Ameriprise Financial Inc., Leyden and Associates present check

Submitted photo
Val Sherman, left and Stephany Shaheen, right, of Ameriprise Financial Inc., Leyden and Associates, presented a check to Shanna Flakus. executive director of Winner Resource Center for Families to help with various needs of victims of domestic abuse, child abuse, human trafficking and other crimes. Sherman and Shaheen volunteer their time and talents serving on the board of directors of Winner Resource Center for Families. The resource center is a nonprofit organization serving crime victims in Tripp County and Gregory County.

Colome Consolidated School Board earns award for striving to enhance board knowledge

Members of the Colome Consolidated School Board earned an award for their dedication to enhancing their knowledge of school board work during the 2020-21 school year.

The Colome Consolidated School Board earned a Silver Level award for their participation in the

Associated School Boards of South Dakota’s board recognition program: ALL, which stands for Act,

Learn, Lead and honors the work of school boards who strived to enhance their knowledge base of board work.

By participating in ASBSD activities, training opportunities and demonstrating leadership at the local, state and national level, school boards accumulated points throughout the previous school year. To earn the Silver Level award, the Colome Consolidated School Board accumulated 350 or more ALL points.

“We want to congratulate the Colome Consolidated school board for utilizing the previous school year to broaden their knowledge of school board work, which will undoubtedly benefit their students, staff and community,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said.

The Colome Consolidated School Board received their ALL plaque this fall.

In the fifth year of the program, 77 public school boards, more than half of the public boards in South Dakota, earned an ALL award – the most in the history of the program.

“In a school year unlike any other in terms of challenges local school boards faced, we’re thrilled to recognize the time, effort, commitment and leadership put forth by board members,” Pogany said.

“A big thank you to all schools board for their work throughout the 2020-21 school year.”

ASBSD is a private, non-profit association representing more than 850 South Dakota school board members, the 149 schools they govern and the students they serve.

Bertha “Cricket” (Davis) Zweifel, 69

Bertha “Cricket” (Davis) Zweifel, age 69, of Wall, South Dakota, died on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 at her home near Wall.

Bertha “Cricket” Mae (Davis) Zweifel was born Oct. 2, 1952 in Valentine, Neb., to Hanson and Grace (Hayford) Davis.

Cricket grew up in Millboro, SD. She attended New Huggins school in Millboro, SD. She left school in her early years to help her family after her mother passed away at a young age. Cricket lived various places throughout her life and later considered her home to be Rapid City, SD. She raised three children on her own as a single parent. Cricket worked at various jobs but primarily waitressed, worked for herself as a security guard, and later medically retired from her position at SCI Systems. Cricket worked hard all her life and she showed her children and everyone around her what hard work looks like.

Cricket received a special gift that provided her with second chance at life receiving a lung transplant in 2017. She was the toughest woman we knew – also beating Covid in 2020. You could never count her out as she always bounced back regardless of what was thrown her way. She loved drinking coffee with her Morningside Café friends, playing cards with family, western dancing, and singing karaoke. Cricket was incredibly fond of her pets, to include her beloved dog Matonka. The most special people in Cricket’s life were her grandkids and great-grandkids – probably more than her own children!

Survivors include a son Darrel (Rochelle) Davis; two daughters Jacqueline (Bill) Davis and Savannah (Jeff) Williamson; bonus daughter Donna Brave Boy; grandchildren: Nathan (Jen) Swallow, Stephon “Brian” Grimm, Tyann (Nathan) Sturdevant, Justin (Bri) MIller, Melissa Delker, Trevin Williamson, Kayja Murphy, Dante Murphy-Davis, Kaleb Murphy, William Housman, Kayla (Ryan) Fischer, Deanna Brave, Kira Left Hand Bull, Braidon Brave Boy, and Briana White Buffalo; great-grandchildren: Annastasia Delker, Hannah, Talan, and Trenton Sturdevant, Kai Murphy, Elizabeth Fischer, Kiyann and AJ Miller, Sidney and Evelyn Garcia, and Georgina McWhorter; sister Lue (Stan) Hanson; three brothers: Cecil (Carol) Davis, Charles (Susan) Davis, and James (Linda) Davis; and a host of well-loved nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Hanson and Grace Davis; sisters Helen (Norbert) Schutz and Berniece Gallatin; brother Duane Davis; granddaughter TishaMarie Sandberg and great-granddaughter Shelby Sturdevant.

Cards and memorials may be sent to P.O. Box 201 Wall, SD 57790.

Celebration of Life services were held at 3:30 pm Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home in Rapid City. A light meal was served following the service at the VFW 420 Main Street.

Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.

Buckmiller/Schwager Win the 2021 Iowa Blues Challenge

Winner High School (1992) graduate Tom Buckmiller and Brian Schwager (West Des Moines, IA) recently were named winners of the 2021 Iowa Blues Challenge held at Lefty’s Live Music Venue in Des Moines, IA. 

The annual event was hosted by the Central Iowa Blues Society, an affiliate of the Blues Foundation. Acts in the competition performed for a panel of independent judges and were scored using the same criteria used by the International Blues Foundation. 

Buckmiller and Schwager will now compete in the International Blues Challenge held on the famed Beale Street in Memphis, TN on Jan. 18-22.  For more information on the duo, go to www.buckmillerschwager.com

Buckmiller currently lives in Waukee, IA and is a Professor of Leadership Studies at Drake University in Des Moines, IA.  

Opening Weekend Pheasant Hunting

No one could have asked for better weather for the opening weekend of pheasant season.

This Saturday and Sunday in state and out of state hunters enjoyed the sun and the chance to shoot some birds.

Warm weather, clear blue skies and some strong cover after recent moisture helped to make the opening day spectacularly beautiful and great for hunting.

Hunters who ate breakfast Sunday at the Tripp  County 4-H Center were divided on the success of the opening day.

Many said it was great and they really appreciated the nice weather Tripp County dialed up for them.

There were some who said it was a difficult day. They love the outdoors but the birds were not easy to find.

That may be in part to the drought that killed off many chicks.

 A television story on KELO  talked about planes and pheasants in Winner.

Pheasant hunting season is a busy time at the airport.

“The majority is jets or turbo props,” said Tessa Howard of the airport traffic. She and her husband, Dave, have been the operators at the airport since 2014.

The Howards handle the airport operations including landing and department aircraft. They are also mechanics and can fix aircraft as needed.

“It can be challenging,” said Tessa. “It keeps you on your toes.”

Hunters fly all over the state but the area around Winner usually ranks fourth or fifth in pheasants harvested each season which makes it a consistently top place to hunt.

Tripp County had 3,598 nonresident pheasant hunters in 2020 according to the S.D. Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Those hunters harvested 32,361 pheasants.

Tripp County also had 989 resident hunters that harvested 11,294 birds in 2020.

Examples of those who benefit from pheasant hunting include landowners who may lease hunting land, hunting lodges, restaurants, motels and local businesses.

“Anytime hunting comes around there is an economic impact to the area,” said Chandra Phillips, city of Winner finance officer.

Wide open spaces, hospitality and friendly people keep these hunters coming back to this area year after year.

Eric Storms Benefit Bass Fishing Tournament

Submitted Photo
Todd and Shane Stiehl won the Eric Storms benefit bass fishing tournament on Oct. 9.

On Oct. 9, 13 two person teams participated in a Benefit Bass Fishing tournament on the Missouri River out of Springfield.

The tournament was setup to help defray medical costs for Eric Storms of Chamberlain, formerly of Winner. Storms had to undergo organ transplants in the recent past. Participants came from South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Todd and Shane Stiehl won the tournament.

Winner to face Clark/Willow Lake in playoffs

Winner football team will play Clark/Willow Lake in the first round of the football playoffs on Thursday, Oct. 21 in Winner. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Winner enters the game undefeated with an 8-0 record this season. The Warriors are the No. 1 seed in Class 11B.

Winner football coach Trent Olson says Clark/Willow Lake is a battle tested team.  They have beaten the No. 4 and No. 6 teams in Class 11B this season. “They create a lot of big plays on offense. They run a lot of perimeter plays and misdirection plays. They love to throw the ball down the field looking for the home run,” said Olson. “Defensively, they are super aggressive up front. We will have to prevent penetration,” said Olson.