Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Alvina Wonnenberg, 96

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Funeral services for Alvina Wonnenberg age 96 of Gregory, South Dakota will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Park Performance Center at the Gregory City Park.    

The family asks that you bring a lawn chair, plan to social distance and please wear a mask. Burial will follow in the IOOF Cemetery.

Viewing will be Friday night, from6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon at Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home.

COVID-19 cases go up

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57 in a week In a week, the COVID-19 cases in Tripp County have increased by 57.As of Monday, Tripp County total cases were at 97. A week ago this number was at 40.

There have been eight persons hospitalized. Statewide, there were 173 new cases as of Monday with 2,890 active. There have been 202 deaths in the state.

Of the over 200 deaths reported in South Dakota, 161 are over the age of 60. Ninety-five are over the 80.There have been two deaths reported in the 20-29 age range.

Six percent of the state’s hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients and five percent of the state’s ICU beds are occupied by COVID-19 patents.

Robert Bob Berggren McCarthy II, 73

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Robert Bob Berggren McCarthy II went to his heavenly home on 08/29/20 from a stroke (not Covid-19).

He was born on 01/20/47 to Robert and Valerie McCarthy in San Francisco, CA. He graduated from Los Altos High School in CA. He then went on and got his BA from Westminster College in UT.

He joined the Air Force in 1969 and was a Sargent stationed at the radar site in Alaska. He was honorably discharged in 1973. He married Pam McCaskill in 1979 and they had one daughter together. They moved to Winner in the 1980,s but each went their separate ways. Bob however, stayed in Winner and made it his home for the past 30 some years.

Bob worked various jobs such as carpentry, laying tile, painting, remodeling a home and building things such as a deck for a house and a doll bed for his daughter, just to name a few, all in which he was a perfectionist.

In his early years in Maryland, he was a manager for a fish company and later managed restaurants. He enjoyed food and always insisted on butter. He love his pastries and coffee each morning and also fish for meals such as tuna, salmon, and walleye.

He had led an interesting life so stories he told of his life and experiences, with his dry sense of humor, kept people and friends wanting to hear more. While in Winner, Bob began a very close relationship with Mary Backus that has lasted over 28 years.

He is survived by his daughter Denise (Tim) Marten, grandchildren Angel and Nicholas of Aurora, CO. Brother Jim (Robin) McCarthy of Canon City, CO, and a niece, Kelly Barnes, and nephew, Jason McCarthy.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother.

He was known as Bob the Builder to many and will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Boys golf at chamberlain

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Ryder Halligan led the Winner Area golfers at the Chamberlain Invitational on Sept. 3. Halligan took fourth place with a 93. Karson Keiser took 8th place as he shot a 97. Both Halligan and Keiser received medals. Maxton Brozik took 14th with a 102 and Landon Calhoon took 16th with a 103. Winner High School junior Kaden Keiser placed 18th and shot a 108.

As a team, Winner took third place just one place out of second. Winner had a score of 395 and Mobridge/Pollock had a 394. First place went to Chamberlain with a 360.Winner had several middle school golfers place. Mason Beehler led the middle school as he placed 5th with a 49.

Carter Craven was 8th with a 54 and Brody Calhoon was 9th with a 54. Roper Moore shot a 60.The next action for the golfers will be Sept. 10 at the Big Dakota Golf tournament in Mobridge.

Events planned for Colome homecoming

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Colome High School homecoming will be held Sept. 10-11. The candidates for Cowboy and Cowgirl are: Allan McKenzie, Luke Bolton, Michael Supik, Linkyn Petersek, Lanie Bolton, Saydee Heath, Baylie Hoffine and Arista Kaiser.

Due to COVID-19 the coronation and roll call will have a different look. It will still be held on Thursday, but will be held at the football field. The coronation and roll call will start at 7:30 p.m. Nathaniel Hansen will be the MC. When the classes are named the alumni will stand but people will not come forward to give their name and city where they live.

The traditional crowning of the Cowboy and Cowgirl will be held.

Cowboy Olympics will be Friday morning and will be outside at the football field.

The homecoming parade will be at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Bobbi Viedt, a long time teacher at Colome, will be the parade marshal. Viedt taught at Colome for 42 years.

The theme of the parade is food/cooking.

The big homecoming football game will be Friday at 7 p.m. as the Cowboys take on Irene-Wakonda.



Labor day parade winners

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First place for best float in the Winner LaborDay parade went to Native American princesses.

First place for antique automobiles went to Bob Henley’s jeep driven by his family.

Second place went to a Chevy two tone car owned by Perry Bicek.Third place went to a 1947 Mercury owned by Keith Gebhart.

Taking the honors for antique machinery was an Allis Chalmers tractor owned by Roger Wonnenberg.

The Justin White family won first place for best horses and riders.

Second place went to Maree Pravecek.

The Winner High School band performed in the parade

GFP Commission Extends Pheasant Hunting Season, Keeps Bag Limits at 3 andAllows Unrestricted Harvest on Shooting Preserves

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PIERRE, S.D. – For the first time in the history of South Dakota pheasant hunting, pheasant hunters will be able to begin hunting pheasants at 10 a.m. CT (9 a.m. MT) for the entire pheasant season, including the resident-only season, which begins this year on Saturday, Oct. 10.   

Hunters will also have the opportunity to hunt ringnecks for a couple of extra weeks as the Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission extended the season to Jan. 31, 2021.    

These extensions will provide additional opportunity for hunters and bring South Dakota in line with pheasant hunting states like Nebraska and Kansas that surround the pheasant hunting capital.   

“It’s very exciting to offer these expanded opportunities to those who want to experience the greatest pheasant hunting inthe nation,” said Kelly Hepler, Secretary of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.   

“Behind Governor Noem’s Second Century Initiative, this is one more way we are working to secure South Dakota’s great outdoor heritage and the next 100 years of pheasant hunting in our state.”     

The commission ultimately decided to retain the daily bag limit of three pheasants for the statewide season, but did vote to adopt an unrestricted harvest opportunity for those hunting on a private shooting preserve from Sept. 1 through the end of the statewide pheasant season.

The commission amended the original proposal and voted to approve the modification allowing preserve hunters the opportunity if they obtained a statewide nonresident smallgame license plus a habitat stamp and, for residents, a combination license and the habitat stamp.   

To view the proposals in their entirety, visit gfp.sd.gov/commission/information. Audio from the meeting is available through South Dakota Public Broadcasting and will soon be available on the GFP website as part of the meeting archive.

Velma J. Yates, 92

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Graveside services for Velma J. Yates, 92, of Chamberlain, SD was held    at 10:30 am, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020 at Riverview Cemetery in Chamberlain.                           

Velma was born on June 4, 1928 in Tripp County, South Dakota, to Theodore & Gertrude (Larsen) Larson. She attended grade school at Gassman School in rural Tripp County and attended high school in Winner, SD, graduating in 1947. After graduating high school, she attended Notre Dame (DWU) for two summers whereshe received her teaching certificate.

In 1948, she started teaching at the Wolcott School in Lyman County. She went on to finish her teaching career at Cooper Schoolin Lyman County.                       

On August 27, 1950 Velma united in marriage to Robert (Bob) Yates, towhom they had two daughters, Marla and Carlene. After the birth of her children, Velma held many jobs including a dental assistant for Dr. Mueller, a stylist at Al’s Oasis Gift Shop, and lunch lady at the Chamberlain School District. Being the lunch lady brought her the most joy as she was known as “Grandma” by all.                       

After retiring, she enjoyed tending to her lawn, visiting neighbors, cleaning the ditches, chopping thistle and tending to the neighborhood gardens. You could always spot her around town in her red “Chamberlain Booster Club” jacket.    Velma passed away on Sept. 1, 2020 at her home in Chamberlain.                       

Grateful for having shared her life was her daughter, Carlene (Herman) Petersen of Chamberlain, SD, five grandchildren, Brock Frederick of Chamberlain, SD, Mark (Dee Dee) Petersen of Platte, SD, Kimberly (Roger) Nelson of Spencer, NE, Lori (Nate) McQuirkof Oacoma, SD, Robert (Leah) Frederick of Oacoma, SD, 11 Great-grandchildren, brother Darrell (Frances) Larson of Hamill, SD, sister Fern Zastrow of Sioux Falls, SD, and many nieces and nephews.                                               

Preceding her in death are her parents Theodore and Gertrude Larson, husband Robert Yates, brother Glen Larson, daughter Marla Frederick, son-in-law Dale Frederick, brother-in-law Matt Zastrow, and many aunts, uncles and relatives.

COVID cases rise in Tripp Co.

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New positive cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Tripp County.

Over the weekend there were two new cases bringing the total here to 22.

Statewide, there were 380 new cases on Sunday and 425 new cases on Saturday. Monday the number of COVID cases went down to 187 with 76 persons hospitalized. South Dakota added more than 2,000 new infections in seven days—from 22,27 to 13,233 – and the number of active cases grew from 1,551 to 2,644.

Of the new cases on Sunday, about 60 percent were in people under 30.

Thirteen were in children under 10 and 60 more wee between 10-19.

Patients in their 20’s made up 154 of the new infections.