Monthly Archives: February 2016

by Katie Hunhoff

South Dakota Magazine writers explore our state’s culture, history and people in about 50 articles a year, printed in six issues. We put care and dedication into each magazine, but there is a lot more of South Dakota to explore, so several years ago we launched a new website, www.SouthDakotaMagazine.com. The content is completely different than what you find in your mailbox. We share ideas, stories and recipes and update every day — something you can’t do in print.

One web series that we are particularly proud of is our “66 County Tour.” Managing Editor John Andrews is doing a fun piece on each of our counties. Every article includes history, news, unique facts and interesting tidbits on the featured county. And each could be used as a unique road trip guide.

For example, spend a day in Bon Homme County and you could see the miniature Eiffel Tower in Tyndall, the county seat, and visit the resting place of six unknown soldiers from Custer’s Seventh Calvary at the Bon Homme Cemetery. We recommend stopping to taste a kolache — a traditional fruit-filled Czech dessert — at Tabor’s Czech Days or the bakery in Tyndall, and ending your trip with a stop in Scotland to see a new 5-by-10-foot mural that remembers a local veteran, painted by world renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris. The painting is in honor of Leon Woehl, who was aboard a B-17 that crashed in Germany in 1944. The mural shows the crash, and Nazi soldiers searching for Woehl and the other B-17 crew members who hid in the woods until their capture.

John has completed 18 of the 66 counties. All 18 are unique, and surprised us with little-known facts. Did you know that Sully County was once a refuge for African Americans fleeing from racial persecution? A man named Norvel Blair, a slave from Tennessee, created the Sully County Colored Colony in the 1880s. And did you know that a tiny town in Campbell County really wants you to move there? Herreid, pop. 43, offers $5,000 for families purchasing a home or building a new one in town.

Visit our online County Tour to learn other fun tidbits, like which county has buried treasure from Mexico, which county is known for its lawnmower races (mowers are divided into three classes: stock, modified and outlaw) and which is the home of the first Lakota to serve in Congress. Our website is also where we showcase some of our state’s finest photographers, share great ethnic recipes and local events.

Our print magazine is our baby, but we love staying in contact with our readers in between print editions. Stop by and say hello!

Gasoline prices have fallen for 18 consecutive weeks in South Dakota, tumbling to an average of $1.703 for a gallon of regular today, according to FuelGaugeReport.AAA.com.

The state price has dropped seven cents in the past week and is at its lowest point since before 2008 due to weak demand and crude oil inventories that are at their highest level for this time of year in nearly eight decades.

“To be honest, we’re just not sure if gas prices have hit rock-bottom yet,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “Gasoline demand typically begins to increase in February, reaching its peak in August. Plus, this month also marks the beginning of the spring refinery maintenance season. The combination of increased demand and reduced supply often leads to upward swings in the price at the pump. We’re watching for that to happen again this year.”

Today’s, Feb. 9, national average gas price of $1.73 per gallon is 45 cents below the price one year ago and $1.08 less than the 2015 peak price reached this past June. The U.S. pump price average has fallen six cents in the past week and 23 cents over the last four weeks.

Slower-than-expected growth in China, a strengthening U.S. dollar, and ongoing speculation about what, if any, deals the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may attempt to broker on production are all weighing on the global oil market. Market fundamentals remain skewed due to oversupply and geopolitical tensions, including those between OPEC member countries, have had little impact on price due to the market’s current supply/demand imbalance.

Skylar Forgey of Colome set a pair of records for the Dakota Wesleyan University track team at the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic Friday and Saturday in Brookings.

Forgey clocked a 1,000 meter time of 2 minutes, 57.56 seconds to finish third out of 51 runners and set the DWU record for the event on Friday.

On Saturday, Forgey finished 12th in the 800 meter run with a school record time of 2:17.02.
Forgey qualified for the NAIA national indoor track and field championships in both events.

Skylar Forgey of Colome, a member of the indoor track team at Dakota Wesleyan University, has qualified for the indoor national champions in the 800 and 1,000 meter runs. The championships are March 4-5 in Johnson City, Tenn.