HOLIDAY FESTIVAL FUN FOR A CAUSE

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An annual event, signifying the holidays are just around the corner, is being held this weekend. The Winner Regional Foundation Board’s annual Holiday Festival will be held Saturday, Dec. 3, at St. Mary’s Hall. The event kicks off with a wine and beer social at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30.

Throughout the evening, many fun activities take place, all in the name of charity. The purpose of the Holiday Festival is to raise money to advance the quality of healthcare in the region through the support of Winner Regional Healthcare Center. All of the proceeds from this year’s Festival will go towards helping raise the necessary $3 million in local donations for Winner Regional’s expansion and renovation project. There are several opportunities throughout the night to help support this very worthwhile cause.

The Merry and Bright Ornament Sale is an opportunity to purchase 1 of 100 ornaments for $20. Each ornament is entered into a drawing to win 1 of 10 great prizes. Ten of Santa’s best stockings are up for auction throughout the night. Each stocking ranges in value from $300 to over $500 in cash or merchandise! A very popular fundraiser is the 12 Days of Christmas. Twelve beautiful ornaments are sold throughout the Live Auction and one winner’s name will be drawn to win the grand prize of a 15 piece Real Life Nativity Creche.

Bubbles and Bling is an exciting fundraiser that pairs champagne and diamonds! 200 glasses of champagne will be sold for $20 each. Each glass is numbered and two numbers will be drawn as the lucky winners of stunning diamond jewelry pieces.

Each year, various community partners are extremely generous in their support of the Holiday Festival and donate a wide variety of wonderful items for the Silent and Live Auctions held at the Festival. Items range from the latest in flat screen TVs, to shotguns and unique, handcrafted furniture. Following the Live Auction, guests can celebrate with dancing to the Tami Hall Band or simply enjoy the music and holiday atmosphere.

“We have a lovely meal planned, a beautiful, festive atmosphere created and many wonderful items to win. It’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season, and it’s all for a great cause!” stated Jody Engel, foundation director.

Is Your Car Ready for Winter’s First Punch?

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With colder weather coming, now is a good time to make sure your vehicle is up to winter’s icy test.

AAA suggests using this eight-point, do-it-yourself inspection checklist:

· Battery. Check for loose cables and corrosive buildup. Make certain your battery is fully charged. If it’s more than two years old, have it tested.
· Radiator. Fill as needed with 50/50 blend of anti-freeze and water.
· Windshield washer / wiper blades. Add no-freeze windshield-wiper fluid to the reservoir. Replace worn wiper blades.
· Belts. Make sure drive belts are tight but not cracked, glazed or frayed. Belts should not deflect more than half an inch when pushed with your finger.
· Hoses. Check for leaks, bulges and cracks. Make sure clamps are secure.
· Oil, transmission and brake fluid levels. Change oil and replace oil filter. Check your owner’s manual for the proper way to check your vehicle’s transmission and brake fluid levels.
· Air filter. Replace air filter every 7,500 miles or when dirty.
· Tires. Tire tread should be at least 1/16 of an inch on normal tires (past Lincoln’s head when inserting a penny into the tread, head first). Tires lose a pound of pressure for every drop of ten degrees Fahrenheit in the outside temperature. Inflate to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure (check owner’s manual or sticker on doorjamb).

When driving on ice or snow, remember that the trick is taking it slow and easy.

Skidding is caused by hard acceleration or braking, going too fast for conditions, and by quick, jerky movements with the steering wheel. Anticipate lane changes, turns and curves and slow down in advance. Aim high in steering, far down the road.

Allow yourself extra time – and be sure to clear all windows before starting to drive.

If your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, gain extra traction by placing heavy objects (cinder blocks, bags of sand) in the trunk of your car or in the bed of your truck. The sand can also be used to spread in front of power wheels to gain extra traction on ice. Clay-based kitty litter also works well.

Carry a winter trouble kit with you: good working flashlight with extra batteries, warm clothing (gloves, hats, scarves), blankets, jumper cables, cellular telephone and battery-charging cord, first aid kit, simple tools, ice scraper, snow brush, snacks, drinking water and paper towels.

Johnson Strings to Present Concert on Dec. 10

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The Johnson Strings will present a Christmas concert on Dec. 10 at the Assembly of God Church in Winner at 7 p.m.

Prior to the concert, there will be a supper from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

This award winning university trained family of eight combines instrumental expertise and tight vocal harmony to create a powerful performance. Their fiery fiddling, rich depth, soulful melodies and genre-breaking style draws listeners into the musical experience.

The public is invited to come and enjoy the music.

Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Training Division Graduates 44 Officers

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The South Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated 44 officers from across the state. Kyle Swedland of the Winner Police Department was among the graduating class and is pictured with South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. All graduates of the basic course must complete a 13 week program. The basic certification course is overseen by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy under the Office of the Attorney General.

“Congratulations to the graduating class for receiving their law enforcement certificate. On behalf of the law enforcement community and the people of the State of South Dakota, I thank you for your dedication to public service,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley

Rebekkah Steinwand Joins Swier Law Firm

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Swier Law Firm, Prof. LLC is pleased to announce the expansion of its nationally recognized legal practice with the addition of Rebekkah Steinwand.

Rebekkah will be joining the law firm’s office in Sioux Falls as a key member of the Family Law Practice Group. Her practice is focused on adoption, divorce, custody disputes, parenting time, paternity, guardianships, and protection orders.

“We are pleased to have Rebekkah join Swier Law Firm,” said Scott Swier. “Adding Rebekkah enhances the depth of our team and demonstrates the firm’s commitment to growing the Family Law Practice Group,” added Swier.

“I am excited to join Swier Law Firm because of its focus on legal excellence,” . Steinwand said. “Swier Law Firm is a firm that is receptive to innovation and change that provides value for our clients. Its values align well with my goal of striving for the best possible outcome for our clients. I look forward to being a part of the firm at this exciting time.”

Rebekkah earned her bachelor of arts in political science from Gustavus Adolphus College where she competed in intercollegiate athletics for the Golden Gusties. She earned her law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law where she was active in the area of children’s legal issues.

Wrestlers Open Season Dec. 3

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A new season will start soon for the Winner Area wrestling team.  The Warriors will open the season at the Kimball tournament on Dec. 3.

The Warriors have a new coach as Spencer Novotny has returned to his hometown to guide the wrestlers. The last six years Novotny was the wrestling coach in Mobridge.  Novotny graduated from Winner High School in 2004 where was a four year wrestler for the Warriors. His freshman year he was a state qualifier, his junior year he placed fourth and his senior year he was state runner-up.
His junior year, the Warriors were the state dual champs and his senior year Winner was the team champion.  Novotny went to college at Dakota Wesleyan University where he wrestled for three years and was a national qualifier.  Novotny student taught in Lead-Deadwood and helped coach wrestling.

The returning letterwinners are Wyatt Turnquist, Trevor Peters, Atlas Willuweit, Damian Bingen, Tristan Watzel, Tre Doren, Jayden Schroeder, Kayleb Brozik, Avery Gilchrist and Riggin Shippy.  Others on the team are Payton Antoine, Nick Blare, Chet Bryan, Noah Cerv, Landon Debus, Jaikob Week and Caileb Week.

The Warriors have five returning state qualifiers. Turnquist and Schroeder both placed 8th; Brozik, 4th; Doren, 2nd as he was then wrestling for Lake Andes and Willuweit.

Novotny says the team will be strong at the upper weights and the lower weights. In the middle will be a lot of younger wrestlers.
The coach says the team has been working on technique as well as live wrestling. “I use live wrestling as conditioning,” explained the coach.

Novotny says he has three goals for the team: Want to go undefeated in duals, win regions and be in the top 4 at state.

He says the Warriors have a tough schedule and will see some of the top teams in the state every week. The schedule allows the Warriors to get around the state. ”It will be a new challenge each week and that will benefit our team at the end of the year.”
Novotny’s assistant coach is Jayd Schuyler.

The wrestling schedule includes:
Dec. 3—at Kimball
Dec. 8—At Gregory/Wagner triangular
Dec. 9-10—at Rapid City
Dec. 16-17—at Valentine, Neb.
Dec. 30—at McCook Central
Jan. 3—at Stanley County
Jan. 6-7—at Lyman
Jan. 14—at Mitchell
Jan.17—at O’Neill/Valentine Tri
Jan. 20—Kimball/Philip Triangular in Winner
Jan. 21-Winner Invitational
Jan. 28—at Aberdeen Central
Jan. 31—Chamberlain/McCook Central Triangular
Feb. 4—at Big Dakota in Stanley Co.
Feb. 11—at Huron
Feb. 18—Regional in Wagner
Feb. 24-25—State tournament in Sioux Falls

3 Colome Cowboys Players on All-State Team

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Three members of the Colome football team have been named to the Class 9B all-state team.

Colome won the Class 9B championship over Langford Area and the Cowboy all state picks are Kelly O’Bryan, Matt Campbell and Wiley Heath.

O’Bryan was an all around asset for the Cowboys catching 31 passes for 525 yards, 8 touchdowns and racked up 1,280 yards of total offense.  For his career, the Colome senior had more than 60 catches for 1,045 yards and 15 touchdowns.  In the championship game, he was named the outstanding back.

Campbell helped pave the Cowboys to the state championship. Coach Dale Krumpus says Campbell is a “good, hard nosed football player.”  Campbell was named the outstanding lineman in the state championship game.

Heath was named to the defensive unit as a linebacker. Heath had 92 tackles for the season and recorded 201 tackles for his career along with 3.5 sacks. Krumpus said Heath’s top trait was putting himself in the right position to make the play.

Named to the honorable mention list was Colome’s Isaac Kortan.

Two Named to Elite 45

Two members of the Winner High School football team have been named to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 team.  Krockett Krolikowski and Cameron Kuil were named to the honor list which was announced on Thanksgiving day.

Success on offense starts with guys in the trenches. For Winner, Krolikowski served as the anchor for the offensive line that paved the way for a ground attack that averaged 320 yards and 50 points per game and powered the team to its second straight 11B championship.  On defense, he logged 47 tackles and six sacks.  An SDSU commit, he has been a key piece to Winner’s 24-0 run over the past two years.  “Krockett is truly one of those special players that does not come around very often,” Coach Dan Aaker said. “He is unbelievably quick for his size and is very physical. If the teams don’t double team him they are in trouble.”

Also named to the list was senior Cameron Kuil.  A constant threat to score, Kuil scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, four receiving  and returned three kicks for touchdowns.  On defense, Kuil racked up 30 tackles and picked off four passes two of which were returned for a touchdown.  “Cameron was a threat to score at every position he played on the field. In two separate games, he rushed for a touchdown, intercepted a pass for a touchdown and ran a kickoff back,” Aaker said.
“He is the ultimate team player who only cares about playing for his teammates.”

Winner players who received special mention were Drew DeMers and Jayden Schroeder.

In Class 9B, Kelly O’Bryan and Matt Campbell of Colome were listed as special mention.

Sarah Kindt, 96

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Sarah Kindt, 96, of Bridgewater, SD formerly of Winner, SD passed away on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 at the Diamond Care Center in Bridgewater. Graveside service will be held on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 at 11 a.m. at the Winner City Cemetery. Visitation will be held on hour prior to graveside service at the Mason Funeral Home.

Sarah was born on June 25, 1920, to Jasper and Tillie (Routenberg) Simkins of Carter, SD. She was married to Henry Kindt and lived on a farm southwest of Winner. To this union, 2 children were born. Karen Kindt and Terry (Marcia) Kindt .

Rodney Allen Hoffer, 60

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Rod was born Feb. 15, 1956 to Richard and Shirley (Chambers) Hoffer in Winner, South Dakota. He grew up and graduated from Winner High School. He met and fell in love with his high school sweet heart, Judy VanMatre. They were married Feb. 28, 1975 and resided in Winner most of their married life. They were blessed with 41 years of marriage. To this union they had two children, Nichole and Marie.

Rod loved spending time with his grandchildren and his four legged companions. He was an over the road truck driver. To pass his time on the road his favorite thing to do was write stories for his family. Rod and Judy moved to Rapid City in 2009 to be closer to their grandchildren. Rod worked for Western Provisions out of Sioux Falls at the time of his passing.