Only a
week after winter weather brought snow and ice to the Winner area, the
temperature in Winner on April 11 set a new record. The record high last
Tuesday was 93 degrees.
This
breaks the 38 year old record of 90 degrees set in 1985.
Relative humidity fell into the teens and twenties across most of western South Dakota, plunging much of the area, including Tripp County, into a red flag warning and extreme fire danger.
A handful of fires broke out in western South Dakota and north central Nebraska with the biggest in the Cody, Kilgore area of Nebraska.
Though
warm on April 12, the temperature was not as hot as the day before and the wind
was not as strong. As of 1:30 p.m. on April 12 the temperature in Winner was 78
degrees.
History
will be made when the first pitch is thrown in the Winner Area softball game on
April 13.
Winner
Area will host Wagner at 5 p.m. at Jaycee Field.
This is
the inaugural season of girls softball in South Dakota.
Cheyenne
Dougherty is the head coach with Shawna Kaiser as the assistant coach.
Dougherty
is a 2020 graduate of Colome High School and she grew up playing softball and
having a love of the sport.
She is
excited for the season to start.
There
are 19 girls on the team which are made up of Winner and Colome girls in high
school and middle school. Dougherty says five of the members of the team are
from Colome.
Playing
on the team are: Jaelyn Assman, Alexis Bennett, Brindy Bolander, Melanie
Brozik, Lashanna Connot, Madelyn Danford, Shayne Day, Tienna Evans, Tila
Harter, Sophie Hofeldt, Ellison Kaiser, Aleya Miller, Maree Pravecek, Katie
Pederson, Karlene Preslicka, Shannon Rank, Emily Sachtjen, Emma Vandenbark and
Reagan Vaughn.
The
seniors on the team are: Brindy Bolander, Melanie Brozik, Aleya Miller, Shayne
Day, Sophie Hofeldt.
Dougherty
said the girls have had two outdoor practices with the rest inside at the
Armory.
“We are
trying to get our hands on the ball and get some conditioning going,” said the
coach.
In
addition to afternoon practices, there have been some early morning sessions.
When
asked what she is looking forward to, Dougherty said “I am hoping we can have
fun and learn about softball. Wins and losses don’t matter to me as long as we
are having fun and learning softball,” she said.
Dougherty
explained Shawna Kaiser had reached out to her to see if she had the time to be
the head coach. Dougherty was also contacted by Brett Gardner, Winner High
School activities director.
Dougherty
says she enjoys the role of a coach.
There
are six games scheduled with the April 13 game the only one in Winner. There
will be a Sweet 16 game where teams will qualify for the state tournament which
will be held in Aberdeen the first three days of June.
A game
planned for April 1 in Mobridge was postponed due to the weather.
The
board of directors of the South Dakota High School Activities Association
sanctioned high school softball in November of 2021 with spring of 2023 being
slated as the inaugural season.
Peggy Ann (Pejsa) Fast, 72, of Redfield,
SD, passed away at home on Saturday, April 8, 2023.
Visitation, with family present, will be
from 5-6 p.m. on Friday, April 14, at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield. Her memorial service, with Shane Croeni as
celebrant, will follow at 6 p.m.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Hyke Funeral Home
(www.hykefuneralhome.com).
Peggy was born in Winner, SD and raised in
Keyapaha, SD, on the family farm. She was the fourth child of six children.
Peggy attended country school and graduated from Gregory High School. Peggy
married Roger Allen Fast on May 9, 1970. They resided on the family farm (in
Clearfield) and brought four wonderful children into this world together. Upon
Roger’s passing in 1984, she and the kids packed up and moved to Redfield and
made it their home in 1985. Once settled, Peggy began her passionate work-life.
Peggy was a jack of all trades and had multiple different talents, especially
hidden ones, but her most favorite job was “cleaning all of her houses” for
numerous individuals in Redfield. She lived by being able to help whomever,
however and whenever. As many would say, she lived at work but loved her family
and friends more. No matter where she traveled or whom she met, they were
welcomed with open arms and soon became family. Her hobbies included traveling
all over the state, with a lead foot “and her old girl by her side”, to watch
all of her grandkids in their numerous sporting events and activities. She also
enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, collecting villages, tending
to her garden with her green thumb, and always adopting other’s treasures. When
she had the chance, Peggy enjoyed a nice glass of Stella, or a cup of Baileys.
Peggy is survived by her children: Travis
(Kalena) Fast and their children Colten of Minneapolis, MN, Kennedy (Sully)
Masat, Chloe (TJ), and Gracie all of Redfield, SD; Nikki (Keith) Komraus and
their children Hannah, Abbey (Dayken Nelson), and Elliott all of Zell, SD;
Valerie (Travis Frost) Eaton and her children Austin, Taryn (Zach) Engbrecht,
Kaidyn (Mallori) Eaton, Kramer, Trey, Kamden, and Noah of Fort Pierre, SD; and
Alonna (Brian Wiersma) Fast and their children Makiah and Isabel of Ashton, IA.
Peggy is also survived by her siblings:
Jimmy, Douglas, Dennis (Linda), and Jeannie; and great-grandkids:
Braylen, Kaceton, Landyn, Brogan, Kinley, Brody, and Scottlyn Jo. She is also
survived by many fur grandbabies and her special friend Jim Groft of Ashton,
SD. Peggy loved her coworkers at Appel’s Quick 66 and Community Memorial
Hospital & Clinic as well.
Peggy is preceded in death by her parents
James and Hazel (Schaer) Pejsa, husband Roger, sister Lavon, grandson Kolby
Alan, and fur child Tikka Two.