Monthly Archives: May 2015

Name:  Bruce DeMers

Birthplace: Gregory Hospital

Family: Wife: Patty DeMers, Daughters: Danielle (Daniel) Stroud and Kasey DeMers

Currently reside where: Colome

Occupation: Farmer/Rancher/Truck Driver

One or some civic/private board(s) on which you serve or group(s) you belong to that you feel should be listed here: Colome City Council, St. Isidore Catholic Church, Colome Volunteer Fireman

The best thing about my job is: I’m my own boss.

My favorite childhood memory: family reunions

When growing up, I wanted to be: rancher

My most prized possession: my family

Favorite sports team(s): Colome Cowgirls/Cowboys

Favorite current television show: Big Bang Theory

Favorite past television shows: Friends

Favorite movie(s): The Hunt for Red October

Favorite actor(s): Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford

Favorite actress(es):Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock

Favorite musician(s)/band(s): Cher, Meatloaf, AC/DC

Favorite holiday(s) and why: Christmas and Thanksgiving, seeing all the family at our get-togethers

Hobbies: Running and hiding from “honey-do” projects.

Three things that can always be found in my refrigerator: Milk, tea, eggs

My favorite snack: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Pet peeve(s): People who expect me to text when they know I don’t do it.

Someone I most admire and why: My father, because he gave me the interest and opportunities to ranch/farm.

Three words that best describe me: sociable, God-fearing, feisty

People would be surprised to know: that my favorite response is “Yes, Dear” and that I did have HAIR at one time!

I’ve never been able to: dunk a basketball

I wish I could stop: chewing

When nobody is looking, I: whistle

I’m better than most at: problem solving

The best time of my life: my daughters’ births

My most embarrassing moment was: Almost passing out at my daughter’s birth

I’d like to have a dollar for: every drop of milk that I milked in past years

If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d go to: Australia

If I won the lottery: I would travel.

My definition of a great evening is: get-togethers with friends and family

A goal I have for the future: Incorporate my children into the family ranch.

The best thing about where I live: Friends and family

If I’ve learned one thing in my life, it’s: Everything changes. Life is an on-going learning experience.

John Simpson of Hamill has written a new book called “West River Vol. 2.”

Simpson wrote his first book, “West River  1858 to 1910” in 2000 and has researched the second book ever since.

During the past few years, Simpson has had some illness issues.

An employee of the state veteran home, Shirley Schumacher, volunteered to edit and do all the artistic work for Simpson’s second book.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

The imagination of two boys has turned a front and side yard of a Winner home into a make believe farm.

Rylee Schroeder, age 9 and his brother Rustin,  are busy every day after school  building fences and working the cattle in the farm they have created at the home of their grandmother, Joyce Heath of Winner.

The boys are the sons of Rhonda and Jeremy Schroeder who farm 32 miles from Winner near the White River. The boys have grown up around cattle and ranch life so each day for two hours after school they use their creative minds to work on their “farm.”

Rylee is in the third grade and Rustin is in kindergarten. Joyce picks up her grandsons every day from school and from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. they “farm” in Joyce’s yard.

Tawny Sherman of Winner, is a recipient of a $1,000 Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) scholarship. Sherman is a 2015 graduate of Winner High School. She plans to attend Dakota State University in Madison.

Graduating high school seniors whose families are customers of MRES member municipal electric systems are eligible for the scholarships, which MRES awards annually. Sherman’s family is a customer of Winner Municipal Utilities.

Recipients who meet certain performance criteria each year are eligible to renew their MRES scholarships for up to three additional years.

MRES retained an independent scholarship management company to select the successful applicants. Academic achievement accounted for 50 percent of the selection criteria. The balance of the criteria consisted of a combination of factors including work experiences, activities, awards and honors, and career goals and plans. Applicants also were required to provide a brief narrative about their municipal utility.

“Our scholarship recipients are outstanding students and they have proven themselves to be assets to their schools and communities,” said MRES Member and Communications Director Joni Livingston. “MRES is pleased to recognize their achievements and we are confident they will make great contributions in the future.”

MRES, headquartered in Sioux Falls, supplies wholesale electricity and energy services to 61 member communities — including Winner — in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

The Winner School Board unanimously approved the architectural services contract with Upper Deck of Rapid City at a special meeting on May 19. At an earlier meeting, Upper Deck was hired as the architect for the proposed armory auxiliary gym.

The contract service fee is 7.05 percent of the total bid on the building.

The 12 member auxiliary gym planning committee met at 5 p.m. on May 20 and the committee’s first meeting with the architect was on May 26.

One of the first things the school district must do before building starts is have a topographical survey and also a geotechnical survey. Upper Deck will assist the school district in finding firms to conduct these two studies.

In other business, the school board approved the 2015-2016 negotiated agreement with the Winner Education Association. The main points of the agreement were that the base salary went from $31,000 to $32,200; the signing bonus was increased to $2,500; another health insurance deductible option was added at $3,500 and the district will contribute $500 a month toward health insurance, the district evaluation policy was set to model the state evaluation model and in extracurricular a competitive cheer assistant coach was added.

The  business manager was authorized to send out revised certified contracts.

Kent Lein was hired as a 5^th grade math and science teacher. For the past five years he has taught at Crow Creek.

The board accepted the resignation of pre-school aide Deb Hannett. She has been an aide for 12 years.

The school board approved a weighted GPA policy for AP/dual credit classes at the high school. The policy says high school grade point averages will be based upon a 4 point scale for all courses offered in the regular high school curriculum. An additional .25 will be added to this point value for all approved dual credit AP courses that a student is enrolled in through the school. In the instance of a dual credit AP course, an A is valued at 4.25 points, a B is valued at 3.25 points, a C at 2.25 points, a D is valued at 1.25 points and an F is valued at 0 points.

A revised prom form was approved. The new addition says that a student will obey the established dance/dress guidelines. A parent/guardian will be called if a student leaves the dance before 10:30  p.m. Parents are asked to provide a telephone number where they can reached from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. the day of prom.

Student helpers for the summer will include: Sydnie Peters, Jayden Schroeder, Jordan Turgeon, Isaac Naasz, Luke Engel and Brendan Harter. The adult helper will be LeeAnn Fisher.

Several Winner High School speech students attended the meeting.

The school board met in executive session to discuss a contract issue.

The Winner Youth Fishing Day will be held May 30 at the Winner youth fishing pond at 9^th and Grant St.

Check in is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and no later than 9:30 a.m.

Fishing will start at 9:30 a.m. At noon will be the weigh-in and awarding of prizes.

At 1 p.m. there will be a free lunch provided by BankWest.

There is no pre-registration. The age divisions are: 3-6, 7-10 and 11-15.

Each youth will receive a prize to take home.

There will be  three top places in each age group for both boys and girls for the total weight of all fish. There will be fishing poles for first place; tackle boxes for second place, tackle pack for third place. There will be prizes for the biggest bass and prizes for the biggest other fish.

Rules include that no boats will be allowed, youths cannot combine fish with each other, follow state limits and regulations and kids must reel in their own fish.

The fishing day is sponsored by DB’s Bait and Tackle and BankWest.

Persons who have questions can call DB’s Bait and Tackle at 842-2199.

Tiffany Weidner graduated from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark., on May 16. She received a doctor degree in medicine.

The hooding ceremony for her doctorate was held on May 15.

Weidner is daughter of Fred and Burdena Weidner of rural Winner.

Dr. Weidner will start her surgery residency this summer at Mayo Clinic affiliate in Scottsdale, Ariz. She will spend five years in the residency program.

by Dan Merritt, Advocate reporter

There is an emphasis in overweight America these days on “lite.”

But “lite” quilts?

Yes, light quilts when they are being used as night coverings in the Congo of Africa. It’s hot there.

“So we are not putting a regular batting in the quilts. We are just putting used, thin flannel sheets.

“They’re not going to be heavy and hot,” noted Lori Miller of Winner.

She’s the wife of Bruce Miller, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Winner.

The church has been making four quilts the past few months for the children of a missionary couple of the national American Baptist Churches organization, which the church in Winner is affiliated with.

It’s a project that Miller worked-on at a time  when a group of local Winner quilt enthusiasts met recently.

Two Winner students graduated from Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown.

Grace Ernest graduated with a major in occupational therapy and Patrick Aeschbacher graduated with a degree in welding technology.

The Winner HuntSAFE (Safety And Firearms Education) course is going to be held June 5^th-6^th at Rosebud Arrow, Rod, and Gun Club from 6-9 p.m. on June 5 and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 6.  Successful completion of a HuntSAFE course is required for any youth under age 16 to be able to legally purchase a South Dakota hunting license. The classes are designed to teach the fundamentals of being a safe, skilled and responsible hunter. The most important part of the course is how to handle firearms responsibly. The classes are taught by certified volunteer instructors and assisted by the local Wildlife Conservation Officer.

The class is free, registration should be done online prior to June 5^th. But you can still register the first night. Students must attend both sessions.

HuntSAFE courses are designed for persons age 12 through 15, but everyone including parents are certainly welcome. Persons who are 11 may participate, but will not be issued a Hunter Safety certification card until their 12th birthday, unless the card is clearly marked that the card is not valid until the person’s 12th birthday. Exception: If a student’s 12th birthday falls on or between September 1 and December 31, he/she will be issued a card and is eligible to obtain a license and hunt beginning September 1 of that year. Once again the class is free, so I invite everyone to attend.

More info about HuntSAFE is available online at www.gfp.sd.gov.  If you have any questions contact Wildlife Conservation Officer Chris Dekker 842-0894 or email christopher.dekker@state.sd.us.