.gov, is one of 36 honored with the Gold Mouse out of 618 Congressional websites reviewed, and the third time it received the award.

THE BEST: That 130 soldiers from the 235th Military Police Company of the S.D. National Guard returned safely to a hero's welcome Thursday in Rapid City, after a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan where they provided security for detainees and escorted convoys.