Category Archives: Local

Several youths took part in a Tripp County 4-H youth coyote hunt on Saturday.

The youths who took part in the hunt were Luke Hennebold, Justin Hausmann, Ryan Sell, Nathan Taylor, Clay Sell, Hunter Osborn, Elle Harris, Katie Welker, Selah Harris, Sully Shippy, Rowdy Moore, Tane Pravecek, Zoe Harris, Jack Ducheneaux.
The adult volunteers who helped were Tom Sell, Luke Kartak, Brandon Hauf, Jeff Gregg, Kelly O’Bryan, Dewayne Welker, Ryan Orel.

Conservation officers Travis March and Diana Landegent presented a safety lesson on Friday night. Jeff Gregg presented information on coyote hunting.

Pheasants Forever supplied each participant with a call and sponsored an electronic call door prize.

Tripp County 4-H Shooting Sports gave the winning team (Jack Ducheneaux and Katie Welker) each a $25 gift card to Jeff’s Gun Vault.

Area students have been named to the fall semester dean’s list at South Dakota State University.

Named to the list are; Kamber Hossle and Eleanor Moleterno, both of Hamill; Nathan Farley, Nathan Galbraith, Hayley Halverson, Kylie Horstman, Krockett Krolikowski, Katie Mathis, Trace Meyer, Rebecca Moorhead, Coleton Schuyler, Madison Smither, all of Winner.

Halverson, Mathis, Meyer, Moorhead all had a 4.0 grade point average.

Rachel Tate of Clearfield and Jessica Olson of Ideal have been named to the dean’s list at Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb.

Karley Peters of Parker has been named the Yankton Press and Dakotan female athlete of the year.

Karley has a strong connection to Winner as both of her parents grew up here and her grandparents live here.

Karley is the daughter of Dale and Jacey (Bruun) Peters. Grandparents are Carroll and Janet Bruun and Kevin and Cindy Peters.

As a sophomore, she was a key reserve on Parker girls basketball team that reached the Class B state tournament.

She was the Class B track MVP at the state track meet, where she won four events and guided the Pheasants to a second place finish.

And this fall as a junior she was a key figure on a volleyball team that reached the Class A state tournament and finished eighth.

Winner dance coach Cyndy DeMers is among the South Dakota High School Coaches Association coach of the year fall award winners.

DeMers led the Winner dance team to a third place finish at the state competition.

Dan Burtz will be inducted into the Winner School Hall of Fame on Dec. 28 during the Snowball Classic. Burtz will be inducted at the halftime of the Winner boys game.

Lt. Col. Burtz is a 1993 graduate of Winner High School. He holds a bachelor of science degree in space operations from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master of engineering in space operation from the University of Colorado and a PhD in astronautical engineering from the Naval Post graduate school.

After receiving his commission, Lt. Col. Burtz held positions in nuclear missle operations, reconnaissance satellite development and command and control of GPS and military communication satellites.

Burtz served as an adjunct facility member for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Maryland university college, commanded a squadron of satellite operation instructors and served as the acting dean of the National Security Space Institute.

He is currently an assistant professor of astronautical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Acadmey.

Burtz has played the tuba in three symphony orchestras including the Colorado Springs Brass which he is the founder.
Burtz is an avid living historian and horseman, reenacting cavalry action from the Mexican War through the Civil War and Indian War.

Together with his wife, Angie, they have two sons: Mason and Baxter.

Burtz is the son of Malon and Alona Burtz of Winner.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Two farm loan officer trainees are working at the Farm Service Agency in Winner.

Working as trainees are Jenna Ripp and Becca Kartak.

Ripp grew up on a dairy farm in Dimock and graduated from Parkston High School in 2012. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2016 with a degree in ag business and a minor in ag marketing.

Ripp started as a trainee at the FSA office in Chamberlain and was there for a year before moving to Winner. Since the end of November Ripp has worked in the Winner office.

Ripp said the last two years of college she worked for the temporary program tech an FSA office. When she graduated from college here were openings for a loan officer trainee, so she applied for the Chamberlain position.

Ripp has always had in interest in agriculture and being an advocate for agriculture.

As a trainee, she has helped young farmers and helped them get a start and then watch their operation grow.

Kartak has been a trainee in the Winner office since January. She graduated from Colome High School in 2011 and from Eastern Wyoming College in 2015. She has two associate degrees in agribusiness and farm and ranch business management.
In October of 2015, Kartak worked on the county side of the FSA office and then applied for the position as a farm loan officer trainee.

Kartak says she likes working with the producers.

Trainees are required to send so many dockets to the state office for their approval before becoming a full fledged loan officer.
The local supervisor for Ripp and Kartak is Marty Mortenson.

Beth Wilcox Bratton will be inducted into the Winner School Hall of Fame on Dec. 21.

Winner will host Bon Homme in a boys and girls basketball double header on Dec. 21. The ceremony for Bratton will be held at the halftime of the girls game.

Wilcox Bratton graduated from Winner High School in 1999 where she participated in basketball, volleyball and track.

She competed on the varsity level in basketball from her 8th grade year on earning Southern Plains Conference all-conference honors from 1995 to 1998 and Big Dakota all conference honors from 1996-1997.

In 1997, Beth helped lead the Lady Warriors to a third place finish at the State A basketball tournament and was named to the 1997 and 1998 Class A all state teams.

She holds the State A tournament record for most 3 pointers and steals.

In track, she placed 2nd in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump at the 1997 state track meet.

After high school, she obtained a degree in criminal justice and psychology. She pursued a career as an attorney and received her law degree from USD in 2006.

Since law school, Beth has clerked for three superior court judges, she has worked as a part-time court commissioner and has become the first associate to be offered a partnership where she practices. She practices law in the state of Washington.

Beth and her husband, Nathan, have three boys: Jensen, Mason and Rayden.

Glenn Sealey was re-elected Colome fire chief at a meeting on Dec. 11.

Other officers elected are: John Hofeldt, first assistant chief; Wayne Hofeldt, second assistant chief; Matt Bolie, secretary/treasurer and Kurtis Atteberry, training officer.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Whether hunting in Kansas, Wisconsin or South Dakota youth on the Pheasants Forever National Youth Leadership Council share a similar bond.

Shelby Scott of Winner is a member of the national council and recently hosted three other members of the council at a pheasant hunt.

The youths, members of the local Pheasants Forever chapter and adult leaders of the national council enjoyed a steak supper at Lazy J Grand Lodge in Ideal last Sunday.

The visiting youths were Kyle Holden and Hunter Sperle, both of Menomanie, Wis. and Jared Austin of McPherson, Kan.

Elsa Gallagher of Missouri and Rich Wissink, who work with the youth council, accompanied the visitors to Winner.