All posts by Leslie Schramm

News, Story

SDSU Extension Launches Community-Focused Book Read Group

SDSU Extension’s Community Vitality team will be offering a statewide virtual book read focusing on community issues beginning January 20, 2021.
“In a time where it can be difficult to gather, we see a statewide virtual book read as an excellent opportunity for South Dakotans to connect on important community issues of the day while enjoying great books,” says Kari O’Neill, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Program Manager.
Facilitated discussions will be held every Wednesday evening over Zoom, which is readily available and free to individuals with internet capabilities. The timeframe will be 7:30 p.m. CST; 8:30 p.m. MST, with an hour of interaction. Interested parties should register by January 15, 2021 to receive the link to join the discussion. The program will conclude February 10, 2021.
The first book will be “Little Chapel on the River: A Pub, a Town, and the Search for What Matters Most” by Gwendolyn Bounds. The book’s description notes it as: “beautifully written, deeply personal, and brilliantly insightful, Little Chapel on the River is a love story about a place – and the people who bring it to life.”
Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist says the book is an easy read, but very relatable to small communities.
“I think this book will highlight our work in placemaking and helping communities vision their future,” says Schlechter. “The story is about a journalist forced from her home during the 9/11 terrorist attack, and how she found community and fellowship in the picturesque town of Garrison, New York. It will be a prism to discuss the value of places we call home.”
There is no registration fee to attend; participants only need to purchase the book in advance of the start date. There will be a cap to the number of participants, with a plan to offer more book reads in the future.
To register, visit the SDSU Extension Community Book Read event page or contact O’Neill at kari.oneill@sdstate.edu, 605.685.6972; Schlechter at peggy.schlecter@sdstate.edu, 605.394.1722; or Joshua Hofer at joshua.hofer@sdstate.edu, 605.995.7378.
Sports

Scores from Tuesday

BOYS BASKETBALL=

Baltic 67, Parker 62

Belle Fourche 51, Sturgis Brown 43

Britton-Hecla 42, Wilmot 35

Burke 53, North Central, Neb. 40

Canton 54, Garretson 44

Chamberlain 47, Gregory 40

Corsica/Stickney 64, Avon 30

Dakota Valley 66, Beresford 35

DeSmet 57, Clark/Willow Lake 33

Dell Rapids St. Mary 67, Mitchell Christian 26

Elkton-Lake Benton 49, Castlewood 47

Ethan 85, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 55

Faith 67, Philip 21

Flandreau 68, Hamlin 46

Freeman Academy/Marion 63, Centerville 46

Gayville-Volin 50, Wausa, Neb. 16

Hanson 84, McCook Central/Montrose 51

Harrisburg 67, Brookings 32

Howard 54, Chester 40

Ipswich 46, North Central Co-Op 26

Lead-Deadwood 64, Newell 41

Lower Brule 72, Bennett County 31

Lyman 63, Sully Buttes 33

Mitchell 57, Sioux Falls Lincoln 45

Oldham-Ramona/Rutland 73, Alcester-Hudson 55

Parkston 59, Tripp-Delmont/Armour 21

Potter County 68, Miller 30

Rapid City Christian 90, Wall 36

Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 45, Hitchcock-Tulare 34

Sisseton 66, Milbank 54

St. Thomas More 49, Douglas 42

Timber Lake 63, Herreid/Selby Area 58

Tri-Valley 56, Madison 41

Viborg-Hurley 69, Bridgewater-Emery 33

Wagner 65, Irene-Wakonda 50

Warner 57, Aberdeen Christian 56

Waubay/Summit 77, Webster 47

West Central 68, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 55

Winner 68, Stanley County 56

Wolsey-Wessington 65, Lake Preston 28

GIRLS BASKETBALL=

Aberdeen Roncalli 57, Mobridge-Pollock 24

Alcester-Hudson 54, Oldham-Ramona/Rutland 35

Baltic 46, Parker 42

Belle Fourche 39, Sturgis Brown 24

Castlewood 49, Elkton-Lake Benton 36

Colman-Egan 46, Canistota 27

Corsica/Stickney 65, Avon 48

Dakota Valley 62, Beresford 38

Dell Rapids St. Mary 50, Mitchell Christian 32

Deubrook 56, Deuel 22

Ethan 67, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 37

Faulkton 61, Sunshine Bible Academy 4

Florence/Henry 57, Estelline/Hendricks 18

Garretson 70, Canton 54

Hamlin 46, Flandreau 45

Harrisburg 63, Brookings 29

Herreid/Selby Area 58, Timber Lake 51, OT

Highmore-Harrold 47, James Valley Christian 38

Howard 65, Chester 38

Huron 72, Pierre 71

Ipswich 64, North Central Co-Op 33

Irene-Wakonda 57, Wagner 45

Iroquois 48, Wessington Springs 47

Jones County 39, Kadoka Area 35

Kimball/White Lake 32, Platte-Geddes 31

Lemmon 40, Dupree 39

Lower Brule 58, Bennett County 34

McCook Central/Montrose 52, Freeman 44

Menno 56, Scotland 40

Miller 37, Potter County 31

Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 57, West Central 45

Newell 41, Lead-Deadwood 23

North Central, Neb. 47, Burke 14

Parkston 59, Tripp-Delmont/Armour 21

Rapid City Christian 59, Douglas 49

Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 43, Hitchcock-Tulare 42

Sioux Falls Christian 65, Dell Rapids 29

Sioux Falls Washington 67, Sioux Falls Lincoln 34

Sisseton 51, Milbank 31

Sully Buttes 52, Lyman 30

Tri-Valley 65, Madison 36

Viborg-Hurley 63, Bridgewater-Emery 50

Warner 45, Aberdeen Christian 36

Wausa, Neb. 56, Gayville-Volin 48

Waverly-South Shore 65, Clark/Willow Lake 51

Wilmot 51, Britton-Hecla 20

Winner 72, Stanley County 24

News, Story

2021 Policy Established During S.D. Farmers Union 2020 State Convention

Nearly 100 South Dakota family farmers and ranchers gathered virtually for the 2020 South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) Annual Convention December 9.
“Grassroots policy development is no less strong in a virtual environment,” said Doug Sombke, SDFU President and a fourth-generation Conde farmer. “I’m sure like everyone, I missed the 3-D experience. But even though we were unable to meet in person due to the pandemic, member engagement was strong, as our members discussed and voted on policy and special orders to address timely challenges facing our state’s family farmers and ranchers.”
Aberdeen farmer, Kirk Schaunaman agreed. “All things considered, for a virtual convention, I thought it was outstanding. It was really good. Great speakers, and technology-wise, it went smooth,” he said.
2020 is the first and hopefully the only time the more than a century-old organization met virtually. Schaunaman said he appreciated Sombke’s heartfelt message that addressed not only policy, but the very real struggle brought on by the pandemic. “We are in the middle of uncharted territory,” said Schaunaman, who recently lost his 91-year-old mom, Hazel, to COVID-19. “It’s the isolation and separation that makes this so difficult. We need to rally around our friends, neighbors and families and move forward the best we can.”
Sombke was one of four convention speakers. Other speakers included Keynote speaker, former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle; Hal Clemensen, CHS board member who farms in Spink and Brown Counties and Tom Boyko, General Manager East River Electric Cooperative.
“Even though it was virtual, we still had that education component that is so important to Farmers Union,” said Wayne Soren, SDFU Vice President and a Lake Preston farmer.
Schaunaman added that as one of the state’s largest and oldest farm organizations, SDFU policy remains relevant because, “We are a grassroots organization. I think we are open and transparent from our members to leadership,” Schaunaman said.
2020 policy discussion focused on everything from, truth in labeling of meat products, enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and not supporting the Governor’s decision to merge the S.D. Department of Agriculture with Department of Environment and Natural Resources to how federal COVID-19 funds should be distributed in rural America and including Inventory Management Soil Enhancement Tool (IMSET) in the next farm bill.
“Because our policy comes from our members, Farmers Union policy is as diverse as the family farmers and ranchers we represent,” Soren explained. “Agriculture is not a one-size-fits-all industry. Our farms and ranches do not all look alike.”
A member since the 1980s, Soren, 64, said that over the years, he knows of many examples when Farmers Union’s policy addressed timely issues facing agriculture and rural communities and it made a difference at the state or national level.
“One of my core beliefs is it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem. It may take one to figure out how to solve the problem,” Soren said. “I believe Farmers Union members do a really good job of identifying problems and coming up with solutions that become our policy.”
Once members vote to approve policy during the Annual State Convention, the new policy guides the organization in its efforts throughout the state. And some policy is brought to the National Farmers Union Convention where South Dakota’s delegates advocate to get it into national policy.
“This is what I love about being involved in Farmers Union,” said Hank Wonnenberg, 36, a Dallas farmer. “As members, we all have an opportunity and a platform for us to bring something to the group. And if the group agrees with it, we have a good chance of policy making it to the top where policy makers in Pierre and D.C. hear our voice.”
Wonnenberg was one of seven SDFU members elected to serve as a delegate to the 2021 National Farmers Union Convention which will be held virtually in March. The other delegates are agriculture producers: Bill Chase, Wolsey; Rob Lee, De Smet; Jeff Kippley, Aberdeen; Jenae Hansen, Redfield; Gerri Eide, Gettysburg and Rachel Kippley, Aberdeen.
Delegates also voted to approve re-election of board members: District 1: Mike Miller, Freeman; District 3: Gail Temple, Clark; District 5: Dallis Basel, Union Center and District 7: Chad Johnson, Groton.
The 2020 Special Orders approved by delegates are:
To learn more about these Special Orders and SD Farmers Union policy, visit www.sdfu.org.
Sports

Schedule for Tuesday

Boys and Girls Basketball

Winner at Stanley County

Sully Buttes at Lyman

Ainsworth at Valentine

Garretson at Canton

West Central at MVP

Parker at Baltic

Mitchell Christian at Dell Rapids St. Mary

 

Boys Basketball

Chamberlain at Gregory

Brookings at Harrisburg

SF Lincoln at Mitchell

 

Girls Basketball

Platte/Geddes at KWL in Kimball

Kadoka at Jones County

SF Lincoln at SF Washington

SF Christian at Dell Rapids

 

Wrestling

Dell Rapids and Lennox at Tea Area Tri

Brandon Valley and SF Lincoln at O’ Gorman

 

News, Story

South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation Accepting Applications for Scholarship Program

In 2016, a scholarship program was established by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation. The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation was formed to support the long-term viability of the South
Dakota beef industry by promoting the nutritional benefits of beef consumption and the value of modern production. This scholarship aims to identify and reward students who are interested in the improvement of beef production and promotion.

Scholarships of $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 will be awarded to five students from South Dakota enrolled in any post-secondary institution in South Dakota.

Members of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation invite students throughout South Dakota to apply for their scholarship program. The online scholarship application can be found at sdcfscholarships.com.  The Deadline to apply is Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 11:59PM CT.

Sports

Busy week for basketball coverage!

We will have plenty of basketball come your way this week on Magic 93! Tuesday, the Winner boys and girls will hit the road to take on Stanley County in Fort Pierre. Thursday, the Winner Lady Warriors will host the Burke Lady Cougars. Friday, the Winner boys and girls will head to Hartford to play West Central. Saturday, the Winner Warriors will host Sully Buttes. Each of these games will be aired on Magic 93. We will talk more about our coverage this week on sports.

News, Story

Governor Noem Announces Additional Small Business & Healthcare Grants

Governor Kristi Noem announced up to $345 million in additional grants for small businesses, non-profit organizations, and healthcare providers dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“South Dakota is in a strong position thanks to the amazing work of our small businesses and healthcare providers,” said Governor Noem. “This additional relief will help ensure that our economic engines continue to thrive and our healthcare providers have the resources they need to continue the excellent care they give to our friends, family, and neighbors.”

Eligible small businesses and non-profit organizations may apply for up to $195 million in grants to compensate for reductions in cash flow from September through November. Eligibility for the grant will be the same as the initial round of grants. Grantees from the first round will be eligible to apply for additional funding, and entities that have not previously applied will still be eligible as well.

The additional healthcare grants will help cover expenses and lost revenue in October and November for healthcare providers. $150 million dollars is available to eligible healthcare providers, with $75 million available for hospitals, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, and $75 million available for other community-based providers of safety net programs. To qualify, providers must deliver services in underserved areas of the state or to persons who are uninsured or part of a vulnerable population such as seniors, persons with disabilities, or children. Funds will offset increased costs and lost revenue due to COVID-19 and ensure continuation of essential healthcare services.

Applications for the additional grant will be accepted starting December 14 through December 20.  Additional information, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, is available at https://covid.sd.gov/smallbusiness-healthcare-grants.aspx.

Sports

Saturday basketball scores

Boys Basketball 

Aberdeen Christian 68, James Valley Christian 23

Chester 51, Garretson 50

Dupree 54, New Underwood 51

Groton Area 66, Britton-Hecla 45

Huron 65, Mitchell 59

Ipswich 54, Waubay/Summit 53

Langford 53, Leola/Frederick 45

Lead-Deadwood 67, Harding County 54

Lennox 51, Milbank 32

Madison 50, Elk Point-Jefferson 49

Parker 64, McCook Central/Montrose 44

Ponca, Neb. 66, Irene-Wakonda 43

Rapid City Christian 89, Philip 26

Sioux Falls Christian 79, West Central 39

Sioux Falls Roosevelt 80, Sioux Falls O’Gorman 73

Sioux Falls Washington 78, Brookings 39

Tripp-Delmont/Armour 53, Menno 32

Yankton 66, Rapid City Stevens 37

Girls Basketball

Bridgewater-Emery 61, Wessington Springs 16

Corsica/Stickney 71, Colome 36

Garretson 74, Chester 40

Harding County 37, Lead-Deadwood 36

Huron 65, Mitchell 59

Ipswich 51, Hitchcock-Tulare 30

Irene-Wakonda 69, Ponca, Neb. 41

James Valley Christian 33, Aberdeen Christian 30

Langford 41, Leola/Frederick 35

Lennox 41, Milbank 17

Madison 53, Elk Point-Jefferson 40

McCook Central/Montrose 56, Parker 16

Menno 41, Tripp-Delmont/Armour 37

New Underwood 52, Dupree 16

Newell 56, Bison 43

Philip 66, Rapid City Christian 65

Potter County 51, Lyman 46

Rapid City Central 84, Douglas 30

Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 62, Sunshine Bible Academy 20

Wall 56, Edgemont 38

West Sioux, Iowa 51, Alcester-Hudson 22

White River 68, Stanley County 27

Sports

A special night Friday for the Determan family

Friday night, December 11th, is a date that will not soon be forgotten by the Determan Family. Burke Lady Cougar Basketball Coach Ron Determan won his 500th career game as a head coach as Burke beat Kimball/White Lake, 51-49. Ron Determan said on Coaches Corner that it was an emotional moment after the game when his team congratulated him on the milestone and was proud of his team on how hard they fought for four quarters. In Plankinton, Coy Determan scored 43 points in the 65-64 victory for the Gregory Gorillas. Coy’s dad Jeff, the head coach for Gregory, spoke on Coaches Corner about how solid Coy’s ability was on getting to the rim, and also setting up his teammates for timely buckets.

Sports

Schedule for Saturday

Wrestling

Winner Area and Lyman at Gregory Tournament

Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes at Faulkton Invite

Chamberlain  at Rapid City Invite

Valentine at Gordon-Rushville

 

Boys and Girls Basketball

Platte/Geddes at AC/DC

Jones County at Highmore/Harrold

Valentine at Cozad

 

Boys Basketball

Lyman at Potter County

 

Girls Basketball

Corsica/Stickney at Colome

White River at Stanley County

 

College Football

Minnesota at Nebraska at 11am