By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Attending Boys State and Girls State allows high school students to understand the workings of government.
Three Winner High School students who attended Boys State and Girls State spoke at the Winner Rotary Club on Thursday.
Finn Bartels and Michael Olson attended Boys State in Aberdeen. Adrienne Lewis attended Girls State in Vermillion.
All three enjoyed the experience.
Lewis represented the city of Miami and was elected city auditor. She was also elected county register of deeds. At the state level, she was elected to the senate and headed the transportation committee.
In the senate, one of her bill was passed. Lewis found out some girls have similar names and the spelling of their name is the same. This was a bill to add pictures on the ballot for future Girls State.
“I learned a lot about the different levels of government and how to be more involved,” she explained.
She also learned how to campaign for people you believe in.
Bartels represented the city of Phoenix. He was elected city postmaster and county chairman.
Bartels found it a great way to meet new people.
Olson represented the city of Honalulu and was the District 5 alderman. He then was elected District 5 commissioner and then elected sheriff.
At the state level, he worked with Bartels on a minimum wage bill.
“I enjoyed meeting new people I would have not met had I not attended,” he said.
Olson said Boys State taught him how complex government is and this experience will help him in the future.
Speaking at Boys State and Girls State were Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota congressional delegation.
Also representing WHS at Girls State and Boys State were Marissa Meiners and Ryan Sell. They were unable to attend the July 1 meeting so they will speak at a future Rotary meeting.
Boys State is sponsored by the American Legion and Girls State is sponsored by the Legion Auxiliary. It was held May 31 to June 5.
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order declaring a statewide state of emergency for drought conditions and allowing ditch mowing in Eastern South Dakota to begin effective immediately. As drought conditions continue to negatively impact feed availability for livestock across South Dakota, this order will increase access to hay for farmers and ranchers.
“Growing up on the family ranch, I know how difficult it can be to feed cattle during dry times,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “This increased flexibility will allow producers to immediately gain access to hay for their livestock. With a mild winter and early spring, most of the pheasant hatch is well behind us, and we do not expect this move to affect pheasant numbers. Reports from the field look fantastic for the upcoming pheasant hunting season.”
Executive Order 2021-09 is effective immediately and will remain effective through Aug. 31, 2021.
Colome Chaos notched four runs in the fifth inning to defeat Chamberlain 6-1 on July 1 in Colome.
The rally was led by a walk by Carter Brickman and a home run by Jackson Kinzer. This was Kinzer’s second home run of the season.
The Chaos had 11 hits. Ben Connot, Kinzer and Brickman had multiple hits.
Jake Luse was the winning pitcher. He pitched eight innings with Layton Thieman coming in for one inning of relief.
Colome Chaos is 6-5 in the Pony Hills League.
The next action for Colome is July 8 taking on the Kimball/White Lake Nationals.
The Plankinton Bankers come to Colome on July 11 for a 7 p.m. game.
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Health announced a preliminary list of conditions that will be covered by the state’s medical cannabis program, which went into effect on July 1 following the voters’ passage of IM-26 last November.
“Under the law passed by the voters, patients must be experiencing a ‘debilitating medical condition’ and be certified by a doctor that medical cannabis will help alleviate their condition,” said South Dakota Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon. “This preliminary list of conditions meets the definition as passed by the voters, and is a result of feedback the department has already received. A process will be available for South Dakotans to petition to add more conditions to this list in the future.”
The preliminary list of conditions includes:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease;
Multiple sclerosis (MS);
Cancer associated with severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting;
Crohn’s disease;
Epilepsy and seizures;
Glaucoma; and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
These conditions are in addition to the definition of “debilitating medical condition” as passed by the voters in IM-26, which is defined as, “A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe, debilitating pain; severe nausea; seizures; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.” The conditions listed above will be included in the final rules package proposed by the department.
For more information on South Dakota’s medical cannabis program, visit MedCannabis.SD.gov.
Memorial services for Ruby Graham age 77 formerly of Springview, Neb., will be held on Saturday, July 10 at 10:30 a.m. at United Methodist Church, Springview, NE. Burial will follow in Mt Hope Cemetery.
Ruby passed away at the University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., on July 1, 2021.
Mary Jane (Lang) Putnam, 85, passed away in her sleep Dec. 19, 2020 in Cathedral City, CA.
Burial for Mary Jane will be at St. John Catholic Church cemetery, Paxton, SD, on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 11 am.
Mary Jane was born in Gehring, Neb., on Oct. 20, 1935, to Irvin and Dolly Lang. Tragedy struck the young family when Mary Jane was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, a typically fatal disease for that time. Mary Jane often told the story of how she and her mother were quarantined alone in their house, and her father and siblings would just be able to talk through the window. No medicine was available locally, especially with the war effort on. Her father and uncle drove to Denver to pick up the medicine, and Mary Jane survived the deadly disease. Her mother tirelessly worked her legs so she could walk.
The family moved to Dallas, SD in 1945, where they farmed. Mary Jane attended Dallas High School, and was a member of the last graduating class, as the school burned down her senior year.
After graduation, Mary Jane attended Southern State Teachers College in Springfield, SD and obtained her teaching certificate. She also worked part time in her aunt and uncle’s restaurant in Dallas, which is where she met her future husband, Robert (Bob) Putnam. Mary Jane taught grades 1-8 in a one room schoolhouse during her courtship with Bob, and they celebrated their nuptials on June 8, 1955.
After her marriage, Mary Jane moved to Bristol, SD with her husband. Bob got in BIG trouble after he traded their house in town for a farm west of town without discussing the move with Mary Jane. By this time, the family had 5 children and Bob wanted his kids to grow up on a farm like he did.
Mary Jane became an amazing cook and baker after her husband “accidentally” dropped the first pie she ever made him. Family meals included her homemade bread, delicious desserts and home-grown beef. She was even known to make lefse and have a lutefisk party or two at her house. As the family grew, so did the amount of land she and Bob farmed. Their children did most of the farming, as Bob still worked in town at the local Cenex.
Mary Jane spent her free time enjoying arts and crafts. She spent many hours embroidering, which always brought beautiful memories of her mother, who taught her how to embroider when she was sick as a child. She enjoyed ceramics, cake decorating, macrame and quilting. She also worked part time as a substitute teacher for the Groton School District. She also enjoyed politics, and was very active in the SD Democratic party.
Mary Jane was an avid fan of music., a trait passed down to her from her grandfather, who used to entertain the family with his fiddle, and her parents, who loved going to dances. Her farmhouse was filled with tunes from Frank Sinatra to Wayne Newton to Bing Crosby. She had a lovely voice and often broke in to song. She loved going to Las Vegas to see the live shows of her favorite stars.
Bob and Mary Jane sold their farm after twenty years of farming, and moved to California. While in California, Mary Jane went back to school and obtained her degree in early childhood education, and taught pre-K until she retired. After Bob retired, they moved to Arizona and lived there until Bob passed away in 2015. Their years in Arizona were filled with golf and good friends.
Mary moved to Palm Springs, near her son Steven, and spent her final years singing and dancing through her last years of her life. Dementia robbed her of many things in her final years, but it never stopped her singing. Mary Jane serenaded all she met with her beautiful songs, and brought a smile to many.
Mary Jane is proceeded in death by her husband, Robert Putnam, her parents Irvin and Dolly Lang, and her brother Donald Lang.
Mary Jane is survived by her sister Beverly Steffan(Vern) and her 6 children, Rodney Putnam of Piedmont, SD, Michael Putnam(DaleAnn) of Peoria, AZ, Randall Putnam(Fanny), of Sioux Falls, Timothy Putnam (Tori) of Visalia, California, Cheryl Putnam (Matt) of Half Moon Bay, CA, and Steven Putnam (Rey) of Palm Springs, CA. Bob and Mary Jane were blessed with many grandchildren,and often joked that being a grandpa or grandma was much more fun than being a mom or dad. Included are Aubrey, Cole, Natalie, Valerie, Bridget, Katelynn, Hannah, Jonathan, Robby, Jake, Zach, and five great grandchildren.
Burial for Mary Jane will be at St. John Catholic Church cemetery, Paxton, SD, on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 11 am.
In lieu of flowers, Mary Jane’s family asks you to put on your favorite Sinatra song, and sing along, and, if you feel like it, dance a spin or two.
A salute to first responders will be the theme of the Winner Area Chamber of Commerce summer nights on July 8.
The Black Lab will be the sponsor and the event will be held in the second block of Main Street from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Mike Scott, executive director of the Chamber, said invited to this event are the Winner Police Department, Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, Tripp Country Ambulance, Fire departments from Winner, Colome, Witten and Wood , Winner Regional Health and Avera Medical of Winner.
Featured event will be a first responders relay trike race.
“This is a great way to show support to our first responders,” said Scott.
Uncle Roy and the Boys will be the featured band.
For the kids there will be lots of inflatables including a bouncy house, slide, obstacle course. There will also be rock painting.
There will be lots of food vendors.
Any vendor who would like to set up for the July 8 Summer Nights call the Chamber at 842-1533.
Mark July 8 on your calendar and be sure and enjoy all the good fun at Winner Summer Nights.
There will be two Summer Night events held in July. The second one will be the big BBQ competition and classic car show on July 31 on Main Street.
The classic car show is sponsored by Frontier Motors. The car show check in is from 3-5 p.m. with the show from 5-7:30 p.m.
Frontier Motors will have root beer and Coke floats from 6-8:30 p.m. There will be a free will donation with proceeds going to the Tripp County 4-H building.
Frontier Motors will sponsor a free movie at 4 p.m.
For the BBQ pit row there is still time for teams to sign up. Just call the Chamber office at 842-1533.
There will be lots of events going on the day of the BBQ competition. There will be entertainment from noon to 4 p.m.
There will be a blood mary making contest at 10 a.m.
A bean bag tournament will start at noon.
The tasting of the BBQ will start at 7 p.m.
The featured band will be Dustin Evans playing from 5-9 p.m.
Winner and Colome High School students have been honored with academic team awards.
Winner teams honored are boys basketball cheerleaders, boys basketball team, boys track and field team, girls basketball cheerleaders, girls basketball team, girls golf team, girls track and field team, one act play, student council, wresting team and year book.
Colome teams honored are: boys basketball cheerleaders, boys basketball team, boys track and field team, girls basketball team and girls track and field.
The South Dakota High School Activities Association academic team program is designed to recognize varsity athletic teams and fine arts groups for their academic excellence.
All varsity athletic teams and fine arts groups that achieve a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible to receive the award.
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