Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

It is the first week of August and it is fair time.

The Mid Dakota Fair really picks up this week and runs through Saturday, Aug. 5.

The theme for this year’s fair is “4H Pride County Wide.”

Two breakfasts, two evening meals, ice cream social, Tripp County 4-Hers showing their animals are just some of the events planned for  several days of activities.

Here is a look at the day to day events planned:

Events on Aug. 2 will start at 5 p.m. with the rocket prep at the 4-H center followed by the launch at 5:30 p.m.

The 4-Hers can check in for the dog show at 5:45 p.m. with the show to start at 6 p.m.

From 6-8 p.m. youths can check in rabbits and poultry.

On Aug. 3 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. will be dairy cattle and dairy goat check in. The companion animal check in will be from 8-8:30 a.m.

Check in for sheep, swine and market goats will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

The companion animal, rabbit and poultry shows will start at 9 a.m. followed by the small animal round robin.

The kiddie train will run from 2-6 p.m.

The fashion revue practice will be at 2 p.m. with the style show at 7 p.m.

Youth in action finals will start at 3 p.m.

The ice cream social will be at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 4, is a full day of fun events.

The country breakfast, sponsored by BankWest, starts at 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

The swine, sheep and market goat shows will start at 8 a.m.

The kiddie train will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The youth inflatables will be up from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There will be a vendor show from noon to 7 p.m.

The dairy goat and dairy cattle show will start at noon.

There will be a livestock judging contest starting at 3 p.m.

Sign up for the pedal tractor pull will be at 4:30 with the pull at  5 p.m. This is open to all youth ages 4-12. The tractor pull is sponsored by Boerner Farms.

Farm Credit Services is sponsoring a community picnic at the 4-H Center from 5-7 p.m. on Friday.

There will be a corn on the cob eating contest at 7 p.m. This is sponsored by Ed and Bonnie Watzel in memory of Taylor Watzel.

New this year will be a concert featuring Rowan Grace who was featured on the Voice. The opening performance will be Winner’s own Emry Kaiser. The Aug. 4 concert is from 8-10:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds and is sponsored by Winner Area Chamber of Commerce. All 4-Hers will get into the concert for free. Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office.

Like Friday, Saturday will be full of events.

It will start with the community breakfast sponsored by Winner Livestock Auction Co and First Fidelity Bank. Eggs, ham and rolls will be served from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.

The beef showmanship, breeding beef, market beef, beef calf and club pen of three shows will all start at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The top beef at the Mid Dakota Fair will include champion breeding heifer, $250, sponsored by Peterson Beel LLP, champion market animal, $250, sponsored by Covey Custom Application, Reserve breeding heifer & reserve market animal, $100 each, First Fidelity Bank of Winner.

There will be prize money for other top beef all sponsored by the Tripp County Seedstock Producers that currently include 14 members: Covey Cattle, DeJong Ranch, DeMers Ranch, Forgey Angus, Graesser Brothers, Greenwood Red Angus, Larson Ranch, Littau Angus, Littau Land & Cattle, Novotny Angus, Odden Charolais & red angus, Ollerich Brothers, Raven Angus and Triple C Angus (Rob Cahoy).

The champion prospect heifer will receive $250, reserve champion prospect heifer, $100; champion prospect bull, $250; reserve champion prospect bull, $100; champion feeder calf, $250 and reserve champion feeder calf, $100.

A pie contest will start at 10 a.m. and the winners will be auctioned off at the premium sale at 7 p.m.

Again there will be the kiddie train, inflatables and vendor show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Buggy rides will be from 3-5 p.m.

The livestock round robin will start at 4:30 p.m.

A free community supper will be from 5-6:30 p.m. sponsored by Tripp County Water User District.

The silent auction will close at 5:30 p.m.

The premium sale will be at 7 p.m. and will open with pie auction.

There will be a youth dance from 9-11:30 p.m. This is for youth ages 8 to 18.

There will concession stand inside the 4-H Center. Schroeder’s Snak Shak will be offering food on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Friday and Saturday the Southern Belle Cattlewomen will have the concession stand. On Friday it will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 4-H leaders will have concessions outside near the show arena. This will be  for pop, water and snacks during the animal shows.

The Mid Dakota Fair is a community event. Come to the fair to enjoy good food, support the 4-Hers who work hard to show their animals, shop at the vendor show, bid on an item at the silent auction, listen to some great talent at a concert, compete in the open class or bake a pie for the pie contest.

By Bosten Morehart

Staff writer

The Youth Trooper Academy is full of great learning experiences and challenges that taught Emily Sachtjen plenty of new things.

Emily Sachtjen attended the Youth Trooper Academy from June 24 to June 26. The academy took place in Pierre at the Law Enforcement Training Center.

Sachtjen first heard about the academy when two troopers spoke at Winner High School.

“Two troopers came to Winner High School and did a presentation on the academy, then they basically gave you a form to fill out if you were interested and I filled it out, sent it in.”

After filling out the form she had an interview with the academy over the phone. She was then selected to attend and was one of the 24 selected from across the state.

Sachtjen said she is a little interested in law enforcement but also has other things planned out for the near future. “I’m starting the process of enlisting into the Air National Guard actually,” said Sachtjen.

Attending the academy was a way for her to see if she would like to be in the law enforcement field or not.

Enlisting in the National Guard is something she has thought of for a while and has always respected it. “The benefits are really nice but, I have just always had a high regard for military people. I think it would be cool to be in it,” said Sachtjen.

The academy was for 17 and 18-year-olds just entering high school or those who have just graduated high school.

While there she participated in several different activities that showed those who attended what some of the training the troopers go through is like.

Some of the activities they did were EVOC Range, which is defensive driving, firearms training, classroom work, and traffic stops. Her favorite one to participate in was the EVOC Range.

During the defensive driving course, they were able to go through a track learning technique of defensive driving. “We got to drive some old, not very old patrol cars. Like I got to drive a Dodge Charger and cruise around a whole track,” said Sachtjen.

During the firearms training they were able to use some of the firearms that the state troopers use. For the traffic stops, they did not actually pull anyone over, instead they just practiced it.

The classroom section of the training was for them to learn some of the criminal laws. Sachtjen mentioned one thing that they learned is what part of the law enforcement needs to have a reason to pull you over and who does not.

They also had the chance to put on the “bite suit” and have the dogs sent after them. She was not able to participate although she wanted to, because they only allowed those who were 18 to do so.

The Highway Patrol was not the only group there teaching them about law enforcement.

“They actually had a bunch of different law enforcement groups come in, they had FBI, Army National Guard, dispatchers came in, SWAT, the sheriff’s department came in a talked to us.”

The different groups that came in all talked about the different options you have when going into the law enforcement field. That allowed for them to see that there are more options other than just the Highway Patrol.

Sachtjen said that if she was to go into law enforcement it would probably be as a state trooper for the variety of work.

“I feel like they get to go more places, like they have a bigger jurisdiction than the town policemen. Town policemen usually have to stay in town versus highway patrolmen can go into a wider area and they also get called into crash sites and they get to help with some investigation stuff.”

During the week there were six to eight mentors that were troopers who were instructing those who attended. Those mentors shared stories with the academy students on their experiences while working in the field.

Although she experienced a lot while at the academy, Sachtjen mentioned that her favorite thing was not just one activity that they did.  “My favorite thing I took away from it is, it was a challenge,” said Sachtjen.

Early mornings of physical training, days full of work, keeping everything in perfect order is the challenge she mentioned, but that only gave her confidence.

“It was all just like a big change for me because I had never done something like that before, it’s nice knowing I can do a challenge like that.”