Category Archives: Local

Superior (All A’s)

Seniors: Maggie McCarty, Zane Rohde, Caleb Vandenbark, Jeremiah Yeaman
Junior: Jaclyn Laprath, Abby Pechota, Layton Thieman
Sophomores: Haley Krumpus
Freshman: Keegan Brumbaugh, Saydee Heath, Baylie Hoffine, Abby Kortan
Eighth Grade: Riley Shippy, Maya Vandenbark, Elizabeth Yeaman
Seventh Grade: Landi Krumpus
Sixth Grade: Emma Vandenbark

Excellent (All A’s and B’s – No C’s)
Seniors: Kaylee Bolton, Andrew Laprath, Kolton Salonen
Juniors: Beau Bertram, Wyatt Cahoy, Grace Campbell, Chase Dufek, Jackson Kinzer, Alice Rehnberg, Hana Rowe, Riggin Shippy
Sophomores: Jacob Beckers, James Brumbaugh, Megan Charles, Eli Kortan, Juli Larson, Jordyn Seegers, Retta Tate
Freshman: Rhet Bertram, Lanie Bolton, Luke Bolton, Makayla Shippy, Michael Supik
Eighth Grade: AJ Davis, Caden Munroe, Drew Musilek, Tanea Potter, Bayden Seegers, Katie Welker
Seventh Grade: Aidan Muller, Taylor Nelsen, Sully Shippy, Alec Thieman
Sixth Grade: Jack Anderson, Shanna Connot, Jordyn Harter, Bromley Heath, Shaleena Kingsley, Joseph Laprath, Tianna Larson, Alexis Love, Jordan Musser, Lilly Nelson, Stetson Shelbourn

“B” Average No D’s
Seniors: Cody Assman, Nash Atteberry, Jamin Dougherty
Juniors: Taylor Chasing Hawk, Kaydee Heath, Rayne Hermsen, Jaikob Week, Matrix Noteboom, Calvin Ringing Shield
Sophomores – Matt Bossert, Carleen Burger, Stormie Fast Horse, Cailob Week, Sara O’Bryan
Freshman: Clarissa Ringing Shield, Hailey Thieman
Eighth Grade – Aaron Campbell, Abby Eliason, Jesse Larson, Kasie Leighton, Erick Marso, Dusty Sell, Hayden Thieman
Seventh Grade: Devan Dougherty, Kash Heath, Ashlyn Hoffine, Paige Paulson, Libbie Petersek, Jordyn Ring, Toree Ringing Shield
Sixth Grade: Kalene Preslicka

Perfect Attendance
Senior: Jeremiah Yeaman
Junior: Beau Bertram, Wyatt Cahoy, Kaydee Heath, Rayne Hermsen, Jackson Kinzer, Alice Rehnberg, Calvin Ringing Shield
Sophomores: Jacob Beckers, James Brumbaugh, Megan Charles, Adam Cole, Retta Tate, Cailob Week
Freshman: Rhet Bertram, Nathaniel Hansen, Saydee Heath, Allan McKenzie, Clarissa Ringing Shield, Hailey Thieman
Eighth Grade: Jesse Larson, Drew Musilek, Dusty Sell, Katelyn Welker, Elizabeth Yeaman
Seventh Grade: Sophie Hofeldt, Landi Krumpus, Taylor Nelson, Kaden Pechota, Toree Ringing Shield
Sixth Grade: Jordyn Harter, Klayton Heath, Shaleena Kingsley, Joseph Laprath, Tianna Larson, SierraAnn McCall, Lilly Nelson

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Tim Bjorkman has dedicated his career as an advocate and a circuit judge to solving problems in a common sense, non-partisan way.

Bjorkman, a former circuit judge in the First Judicial Circuit, is the Democratic candidate for Congress.

The candidate was in Winner Thursday afternoon to listen to concern of citizens.

As a judge for over 10 years, Bjorkman said he had a front row seat to see a lot of problems facing South Dakotans.

He said he saw a lack of access to health care. He added he saw addiction mushroom over the past 10 years especially the methamphetamine problem.

He sees middle class people and businesses struggling to pay for health care insurance.

Bjorkman said he wants to run for Congress to strengthen the family and give them an economic chance. “I think tax relief ought to go to the middle class and lower income American families,” he said. The former judge explained these are the people who need the help the most.

“I want to stand for affordable health care for every American. In South Dakota, we are leaving out 50,000 people who do not have access to health care,” he said. Bjorkamn is not a proponent of Medicaid expansion as he feels everyone should pay what they can.

As he crosses the state talking to people, Bjorkman says people want Congress to work across the aisle to solve problems. “They are fed up with both parties,” he said.

Bjorkman grew up in Kimball. He graduated from the USD School of Law in 1982 and practiced law in Bridgewater for 23 hears. When there was an opening on the bench, Bjorkman ran for office and was elected.

He stepped down as a judge in June.

The candidate is an opponent of the Republican tax plan

Two members of the Winner competitive dance team have been named to the inaugural All-State team.

Named to the Class A All-State team were Abby Marts and Macy Olson.

The All-State dance team was voted upon by the members of the South Dakota Dance Coaches Association.

Several Winner High School oral interp students advanced to the regional following the local contest in Winner on Friday.

The students who advance are: Madyson Morehart, oratory; Shelby Scott, humorous; Presley Foudray and Kayla Natoli, duet; Presley Foudray in serious; Andrew Taylor in storytelling and Megan Brozik in poetry.

Winner students competed at an oral interp contest in Pierre on Saturday. Taylor took second in storytelling and Foudray was third in serious reading.

Kaden Keiser and Wyatt Turnquist competed in the Cliff Keen pre-season wrestling nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Keiser took fifth in the 105 pound middle school division. He had 61 wrestlers in his bracket.

Turnquist went 3 and 2 in the 126 pound 11-12 high school division. He had 63 wrestlers in his bracket.

The high school division wrestled on Saturday, Oct. 28 ad the middle school and elementary divisions on Sunday, Oct. 29.

High school students from 27 states and territories and nine countries were selected to attend the 24th Annual Global Youth Institute October 19-21st in Des Moines, Iowa. Heather Rowe from Winner High School was among the 200 students selected to attend the prestigious three-day conference. Rowe engaged with global leaders in science, policy, and industry to discuss the world’s most pressing challenges in hunger and poverty.

In order to participate in the program, students research and write a paper on a topic affecting food security in a developing country and provide recommendations on how to better the lives of a typical family in the country. Once accepted, students are invited to attend the three-day event and engage in hands-on activities and service-learning projects that allow them to reflect on their unique role in addressing challenges related to agriculture, policy, science, industry, and hunger relief efforts both in the U.S. and abroad.

The Global Youth Institute is held in conjunction with the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, which annually gathers the world’s foremost leaders and thinkers in global food security. Students present and discuss their innovative ideas to combat hunger with World Food Prize Laureates, international experts and peers from over 60 countries. Students also attend symposium sessions centered on current research, trends, and innovations in combating hunger and poverty. Featured speakers included:

· 2017 World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group
· Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation
· His Excellency John Mahama, former President of Ghana
· Dr. Louise Fresco, President of the Executive Board, Wageningen University & Research Center

At the Global Youth Institute, Rowe interacted with young leaders from around the US as well as nine other countries including Canada, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, Kosovo, Mexico, Pakistan, and Philippines. The World Food Prize Foundation also announced plans to expand its youth programs outside the US with the launch of the first international youth institutes in the Netherlands and Nigeria in summer 2018.

Created by Dr. Borlaug and Iowa businessman and philanthropist John Ruan in 1994, the Global Youth Institute receives major support from Clay Mathile and the Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition. The program was developed to challenge and inspire participating student and teachers to identify innovative strategies to alleviate hunger and to expose the students to opportunities and careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines. Of the students who complete the program, about 92% go on to pursue college degrees in agriculture and science and 77% choose careers in agriculture, STEM and other fields critical to the fight against hunger. The Institute also boasts an impressive, two-thirds participation by young women. Dr. Borlaug often stated, “I am certain that these students will become the future agricultural, scientific and humanitarian leaders in the fight to end hunger”.

The A’Cafellas barbershop chorus concert will be held Saturday, Nov. 11.

“A salute to veterans” is this year’s theme.

The performances will be at 3 p.m. at the Dixon Town Hall in Gregory and at 7:30 p.m. at the Winner Community Playhouse.

The special guests at the concert in Gregory will be the Gregory all state chorus quartet. The singers are Johnny Nguyen, Samantha Timanus, Keeley Klein and Evan Juracek.

There will be free admission for veterans and active military personnel.

For reservations in Winner, call 842-1958 and leave a message.

Advance tickets are available and tickets can also be purchased at the door. Children under 18 are free with a parent.

Tickets can be purchased from Kelly Hodge, Don Tuttle, Heidi Olson, Jon Hughes, Caleb Larson, Mark Braun, Jared Opp, Rick Wagner, Keith Olson, and Brad Schramm.

There will be an afterglow following the show. There will be refreshments and more singing.

Jake Fischer of Swier Law Firm has been selected to the 2017 South Dakota “Rising Stars” list.

Each year, a small percent of the lawyers in South Dakota are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To be eligible for inclusion as a Rising Star, a lawyer must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.

“We are excited and proud that Jake has been selected to receive this honor,” said Scott Swier. “We congratulate and thank Jake for his commitment to his clients, which is evident with this well-deserved recognition.”

The annual selections are made using a multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country.

As construction is in full swing at the Winner Regional Healthcare Center there will be a change to the ambulance bay.

Kathie Cole, long time EMT and ambulance driver, commented on pulling into that ambulance bay.

She posted on Facebook: “Well, kind of a bittersweet moment as we back into this bay one last time this morning. For over 30 years I’ve walked into that bay never knowing who’s life will change in a moment. I’ve laughed, cried and shared many moments, good and bad with co-workers, families and friends in that bay. But with that being said I look forward to the future. Yes, things will be a little different for while but what’s to come will be bigger and better.”

There is now a new ambulance entrance that will be used during the construction of the new addition to the healthcare center.

Several guns were taken from vehicles in Winner on the opening weekend of pheasant hunting season.

The Winner Police Department reports shot guns and rifles were taken from vehicles.

The suspects are believed to be juveniles. The police department is actively continuing its investigation into this case.

It is believed all the guns have been recovered. The police department reminds persons to lock their vehicles and also to not leave guns inside a vehicle but take them inside.

Also, early Sunday morning the new Runnings in Winner was broken into. Items were taken from the store. The police department is continuing its investigation into this break-in.