Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

COVID-19 cases have taken a certain upswing in Tripp County.

Over the past week there have been lots of new cases primarily fueled by the Omicron variant.

As of Monday, there were 12 new confirmed cases and three probable. The number of active cases in Tripp County is 112.

There was four days worth of data following the New Year’s holiday. This period showed 19 new cases in Tripp County.

On Jan. 5, there were 23 new cases and 77 active.

January 6 showed 10 new cases and five probable with 90 active.

On Jan. 7 there were 7 new cases and two probable.

The Department of Health reported 10,207 new positive cases collected from Dec. 30 through Thursday.  The state’s active cases is 15,927 the highest since Dec. 4, 2020.

The state’s screening had previously caught just two cases of the omicron variant but that number has now increased to 22.

The state reports those that are fully vaccinated at 57.5 percent. Booster shots received include 35.3 percent of the state’s vaccinated population.

Charley and Norma Najacht, the owners of the Winner Advocate, have been named Custer County Chronicle Citizens of the Year.

The couple recently sold the Custer and Hill City newspapers, which they had owned since 1999.

For over a decade, the Custer County Chronicle has been naming an individual or couple as Custer County’s Citizens of the year.

The couple have been honored many times by their peers, most notably the South Dakota Newspaper Association, which has showered them with numerous awards over the years for their journalistic excellence.

The couple worked at the Hot Springs Star and then left South Dakota for a while and worked at newspapers in Broken Bow, Neb., and Cameron, Mo., before returning to South Dakota in 1999.

It has been over 10 years that the couple have been the owners of the Winner Advocate.

A night of one act plays will be presented by Winner High School and middle school students Jan. 20, 21 and 22 at the Winner Community Playhouse.

The doors will open at 7 p.m. and the plays will start at 7:30 p.m.

For reservations, call Winner High School at 842-8125.

There will be three plays presented—two high school and one middle school.

The WHS contest one act is “Take Five” directed by Sarah Taggart.

The cast includes Leah Wiechelman, Madeline Watzel, Hayden McMurtrey, Justin Hausmann, Faith Covey and Tessa Mann,

The technical crew includes: Cassie Shutt, Illyana Krabb, Ainsley Henderson, Amanda Blare and Maggie DeMers.

Emily Moser is the assistant director and Dan Patmore is the technical director.

Here is a synopsis of the play: Imagine you are an actor on opening night trying to perform  on a set that isn’t completed. One actor doesn’t show up, the props don’t work and the stage hands are incompetent. A recipe for disaster but also a recipe for a hilarious night.

The other high school play is “Hood, of Sherwood.” This is directed by Sandra York and is sponsored by the Winner Community Playhouse.

The cast includes: Clay Sell, Maggie DeMers, Mallory Thayer, Kierra Bainter, Amanda Blare, Rowdy Moore, Chandler Benedict, Luke Boerner, Iver Boerner and Jacob Manke.

Dan Patmore is the technical director for this play.

The middle school play is “21 Guaranteed Ways to Get Detention” and is directed by Ross Patmore.

The cast  includes: Amanda Edwards, Noah Manke, Addi Heenan, Evan Littau, Shannon Rank, Terrel Chasing Hawk, Grace Brown, Lena DeMers, Peyton Jensen, Jocelyn Soles, Evan Balsiger, Wyatt Winfield, Riley Peppel, Aiden Hespe and Skyler Soles.

The technical crew includes: Chloe Taggart, lights/sound; Skyler Soles, lights; Jaxon Day, stage crew.

Dan Patmore is the technical director.