Avera Gregory Administrator Begins One-Year National Guard Deployment

Anthony Timanus image with helicopter

Avera Gregory Hospital Administrator Anthony Timanus departs his role as leader of the health care facility to return to a role he knows well.

The father of five will begin a one-year deployment to Southeast Asia where he’ll serve as company commander of C Company, First Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment of the South Dakota Army National Guard. Timanus, who has held his position with Avera Gregory for six years and who also serves as administrator of Rosebud Country Care Center – Avera Health, said his unit will provide medical evacuation services to U.S. and allied forces in his area of operations.

Timanus, a U.S. Army Major, leads a unit that consists of 139 soldiers and 15 aircraft. He said considering this is his first deployment 10 years, he’s assured in those who will continue care in his adopted hometown.

“I served 11 years of active duty and deployments are hard, but my wife, Karen, and I are in a good place. She has a lot of family here to provide support,” he said. “I feel better about this one compared to others. I am indebted to Avera leaders as well as my Gregory team.”

Bryan Breitling, CEO of the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller, S.D., will serve as interim administrator of Avera Gregory. Breitling, who aided Timanus during his career start with Avera in 2011, said he’s done well for the community and the hospital.

“Anthony’s deployment demonstrates his willingness to serve our nation as well as our health system,” said Breitling. “I’ll split time between Miller and Gregory and have full confidence. I look forward to supporting its excellent work. Gregory has dedicated staff across the board.”

Katie Biggins, RN, Avera Gregory Director of Clinical Services, said Timanus will certainly be missed. She helped more than 150 staff and family surprise him with a party the week before he departed.
“Tony’s a commendable leader; we all wish him well in his mission,” she said. “We have a lot of pride in his service and sacrifice. We all look forward to welcoming him back once he’s finished.”

Curt Hohman, Avera Senior Vice President for managed facilities said Avera’s focus on serving others is embodied in Timanus’ sacrifice.
“We wish Tony the best on his deployment and realize his dedication to his country and to us is exemplary,” said Hohman. “We know he’s setting a great example through honoring his commitment to our mission as well as his military mission. We applaud him for serving and thank him for that level of unselfishness.”

Timanus said he’s felt honored to Hohman and his entire Avera team for its unyielding support.

“They have shown a commitment to me throughout my Avera career and I appreciate that support, as does my family,” he said. “Bryan will do a great job and not much will change – the excellence in care will certainly not falter. They will be in great hands.”

R.E.D. Shirt Friday Event to Recognize Deployed Service Members

RED FRIDAY

South Dakota employers, schools and residents are encouraged to show their support for all service members deployed overseas by participating in R.E.D. (Remember Everyone Deployed) Shirt Friday.

The South Dakota National Guard, Ellsworth Air Force Base and the S.D. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve invites the public to participate by wearing a red shirt on all Fridays while South Dakota citizens are deployed to remember and honor all members of the military for their service to the state and nation.

An Aug. 25 R.E.D. event is being held to highlight the nearly 125 members of the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing currently deployed overseas. Throughout the past year, the SDNG has been highlighting deployed units and individual members during R.E.D Friday events.

“Wearing red shirts on Fridays sends a strong and unified message to our service members and families that they are not forgotten and we appreciate their sacrifice to our country,” said Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, adjutant general of the SDNG. “Wearing a red shirt is a simple gesture, but the meaning behind it is significant.”

Gov. Dennis Daugaard has demonstrated his support by signing a proclamation announcing all Fridays that South Dakota citizens are deployed in harm’s way to be R.E.D. Shirt Friday in South Dakota.

South Dakota employers, schools and citizens are encouraged to provide additional support by:
* Sign a Statement of Support through the ESGR to show your support (for more information about this please contact MAJ Lona Christensen, SD ESGR Program Director, at 605-737-6540)
* Sending cards/letters to the unit or someone in the unit
* Create a banner or video from your organization to send to the unit
* Check in with the family of a deployed service member
* Provide a meal for a family of a deployed service member
* Use the hashtag #RememberEveryoneDeployed when posting your pictures to social media sites
* Send a picture of your company to redshirtfriday.southdakota@gmail.com and we may share your picture through our social media sites
* Support the S.D. Veteran’s Home in Hot Springs or a veteran service organization in your community

Currently, there are more than 300 South Dakota Army and Air National Guard members and about 550 Airmen from Ellsworth Air Force Base deployed to various location around the globe.

A South Dakota Senator’s Role in Labor Day

kyle, james with history story

Labor Day is a time to fire up the grill, wave summer goodbye and celebrate American workers.

A South Dakota senator played a major role in establishing the federal holiday.

On Aug. 28, 1893, Sen. James Kyle of South Dakota introduced S. 730 to the U.S. Senate to make Labor Day a legal national holiday on the first Monday of September each year. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill on June 28, 1894.

By then, a fall holiday called Labor Day was already being observed. Beginning in the late 19th century, parades, picnics and other celebrations took place to support labor issues such as shorter hours, better pay and safer working conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

On Sept. 5, 1882, a pivotal event occurred in New York City when an estimated 10,000 people marched in what became the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. Other cities began to have parades to show the public the strength of the trade and labor organizations, followed by a festival for the workers and their friends and families. States began making Labor Day an official public holiday.

In introducing the legislation, Kyle said that labor organizations were united in asking that the first Monday of September be set apart as a holiday in order to make the observance uniform. This would result in workers enjoying vacation privileges on the same day, according to the Dec. 1, 1965, issue of “The Wi-Iyohi,” a monthly bulletin published by the South Dakota State Historical Society.

Prior to serving as a U.S. Senator, Kyle served as pastor at the Congregational Church in Aberdeen and as finance officer for Yankton College. A speech he delivered at a Fourth of July celebration in Aberdeen in 1890 vaulted him to public attention.

According to “The Wi-Iyohi,” Kyle spoke in favor of women’s suffrage and prohibition, and took a swing at big corporations, banks and railroads. This speech resulted in Independents nominating Kyle for election to the state senate. He won and headed to Pierre in January 1891. At that time, the Legislature chose South Dakota’s U.S. senators, and the 36-year old Kyle was chosen on Feb. 16, 1891, to succeed Gideon Moody.

He entered the U.S. Senate as an independent and Populist and aligned with the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Senate.

Kyle was re-elected in 1897 as an independent. Republican legislators supported him, and he aligned with the Republican caucus in the U.S. Senate for his second term.

“Analyzed it is evident that Mr. Kyle had one quality that was his best asset. The belief of both his political friends and his political enemies that he was honest, non-partisan and would represent the people of South Dakota regardless of their political faith,” said South Dakota Gov. M.Q. Sharpe during a Labor Day radio address in 1946.

Kyle attracted nationwide attention as senator.

“Of the new men whose entrance to congress was a surprise to the country I considered Senator James Henderson Kyle of South Dakota among the clearest headed … As a senator of the United States he is quiet, cautious and level headed,” stated an article in the Wichita Daily Eagle on Feb. 23, 1894.

Kyle’s name again appeared in newspapers nationwide in the spring and summer of 1894 when lobbyist C.W. Buttz, originally from North Dakota, was accused of attempting to bribe Kyle and Sen. Eppa Hunton of Virginia to vote against a tariff bill. A senatorial investigating committee found Buttz guilty of offering a bribe, despite his denial, and exonerated the senators from all blame.

Born in Ohio, Kyle moved to Ipswich in 1885 and then to Aberdeen in 1889. He remembered Aberdeen as a U.S. senator, securing funding for a Carnegie Library in that city. Through his efforts an office of the internal revenue collector for the Dakotas was located in Aberdeen and he was instrumental in having Aberdeen designated as a place for holding federal court, according to the July 15, 1901, Dakota Farmers’ Leader.

Kyle died on July 1, 1901, in Aberdeen at the age of 47. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Aberdeen.

“Labor never had a better friend than Senator Kyle,” said his successor as senator, Alfred Kittredge, when memorializing Kyle, “and no one better understood its needs or extended a more sympathetic and helping hand. As a boy he worked upon the farm to aid in securing the education he so eagerly sought and highly prized, as a man and Senator he did not forget the labor of his youth.”

Kyle’s name lives on in the South Dakota town named for him, and in the holiday honoring the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of this country.

This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to submit a story idea.

Outdoor Youth Day is Aug. 19

PHEASANTS FOREVER

Pheasants Forever will hold an outdoor youth day on Aug. 19. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rosebud Arrow, Rod and Gun Club in Winner.  The gates will open at 8:30 a.m. for check-in.  The outdoor youth day is for youth ages 5 to 16 and the event is free.

Among the events will be archery, shotgun, air rifle, goose calling, .22 rifle, casting, slingshot, bb gun, mock pheasant hunt.  There will be something for everyone and if you attended last year’s event you are welcome to come back again this year.

Lunch and will be served and prizes will be awarded. Prizes to be won are: shotguns, archery bow, prairie dog hunt, pheasant hunt, rifle, fishing package, turkey hunt, guided fishing trip.

Among the co-sponsors are: Jorgensen Land and Cattle, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Rosebud Arrow, Rod and Gun Club, National wild turkey federation, Rocky Mountain Elks Foundation, Borderline Bassmasters and Tripp County 4-H Office.

Persons who have questions can call Mike Scott at 840-9992 or Tim Pravecek at 830-0220.

Pedal Pull Winners

PEDAL PULL

There were 64 kids who took part in the pedal tractor pull at the Mid Dakota Fair in Winner.

Girls results include:
5 year old—1. Elsie Sargent, Clearfield; 2. Jordyn Ishmael, Clearfield; 3. Lexie Boerner, Winner
6 year old—Draya Haase, Winner
7 year old—1. Ryann Assman, Winner; 2. Amelia Boerner, Winner
8 year old—1. Jaelyn Assman, Winner; Lainey Dobson, Gregory
9 year old—1. Deborah Harris, Colome
10 year old—1. Tessa Sieh, Winner; 2. Iris Clark, Colome
11 year old—1. Cassidy Seeking Land, Winner; 2. Raesha Beck, Gregory; 3. Akane Metcalfe, White Lake
12 year old—1. Nicole Davis, Winner; 2. Karlee Brozik, Winner; 2. Selah Harris, Colome

Boys results include:
4 year old—1. Marshall Watzel, Colome; 2. Draven Haase, Winner; 3. Ethan McMurtrey, Winner
5 year old—1. Jensen Braton, Wenatchee, Wash.; 2. Aaron Chauncey, Carter; 3. Haydon Grossenburg, Winner
6 year old—1. Paxton Pravecek, 2. Jackson Grossenburg, Winner; 3. Easton Shippy
7 year old—1. Clay McMurtrey, Winner; 2. Ryken Kaup, Winner; 3. Brennan Beck, Gregory
8 year old—1. Jed Blare, Hamill; 2. Jadyn Ishmael, Clearfield; 3. Oren Sargent, Clearfield
9 year old—1. Owen Lopez, Monroe, 2. Carter Foster, Winner; Tristin Davidson, Colome
10 year old—1. Jad Leber Gregory; 2. Isaiah Soesbe, Winner; Andrew Henderson, Hamill
11 year old—1. Stetson Shelbourn, Colome, 2. Lucas Flemmer, 3. Garret Phillips, Winner
12 year old—1. Lathan Wilcox, Sioux Falls; 2. Caleb Boerner, Winner; 3. Jude Sargent, Clearfield

FFA Advisor Proud of Winner Students

ffa dejong

Wyatt DeJong, Winner High School FFA advisor, is pleased to have six of his students earn the American FFA Degree.
The six graduates of Winner High School who received the honor are Calah Covey, Payton Eagle, Nick Hossle, Sam Hossle, Lucas Jedlicki and Lesley Soles.

The American FFA Degree is awarded at the National FFA Convention & Expo each year to less than 1% of FFA members making it one of the organization’s highest honors. In addition to their degree, each recipient receives a gold American FFA Degree key. To be eligible for this degree, each member must have been an active member for the past three years (36 months), have a record of satisfactory participation in the activities on the chapter and state levels, earned at least $10,000 and productively invested $7,500 or earned and productively invested $2,000 and worked 2,250 hours in excess of scheduled class time in their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE), have participated in at least 50 hours of community service within at least three different community service activities, and have met the minimum scholastic requirements.

This year, 38 FFA members from South Dakota will be awarded their degree at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo this October in Indianapolis, Ind. Of those 38 members, Winner FFA has 6 members that earned their degree.
Calah’s SAE is in the area of beef production entrepreneurship where she raises registered Hereford cattle that she shows and sells. Calah has increased her herd to more than 30 cows over the past six years and it has opened many doors for her at the local, state, and national levels. Calah has received many scholarships through her project and is currently at SDSU for Agricultural Education.

Payton’s SAE is in the area of equine science entrepreneurship where she trains and manages nine horses for both pleasure riding and advanced competitive rodeo. Payton has taken her work with horses on to the next level as she competes on the SDSU rodeo team and is pursuing her education to become a veterinarian.

Nick’s SAE is in the areas of beef production placement and forage production placement where he has accumulated more than 3,000 hours over the past five years working for his family’s farming operation. Nick works with all aspects of the operation and is currently enrolled at SDSU for Agricultural Education.

Sam’s SAE is in the areas of beef production entrepreneurship & placement, agricultural services placements, and agricultural production sales placement. Sam raises Hereford and Maine-Anjou cattle that he uses for showing at local, state, and national shows. He has also accumulated many hours working at DeJong Ranch, Olson Fencing, and Winner Food Center. Sam is currently enrolled at MTI on a Build Dakota Scholarship studying Precision Agriculture Technology.

Lucas’s SAE is in the areas of beef production placement and entrepreneurship. He has amassed more than 5,000 hours working at Assman Lovejoy Cattle Company and Mathis Brothers while he was in high school. Lucas has developed his passion for raising cattle and has worked extensively on bettering his understanding of all aspects of beef cattle management.

Lesley’s SAE is in the areas of food service management, home and community development, and agricultural business management placement. Lesley worked more than 1,000 hours at Elder Inn while in high school where she primarily worked in the food service area. In addition, she has also had a summer internship with Country Pride Cooperative while she was in college. Lesley is currently enrolled at SDSU in Agricultural Education.

Mathis Named “Champion Griller”

champion grillers at fair

Parker Mathis was named the champion griller at the Mid Dakota Fair.  Reserve champion was Payton Fisher.

There were 10 kids in the competition sponsored by Winner Area Chamber of Commerce and Winner Livestock Auction Co.
The contestants were: Matt Brozik, Jaden Graber, Rowdy Moore, Riley Schroeder, Megan Brozik, Aryn Meiners, Melanie Brozik, Sully Shippy, Parker Mathis and Payton Fisher.

Storm Does Damage in Winner, Surrounding Area

water waves at ace hardwardhail at ace hardwaire

Strong winds, heavy rain and lots of hail pummeled Winner and the Tripp County area Saturday afternoon.  The storm started around 4:30 p.m. with pea sized hail in Winner and as the storm continued to rage the hail got bigger. Some people in the Colome area reported golf ball sized hail.

The hail did a lot of damage as it broke windows in homes and drove holes on home decks.  Paint was peeled off of some homes.

After the hail ended, the downpour of rain lasted for several hours. Winner received 4.15 inches of rain.  Some people reported receiving greater amounts of rain.  The heavy rain caused flooding in some areas.

In Witten, Melvin and Wilma Harter reported they received 3.8 inches of rain.  A tree fell on the home of Neal and Jean Shutt in Witten and part of the tree went all the way through the home into the laundry room.

Sunday, after the storm ended people were busy cleaning up the debris and assessing damage to their property.

Winner High School Homecoming Parade Theme Chosen

keiser-in-homecoming-parade

The Winner High School student council has been busy working on the 2017 homecoming.   The theme chosen for this year is “Hollywood Homecoming.”  The WHS homecoming will be Sept. 28-29.

The student council is asking for nominees for parade marshal for the homecoming parade.  The parade marshal will be announced at the coronation on Sept. 28.  The parade marshal will lead the parade on Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.

Persons who would like to nominate someone are asked to send a short letter stating a little bit about the person. This information can be sent to Mona LaCompte at Winner High School at P.O. Box 231 Winner, S.D. 57580.

Persons who have questions can call LaCompte at 840-1835 or Winner High School at 842-8125.

Tripp County 4-Hers Prepare for State Finals

4H

Tripp County will have a large showing of youth at the annual 4-H Rodeo Finals held in Fort Pierre on August 18, 19 & 20th. This will wrap up the 4-H rodeo season for the year, so youth will be working their hardest to earn the top place. There are four divisions in 4-H rodeo: Senior Boys, Senior Girls, Junior Boys and Junior Girls. Senior division ages are 14-18 and Junior division ages are 8-13.

There are two performances held, youth will either draw up on Friday evening/Sunday morning performance or Saturday morning/Saturday night performance. To determine who earned 1st, it’s based on an average of both performances, for this reason, they will be competing for the fastest, smoothest run for most consistency in the timed events and in the rough stock they will be competing for the highest score.

The Senior Division of boys include: Wyatt Cahoy, steer wrestling, team roping and calf roping; Kolton Salonen, saddlebronc; Wiley Heath, team roping and calf roping; Riggin Shippy, bull riding; Jamin Dougherty, team roping; Dawson Phillips, team roping and calf roping.

The Senior Division of girls include: Baylie Hoffine, pole bending; Sydney Hollenbeck, pole bending, barrel racing and ribbon roping; Arista Kaiser, breakaway roping and goat tying; Saige Schuyler, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping.

The Junior Division of boys include: Blake Volmer, flag race; Seth Heath, flag race, breakaway roping and goat tying; Riley Shippy, goat tying and steer riding; Stetson Shelbourn, breakaway roping and flag race; Burner Schenefeld, flag race, breakaway roping and goat tying; Linkyn Petersek, breakway roping, goat tying and flag race; Garret Phillips, goat tying and flag race.

The Junior Division of girls include: Ashlyn Hoffine, barrels; Saydee Heath, pole bending, breakaway roping and goat tying; Saylor Schuyler, pole bending; Summer Romero, pole bending.