After an successful first 6 months in business, Berry and Basil in Chamberlain will host a “Half-Anniversary” event at their store beginning at the store at 10:00 a.m. Friday, April 16th and going until 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April  17th.  On Friday a wine tasting event will happen from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Discounts through the entire event include 15% off all dinnerware and 20% off all gourmet foods excluding wine.

There were several local elections in our area on Tuesday.

For the Winner City Election for Ward 3 Councilman between incumbent John Meyer and Brad Schramm,  Brad Schramm defeated John Meyer in a very tight race  53 votes to 52 votes.

For the Gregory City Ward 3 Councilman Election between incumbent Guyla Husman and James Sargent, Guyla Husman defeated James Sargent 65 votes to 20 votes.

For the Presho Ward 1 Councilman Election between incumbent Carl Brakke and Dan Meyer, Carl Brakke defeated Dan Meyer 26 votes to 8 votes.

For the School Board Election for Platte Geddes Schools, Ross Varilek and Mark Petersen won the two open school board positions with 285 and 192 votes respectively to secure a 3-year term on the board. The remaining contenders received the following number of votes:

Steve Olsen:  57

Tom Olsen:  162

Todd Strand:  74

Kipp DeGroot:  49

Jeremy Rasmussen:  98

There will be several local elections in our area today with polls opening at 7 a.m. and polls closing at 7 p.m.

There is a Winner City Election for Ward 3 councilman between incumbent John Meyer and Brad Schramm. The polling location is at the City Hall Council Chambers.

In Gregory, there is a Ward 3 Councilman election between incumbent Guyla Husman and James Sargent.  The polling location will be in the community room of the Gregory Memorial Auditorium.

In Presho, there is an election for Ward 1 councilman between incumbent Carl Brakke and Dan Meyer. The polling location is at Presho City Hall Community Room.

There is a school board election for Platte Geddes Schools. There are 2 open positions for 3 year terms each.  Those running include:

Ross Varlilek, Incumbent

Steve Olsen

Tom Olsen

Todd Strand

Kipp DeGroot

Jeremy Rasmussen

Mark Petersen

The polling locations are at the Community Building in Platte and at the American Legion Building in Geddes.

There will be several local elections in our area tomorrow with polls opening at 7 a.m. and polls closing at 7 p.m.

There will be a Winner City Election for Ward 3 councilman between incumbent John Meyer and Brad Schramm. The polling location will be at the City Hall Council Chambers.

In Gregory, there is a Ward 3 Councilman election between incumbent Guyla Husman and James Sargent.  The polling location will be in the community room of the Gregory Memorial Auditorium.

In Presho, there is an election for Ward 1 councilman between incumbent Carl Brakke and Dan Meyer. The polling location is at Presho City Hall Community Room.

There will be a school board election for Platte Geddes Schools. There are 2 open positions for 3 year terms each.  Those running include:

Ross Varlilek, Incumbent

Steve Olsen

Tom Olsen

Todd Strand

Kipp DeGroot

Jeremy Rasmussen

Mark Petersen

The polling locations are at the Community Building in Platte and at the American Legion Building in Geddes.

There will be a Spring vendor and craft show in Winner on Saturday, April 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Statewide Ag Building located at 201 Monroe St.  The event will include many various vendors as well as a quilt raffle  and a Spirit Gem fundraiser.

Governor Kristi Noem announced that she will name Aaron Scheibe as her chief of staff.

“Aaron Scheibe is a dedicated public servant with years of experience in state government,” said Governor Noem. “Aaron has a deep love for our state, and I appreciate his willingness to serve in this important role.”

Scheibe, an attorney, will leave his private legal practice to join the Governor’s Office. He previously served in Noem’s administration in 2019 as a senior policy advisor, working in policy areas including public safety, transportation, tribal relations, and energy. Prior to that, Scheibe served from 2014-19 as deputy commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and from 2002-13 as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State.

“I am honored the Governor has asked me to rejoin her administration at this crucial time,” said Scheibe.  “I look forward to working with the Governor’s team, her cabinet secretaries and their dedicated staff, and the Legislature to ensure South Dakota is an example of responsible, and responsive, government for years to come.”

A Pierre native, Scheibe is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and George Washington University School of Law. He and his wife, Laura, live in Pierre with their two sons.

Scheibe will assume his new role on May 1.

Update to the story.  Karlee and Kendall are home safe!  

This message was sent out on the Winner School District’s school reach.  Karlee Brozik and Kendall Dice, two students from the Winner School District are missing.  They may be in danger.  They are traveling in a 2007 dark colored Pontiac Grand Prix.  Please question your children if they may know the whereabouts of these girls.  If you have any information, please contact the Tripp County Sheriff or the Winner Police Department at 842-3600.

Governor Kristi Noem announced that she will appoint Tony Venhuizen to the South Dakota Board of Regents. Venhuizen will succeed Kevin Schieffer of Sioux Falls, whose tenure on the Board ended in March. He will depart his role as Noem’s chief of staff in late April, and his appointment will be effective at that time.

“Tony has been an incredible asset to our team, and he will be missed. I am so grateful for his leadership and service to the people of our state,” said Governor Noem. “His institutional knowledge and experience will be an asset to the Board of Regents, and I look forward to working with him in this new role.“

Venhuizen is a graduate of Armour High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University and his law degree from the University of South Dakota. Venhuizen has served as Noem’s chief of staff since April 2020, after having served in her office as a senior advisor. Prior to that, he served for eight years in the administration of Gov. Dennis Daugaard, including more than four years as chief of staff.

“It has been an honor to serve with Gov. Noem and her team over the past year, especially as our state confronted the COVID pandemic,” said Venhuizen. “I always intended for my return to the Governor’s Office to be for the short-term, and I am particularly honored that Gov. Noem has asked me to return to the Board of Regents.”

Venhuizen served previously on the Board of Regents from 2003-08, having been appointed three times by Gov. Mike Rounds as the board’s student member. He has served on the Board’s academic and finance committees and on three presidential search committees. While in the Governor’s Office, Venhuizen spent more than eight years as education policy advisor. He chaired the Council on Higher Education Policy Goals, Performance and Accountability and the Open Government Task Force. Venhuizen also served on the Blue Ribbon Task Force and the DakotaCorps Scholarship Board.

Venhuizen lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Sara, and their three children.

Update to the story.  Karlee and Kendall are home safe!  

This message was sent out on the Winner School District’s school reach.  Karlee Brozik and Kendall Dice, two students from the Winner School District are missing.  They may be in danger.  They are traveling in a 2007 dark colored Pontiac Grand Prix.  Please question your children if they may know the whereabouts of these girls.  If you have any information, please contact the Tripp County Sheriff or the Winner Police Department at 842-3600.