RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — Independence Day celebrations start early in South Dakota with the return of fireworks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial and a Presidential visit to The Rushmore State.
Review the timeline for what happened ahead of the celebration in this story:
July 2, 2020
Governor Kristi Noem authorized state funding from the Future Fund. The fireworks show, serving as a backdrop for President Trump’s visit, is ultimately paid by businesses in the state. The state agreed to pay the California company no more than $350,000 for the show, which will last 15 to 30 minutes.
A retired superintendent of Mount Rushmore told KELOLAND News Friday’s fireworks show “a terrible idea.” Cheryl Schreier has written an op-ed published this week in the Washington Post saying the event shouldn’t take place because of the threat of wildfires and COVID-19.
July 1, 2020
June 30, 2020
In an appearance on Fox News on June 29, Noem repeated that social distancing won’t be part of the celebration on Friday. She says the state plans to give out face masks, but attendees aren’t required to wear them.
June 29, 2020
June 28, 2020
June 25, 2020
Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump’s July 3 visit. Many Native American activists say the Rushmore memorial is as reprehensible as the many Confederate monuments being toppled around the nation.
June 23, 2020
Governor Kristi Noem was in Rapid City discussing the coronavirus pandemic as well as the upcoming fireworks show. She said there’s go or no-go plan for the fireworks display setup by the National Parks Service.
June 16, 2020
June 4, 2020
May 1, 2020
April 30, 2020
Staff at Mount Rushmore speak with KELOLAND News about Fourth of July fireworks.
February 29, 2020
The environmental study ahead of the Mount Rushmore fireworks was completed. It showed impacts to water, wildlife, tribal relations and the monument itself if fireworks return to Independence Day celebrations in 2020, as planned.
February 28, 2020
KELOLAND News reported on the U.S. National Park Service release of 2019 visitor numbers at national parks. In 2019, the number of visitors dipped below the 2 million mark to 1,963,54, the first time it had been under 2 million since 2006.
January 15, 2020
President Donald Trump applauded the return of fireworks at Mount Rushmore in 2020. He was quoted saying “I said, ‘you mean we can’t have fireworks because of the environment?’ ‘Yeah, environmental reasons.’ I said, ‘What can burn? It’s stone. You know, it’s stone.’ So, nobody knew why, they just said environmental reasons,” Trump said.
May 8, 2019
KELOLAND Investigates looked at the history of the fireworks display from 1998 to 2009. While it seemed a fitting display at one of the most patriotic monuments in the U.S., a federal investigation found it was filling the water around Mt. Rushmore with a toxic chemical.
