Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Scarecrow contest to welcome hunters

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Pheasant hunting season is just around the corner and Winner Area Chamber of Commerce wants to give a proper welcome to all the hunters who come to the Winner area.

“We want to do a better job of welcoming hunters,” said Mike Scott, executive director of the Chamber.

He said the Chamber is trying to improve its visibility in welcoming hunters to the area.

One of the ways to do this is to host a scarecrow making contest.

The contest is open to all businesses, organizations or individuals. The scarecrow is to be made with a welcome hunter’s theme.

The deadline to enter the contest is Oct. 15. A picture of the scarecrow must be sent to the Chamber office by that date.

Applications can be obtained at the Chamber office or on line. Persons are asked to fill out the bottom portion of the application  and return it to the Chamber.

Scott says the displays can inside or outside. If they are inside, they should be somewhere that is visible to the customer.

There will be a first, second and third place winners. First place will receive $300 in Winner Cash with second place, $200 in Winner Cash and third place $100 in Winner Cash.

Another way the Chamber is welcoming hunters is with the purchase of “Welcome Hunters” banners that will be hung on Main Street. The colorful orange banners will be eye catching.

The Chamber has also purchased signs to be displayed at each  end of Winner and at the airport.

The Chamber is asking businesses to wear orange shirt or Hunt SD t shirts on the first three Fridays of pheasant hunting season.  

Pheasant hunting season starts on Oct. 16.

On Oct. 15, the Chamber is asking that businesses that dress in orange to take a picture and send it to the Chamber e mail.

The Chamber has the special Hunt SD t shirts available to buy. They are designed for both Winner and Colome.

The Chamber is asking that businesses who dress in orange to take a picture and e mail it to the chamber at thechamber@gwtc.net

The business will be entered for a special drawing.

“We want to make sure we welcome hunters to town with our western hospitality,” said Scott.

Class of 1970

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Dan Bechtold/Winner Advocate Photo
The Class of 1970 held their class reunion during Winner’s homecoming. Due to COVID-19 this 50 year class did not have a reunion last year so they celebrated their reunion this year. Pictured in front from left are Deb (Kirksey) Engel, Colome; Kathy (Woods) Nielsen, Winner; Vicki (Snow) Alter, Rock Hill, S.C.; Vicki (Pederson) Brown, Worthig; Caryl (Kappelman) Hesslink, Verona, Wis.; Kathy (Springer) Taggart, Winner; Alice (Schwartz) Graham, Topeka, Kan.; Peggy (Shea) Palecek, Philip; Mary Ellen Hartman, Portland, Ore.; Barb (Hinman) Chauncey, Carter; Eileen (Carlson) Swank, Crystal Lake, Ill.; Kathy (Soles) Scott, Council Bluffs, Neb.; Kathy (Petersen) Fritz, Volga. Second row from left are Pat Peters, Lead; Kathy (Gran) Calhoon, Winner; Judy (Ringstmeyer) McCready, Winner; Doug Kartak, Carter; Mary (Storms) Marso, Victor, Mont.; Rita (Jelinek) Neyens, Winner; Kitty (Bailey) Little, Winner; Karen (Kauer) Bertram, Winner; Bev (Backeberg) Axtell, Wewela; Jean (McCabe) Couch, Ft. Madison, Iowa; Scott Carr, Winner and Jerry Chauncey, Carter. Third row from left are Ron Hossle, Hamill; Dave Allibone, Sioux City, Iowa; Ron McCready, Winner; John Fisher, Winner; Ross Merchen, Omaha, Neb.; Kenny Kauer, Winner; Ron Weidner, Winner; Dennis Assman, Winner; Sharyl (Schramm) Hutchison, Chamberlain; Noreen (Laudenslauger) Phipps, Rapid City; Rick Palecek, Philip; Anita Brozik, Derby, Kan.; Gary Steele, Firestone, Colo.; Chuck Mills Winner; Susan Sawyer, Avon; Deb (Dodson) Counsman, Brandon, Fla.; Skip Edwards, Winner; Greg Jorgensen, Winner.

Winner High School Class of 1961

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Dan Bechtold/Winner Advocate Photo
Winner High School Class of 1961 held its 60th class reunion at homecoming. Pictured in front from left are Rick Moore, Sioux Falls; Linda (Watzel) Hall, Arlington, Va. and Bill Schwartz, Topeka, Kan. In back from left are Dan Goodwin, Sioux Falls; Chuck Schramm, Sioux Falls; Bob Benson, Winner and Shirley (Strain) Bauer, Rapid City. Not pictured are Ray Bartels, Butch and Joyce Best, Driel (Johnson) Meiners, LeRoy Varilek.

Winner High School class of 1956

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Dan Bechtold/Winner Advocate Photo
Winner High School class of 1956 held its 65th reunion at the Winner homecoming. Pictured in front from left are Ronnie Horstman, Winner, Donna (Earll) Moosmeier, Winner; Gloria (Nelson) Rowe, Witten; Harold Watzel, Winner; Jim Schramm, Winner. In back from left are Alice (Clark) Minchow, Winner; Janet (Schramm) Bruun, Winner; Marilyn (Fladabo) Laudenslauger, Winner and Rose (Ahlers) Rush, Winner.

10-digit phone dialing to become mandatory

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South Dakotans are encouraged to start using 10-digit dialing to make all local phone calls. This could be a harsh realization for many that dialing all 10 digits of 605-(area code)-(last four digits) might not be programmed into cell phones or in land-line speed dials, or other electronic communications devices.

This transition is a necessary first step in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) move to establish 988 as a new three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This will be required beginning as early as Oct. 24, 2021, and no later than July 15, 2022, depending on your telephone provider.

Every customer with a number from the 605 area code will change to the mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls. Dialing 7 digits for  local calls will be prohibited for all customers in the entire area code.

“South Dakota’s area code remains 605,” said Leah Mohr, deputy executive director S.D. Public Utilities Commission. This action describes “the FCC’s move to establish 988 as a new three-digit dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which would require states with a 988 prefix to begin using a 10-digit code, including area code, to make local calls beginning Oct. 24, 2021.

In addition to changing your dialing patterns, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission recommends you take steps to update all contact lists ahead of the upcoming deadlines.

The PUC also suggests you take the time to update or reprogram all services, automatic dialing equipment or other types of equipment that may be programmed to complete calls using only seven-digit phone numbers.

“If you take a look at the technology you use on a daily basis or have in your home or office, you may find many devices or services with programmed call settings that will need to be updated. These can include smart home devices, home security systems, medical monitoring devices, calling networks within companies and call forwarding or voicemail services, just to name a few,” said Kristie Fiegen, vice chair PUC. “Taking the time to update these systems now will help ensure they continue working properly long past the required implementation deadlines.”

South Dakota is not the only state required to make the change. Nationwide, over 80 area codes in 36 states will be affected to ensure easy connection to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,” said Commissioner Gary Hanson.

Offices to close for holiday

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Government offices in Winner will be closed on Monday, Oct. 11 in observance of Native American Day.

The Tripp County Courthouse will be closed. All state and federal offices in Winner will not be open for business.

The city of Winner office will also be closed on Oct. 11.

The Winner Post Office will be closed and there will be no city or rural mail delivery.

Financial institutions in Winner and Colome will not be open for business on Native American Day.

There will be no noon meal served at the Winner Senior Citizens Center.

Southern Plains Behavioral Health Services will be closed on Oct. 11.

Winner High School Class of 1981

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Submitted Photo
The Winner High School class of 1981 celebrated its 40th reunion at homecoming. Pictured in front from left are Glen Novotny, Tammy Whitley, Deb Smith, Deanne Bolton, Barb (Berger) DeSersa, Darla (Butler) Orel, Bart Naasz, Roger Farley and Todd Moser. Second row from left are Monte Mayes, Anna (Hockett) Nesseth, Janet (Brunkow) Kauer, Stacy (Risseeuw) Halverson, Denise (Heinzman) Olson, Mary (Almendinger) Farley, Craig Schaeffer, Kevin Orel and Eric Gebhart. In back from left are Brad Hennebold, Bill Mann, Scott Nespor, Sayna (Nagel) Gregg, Mark Collins, Sandy Croston, Lori (Supik) Weaver, Jeff Gustafson, Kathy (Moeller) Mach, Gregg Ulmer and Todd Hansen.

Rodney King, 70

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Funeral Services for Rodney King age 70 of Gregory, South Dakota, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. at the Winner-Ideal Community Center, Winner, SD. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. in Bull Creek Miniska Presbyterian Cemetery in Dixon, SD. There will be a wake service on Friday at 7 pm at the Community Center in Winner, SD.

Class of 1971

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Submitted photo
The Winner High School class of 1971 held its 50th reunion at homecoming. Pictured in front from left are Kathy Kaiser, Winner; Cheryl (Holman) Williamson, Reliance; Dixie (Dreyer) Nilson, St. Paul, Neb.; Liane (Pospisil) Christensen Winner; Diane (Kirksey) Kathol, Lincoln, Neb.; Marcy (Hecht) Allibone, Sioux City, Iowa; Debbie (Schwinler) Jorgensen, Winner; Jane (Anderson) Assman, Winner; Kim (Ehrlich) Boe, Lennox; Alona (Butterfield) Burtz, Winner; Malon Burtz, Winner; Bob Littau, Carter. Second row from left are Randy Sprenkle, Sioux Falls; Nell (Heying) Ryno, White River; Tim Sander, Acampo, Calif; Debbie (Bittner) Almen, Gillette, Wyo.; Dori (Fisher) Simonton, Granbury, Texas; Darla (Adel) Hosek, Lawrence, Kan.; Norma (Kaiser) Keiser, Winner; Linda (Novak) Connot, Valentine, Neb.; Connie (Steiger) Christensen, Winner; Dwight Hossle, Faulkton; Pat Steele, Winner; Kevin Peters, Winner; Curley Parlet, Whitewood; Ross Neyens, Winner; Jim Pajl, Yankton; Monte Hopkins, Winner. Third row from left are Brent Snow, Sturgis; Bob Sala, Sioux Falls; Dave Hosek, Lawrence, Kan; Mylan Schroeder, Alcester; Dan Long, Omaha, Neb ; Davis Hoverson, Manvel, N.D.; Dennis Kaiser, Winner; Brad Carlson, Colome; Dick Kulbel, Yankton; Jack Williams, Winner; Gary Sharkey, Gillette, Wyo. Not pictured are Carol Olson, Seabrook, Texas; Lynn (Wortman) Hotz, Larchwood, Iowa; Tom Wortman, Arizona; Randy Braley, Yankton; Rick Kartak, Winner; Warren Lapsley, Ideal; Janet (Woidneck) Fenenga, Hamill; Paula (Daughters) Spense, Elkhorn, Neb.

Mary Chasing Hawk, 59

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Mary Chasing Hawk, 59, of Winner, South Dakota, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021 at the Winner Regional Hospital in Winner, SD. 

Funeral service were held on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 at 12 p.m.  at the Winner Middle School Gym.  Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery.  Wake service  began on Wednesday and Thursday Sept. 29 and 30, 2021 at 7 p.m. at the Winner Middle School Gym.

Mary Frances Chasing Hawk (Blacksmith) was born on Jan. 7, 1962 to Alvin and Frieda Blacksmith.

Mary Frances Blacksmith and Nelson Chasing Hawk received the blessing of marriage in April 1983 at his Grandpa Bill’s (Bill Schweigman / Chief Eagle Feathers) Traditional Cultural Camp in the Two Strike Community.

Mary passed away Sept. 23, 2021 and at time of death her and Nelson have been together for 43 years since she was 16 years old and Nelson was 14 years old.  They had 4 children; Marie, Nelson Jr., Casey and Rebeca and 2 grandchildren Delilah and Delrick.

Mary sun danced for 24 years and a lot of those years she helped with and took care of what needed to be done with the ceremony.  She was really proud and enjoyed her life within her spiritual beliefs.

Mary really enjoyed being around children, her siblings and Nelson’s siblings even their grandchildren called her grandma.  Even non-natives called her mom or grandma.

Mary had a very friendly personality, she was very well liked by her family and friends both native and non-natives referred to her either by mom or as grandma.  She was well liked by her bosses and co-workers, fellow students and instructors.  When she saw her grandkids playing outside she would always be happy to see them she’ll say hi and if she had something she would give it to them like candy or whatever and watch them get excited over it that made her feel good to see all her grandkids happy.  She always got her own grandkids whatever they wanted, she just loved to see them happy.  When her granddaughter wants her no matter how she felt or what time it was late at night she would sit there with them.  Mary always talked to all her friends and family and would give them advice.  She had a big heart no matter who it is was she was always kind to everybody she met.  Mary and Nelson went back to school where they both received their bachelor’s degrees.

She is survived by her children Marie Chasing Hawk, Nelson Chasing Hawk Jr., Casey Chasing Hawk, Rebecca Chasing Hawk and her sisters and brothers Marilyn and (Darrel) Herman, Dorthy Heth, Alva and (Norman “Levi”) Chasing Hawk, Alice Blacksmith and Dawn & (Tim) Sharkey, David Blacksmith and Martha Blacksmith.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother Alvin and Frieda Blacksmith, her sisters; Veneda Eagle Hawk/Andrews, and Elizabeth Blacksmith, Grandmother Mercy Andrews and father and mother in law Norman Sr. and Clarice Chasing Hawk.

Mary loved being with her family and her grandkids, she was deeply loved by all her family and friends and will be forever in our hearts and forever missed.