Governor Kristi Noem announced updates to expand the Small Business and Healthcare Provider Relief Program, which utilizes Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars to assist small businesses, community-based healthcare providers, and non-profits negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are offering even greater flexibility for our small businesses and healthcare providers, the lifeblood of our community,” said Governor Noem. “South Dakota is in good shape, and these grant dollars will help our communities to bounce back stronger than ever.”
For all grants, the application period has been extended by a week, to Oct. 30.
The Winner High School dance team put on their best performance and ended up state champs in two categories.
The state meet was held last Friday in Rapid City.
The girls were state champs in hip hop and kick and overall received the state runner-up honor.
A big accomplishment for Winner girls and first time coach Sarah Taggert.
The coach explained the girls turned in two solid preformances. “they handled the pressure and preformed their hearts out,” said Taggert.
The girls successfully defended the hip hop title from 2019. They won the kick category and their combined scores were good enough to win the overall state runner-up.
Kendyl Bachmann was named to the all state dance team.
“I’ve been so proud of these girls all season and to end the year preforming our very best was more than a coach could hope for,” said Taggert.
Colome volleyball team improved its record to 11-4 with a victory over Jones County on Oct. 20.Colome won in three sets—25-12, 25-19, 25-9.
Makayla Shippy scored 19 points with 9 aces. Saydee Heath had 15 points and Katie Welker, 5 points and one ace. Kill leaders were Hoffine, 8; Elizabeth Yeaman, 7; Libbie Petersek, Saydee Heath and Welker, 4 each.Baylie Hoffine was the leader in digs with 15 followed by Ashlyn Hoffine, 11 and Libbie Petersek, 12. Heath had 2 blocks and Yeaman, 1.Shippy had 18 assists and Heath, 2.
The Winner FFA Chapter welcomed, Hunter Eide and Samantha Olson to Winner High School on Monday, Oct. 19. While at the school, Eide and Olson met with FFA members and presented workshops to agriculture education classes about team development, personal growth, advocating for agriculture, and the benefits of being an FFA member.
During a year of service to the organization, state FFA officers travel to FFA chapters in the state to talk about opportunities available to students enrolled in agricultural education. State officers develop interactive workshops that encourage students to develop leadership skills and take advantage of opportunities available to FFA members.
Agricultural education incorporates three aspects of learning. The classroom provides basic knowledge. FFA develops leadership and personal skills. A Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) provides hands-on learning while working on the job or in an agricultural business.
FFA is an integral part of agricultural education. Agricultural instructors encourage students to take the knowledge and skills they have acquired in class and apply to FFA events, such as the career development events, which help students explore a career interest in agriculture.
Chapter visits are made possible with the support of the following South Dakota FFA Foundation Star Partners: Twin City Region Northland Ford Dealers (Distinguished Star Partner), Bayer (4 Star Partner), CHS Foundation (4 Star Partner), and Agtegra (3 Star Partner).
The South Dakota FFA Association is comprised of local chapters preparing nearly 5,000 student members for careers in agriculture. FFA activities and award programs complement instruction in agriculture education by giving students practical experience in the application of agricultural skills and knowledge gained in classes. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Winner area cross county runners pushed through the cold and snow as they competed in the state meet in Rapid City on Saturday.
Winner Area boys team placed 8th with 150 points. Kade Watson led the team as he took 7th place in 17:16.75. Joseph Laprath took 28th place in 18:11.47; Kylar Meek was 70th in 19.12.65; Chaz Blotsky placed 114th in 20:46.65; Hayden McMurtrey took 118th in 21:14.88.In the Class A girls division, Winner Area girls placed 13th with 262 points. Winner’s top runner was Sidda Schuyler who placed 80th in 22:32.08.Meagan Blare placed 97th in 23:20.06 and Aryn Meiners placed 98th in 23:23.86. Melanie Brozik placed 100th in 23:24.32.
Winner competitive cheer team took fifth place at the state meet Friday in Rapid City. This year the event was split up into pods due to COVID-19.
There were initially 21 teams slated to take the mat but due to COVID two teams did not compete. Coach Val Ewing is happy the team got to compete at state. Winner’s performance was in the afternoon and were the first team to perform.
Ewing says that is tough because you never know where the judges head is at. Ewing said the girls spent all week getting ready for state .“They knew what they had to do and as a coach I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said the coach. She said the girls started out strong and the routines were going super well.
During the elite stunt, one stunt fell. This fall cost the team 10 points. Ewing explained the girls did a phenomenal job of continuing their routine after the fall. “That’s hard to do –to put a smile on your face, regain your composure and finish all the other components of the routine—not only did they nail the rest, they blew it out of the water. I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said the coach. Ewing noted when you make a mistake in cheer there is not another period or quarter to come back from it.
That is what makes it a hard sport. Brennan Bachmann and Alani Old Lodge were named to the all-state cheer team. This honor is voted on by the S.D. Cheer coaches.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana, with another 40 allow various types of medical use, and this year, the South Dakota ballot is asking two marijuana-related questions.
IM 26 would create a state statute establishing medical marijuana use in South Dakota.
Amendment A would change the state constitution and legalize recreational marijuana use in the Mount Rushmore State. It would also require the State Legislature to pass laws regarding medical marijuana and hemp sales. When voters go to the polls Nov. 3 they will vote on these issues plus one more David Owen, the President of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the No Way on Amendment A Ballot Committee, said a key issue with Amendment A is that it would change the state constitution.“ The 11 states that have recreational started with medical,” said Owen. “No state has gone straight to recreational, so we’ll still tell you that we’re afraid of increased use by youth, accidental poisoning by kids, accidents, and if you want recreational marijuana, that’s a good debate, it doesn’t belong in the constitution.”
Owen said the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the No Way on Amendment A Committee are neutral on IM 26, acknowledging that many people see benefits of medical marijuana.
Voters will also vote on Amendment B. This would allow sports wagering in Deadwood. The constitution currently authorizes the legislature to allow certain types of games in Deadwood: roulette, keno, craps, limited card games, and slot machines. If approved, the constitutional amendment would authorize the legislature to also include wagering on sporting events as a type of gambling allowed in Deadwood.
A group of 16 teens from across South Dakota has been selected to serve as the 2020-2021 State 4-H Ambassador Team.
Maggie DeMers of Tripp County was selected as one of the ambassadors. Throughout their term, the group of ambassadors will serve as positive role models to other 4-H members throughout the state as they advocate for 4-H and the opportunities it provides youth to better themselves and those in their communities through hands-on projects and activities, adult mentorship and more.
To qualify for this role, applicants must be a registered 4-H member in good standing between the ages of 14 and 18. All applicants must submit the necessary application materials and complete an interview at the South Dakota State Fair with a committee of industry professionals and State 4-H Ambassador Program co-advisors Hilary Risner, SDSU Extension Regional 4-H Youth Program Advisor, and Amber Erickson, SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Field Operations Coordinator.
Current ambassadors wanting to serve another term must re-apply each year, regardless of their returning status.
“The South Dakota State 4-H Ambassador Program is a positive youth development program founded on the principles of a learn by doing approach,” said Erickson. “The opportunities for leadership development are endless. Each selected State 4-H Ambassador will participate in a leadership development retreat, receive one-on-one coaching from their primary State 4-H Ambassador Advisor, and engage in the learn by doing approach through their action plan.”
“This is such a great group of young adults that we are welcoming to the team this year, each with a diverse background and portfolio of experiences,” said Risner. “Each individual has an immense amount of skills and passions that they bring to the table. I’m really excited to see what this team will accomplish in helping us tell the 4-H story.”
Once selected to serve in this role, the ambassadors are expected to: Serve to support the 4-H program through public relations; Function as a positive role model for youth in South Dakota; Abide by the South Dakota 4-H Code of Conduct both during and outside of 4-H events; Continually strive for improvement by serving as an agent of change; Promote inclusion and respect for diversity across 4-H;Utilize skills and knowledge gained through 4-H to engage youth in educational activities; and Proactively engage in youth-adult partnerships.
Each team member will create a State 4-H Ambassador action plan, facilitate an educational opportunity for youth and serve as an ambassador for one of the four program priority areas of agriculture, health and wellness, leadership, and science.
“Throughout their one-year term they will have the opportunity to dive deep into their program priority area, sharing their passion and knowledge with youth across the state,” said Erickson. “We have a great group of phenomenal young leaders who I know are ready to step up, speak out, and change the world.”
To fill his educational opportunity requirement, Logan Tlam, a second-year ambassador, has chosen to facilitate and host a podcast series that will be circulated on a variety of platforms throughout his community and the South Dakota 4-H organization.
“My personal goal for this 2020-2021 term is to influence youth’s knowledge in agricultural literacy and careers by providing educational opportunities,” said Tlam. “My educational opportunity will be a podcast series about agricultural literacy, and the topics will revolve around agriculture and nutrition, environment, animals, lifestyle, technology and the economy.” Members of the team also have the opportunity to serve on either the marketing or Teen Leadership Conference committees. Throughout their term, the marketing committee will continue to build promotion and awareness efforts of the 4-H program, while gaining valuable life skills in the areas of marketing and communications. The Teen Leadership Conference committee will work closely with Risner and Erickson to plan and implement the 2021 Teen Leadership Conference, all while gaining event planning experience.
“I first heard about the South Dakota State 4-H Ambassador Program when I attended the 4-H Teen Leadership Conference this past year, and thought it would be a great opportunity to further my growth as a leader and help promote 4-H,” said Nicolette Hoffman, a newly-selected ambassador. “I am now on the Teen Leadership Conference committee, and I’m looking forward to helping plan the conference this year, as it has had such a positive impact on me the past two years I attended.”
Additionally, team members are presented a variety of supplemental leadership and service opportunities that include shadowing a state legislator or industry professional, representing 4-H at a community and/or industry event, interviewing with news and media outlets todiscuss the impact of 4-H, writing letters to the editor promoting 4-H, creating a promotional 4-H video and serving on a state 4-H committee.
“The role of serving as a State 4-H Ambassador is truly a phenomenal opportunity for teens to grow in their leadership and life skills, while networking with peers from across the state,” said Risner. “They are mentors to other 4-H members and serve as the face of the South Dakota 4-H organization.”
The objectives of the State 4-H Ambassador program are to prepare individuals to serve in roles as leaders, mentors and problem solvers, enhance their skills in communication, public speaking and critical thinking, focus on fundamental life skills, develop skill-specific career exploration, and provide positive youth-adult partnerships.
“I would encourage youth to get involved in 4-H because it is an excellent provider for supplemental opportunities to develop leadership, communication, teamwork, and individual skills,” said Tlam. “I initially joined 4-H to show livestock, like many other kids. However, this organization helped push me to find my skills, and to use every opportunity within the organization to practice those skills. 4-H’s purpose is to develop youth into better people, and it lives up to that saying by providing many opportunities for development.”
For more information about the South Dakota State 4-H Ambassador program, contact Hilary Risner, SDSU Extension Regional 4-H Youth Program Advisor and State 4-H Ambassador Program Co-Advisor, at hilary.risner@sdstate.edu or 605.394.1722, or Amber Erickson, SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Field Operations Coordinator and State 4-H Ambassador Program Co-Advisor, at amber.erickson@sdstate.edu or 605.688.4167.
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