Category Archives: Local

Winner students have been named to the dean’s list at the University of Sioux Falls.

Named to the list are Haley DeMers, junior nursing major; Dayna Diez, junior nursing major and Ashleigh Tuttle, junior, criminal justice and psychology major.

Becky Jensen, Beresford, formerly of Chamberlain and Winner, is one of eight South Dakota  high school coaches who have been nominated as finalists for national coach of the year.

Jensen has been nominated as girls assistant coach. She was a long time coach in Chamberlain.

Jensen is the daughter of Mabel Schmit of Winner.

Finalists will be honored June 20 at the national coaches association banquet in Rochester, Minn.

The cast has been chose for the upcoming production of the Winner Community Playhouse.

“The Red Velvet Cake War” will be presented March 13-14 and March 20-21.

The cast includes eight women and four men. Members of the cast are:  Kenzie Irick, Barb DeSersa, Tami Comp, Maurice Gustafson, Michele Hagenlock, Sarah Gustafson, Kara Connot, Tia DeSersa, Jack Frantz, Linda Watson, Wyatt DeJong and Chris Frantz.

The play is directed by Sandra York with Dan Patmore as the technical director.

This comedy is a Jones, Hooper and Wooten play and the playhouse has done a couple of other productions by this same group of writers.

Winner area students have been named to the fall semester dean’s list at the University of Nebraska of Lincoln.

Named to the dean’s list were Jordyn Heinle and Lexie Heinle, both of Hamill and Rachel Pahlke, Winner.

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

Students on the dean’s list are: Allison Duffy, Clay Hoffman, Ashley Curtis, Natalie Gronlund, Tracy Routh, Shawntessa Lester, Michelle Novak, Autumn Tucker (academic recognition), Jill McMurtrey (academic recognition), Maria George (academic recognition), all of Winner.

Government offices in Winner will be closed Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents’ Day.

The Tripp County Courthouse will be closed as well as the Tripp County Library.

The city of Winner office will be closed on Feb. 16.

All state and federal offices in Winner will be closed on Monday. The Winner Post Office will be closed and there will be no city or rural mail delivery.

Wells Fargo Bank will be open on Presidents’ Day.

First Fidelity Banks of Winner and Colome, BankWest and Sentinel Federal Credit Union will all be closed on Feb. 16.

There will be no noon meal served on Monday at the Winner senior citizens center.

Southern Plains Behavioral Health Services and Main Gate Counseling will be closed on Feb. 16.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

An expanded head lice policy was approved by the Winner School Board at Monday’s meeting.

The policy is based on recommendations of the National Association of School Nurses, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center of Disease Control and S.D. Department of Health.

The policy says the school district will conduct at least four head checks per year for all students.

Parents/guardians will be informed by mail or School Reach anytime school administration feels there is an abnormal amount of infestations detected during the head lice checks.

The board approved the extracurricular contract for Kevin Keiser as middle school track coach.

The contract with Randy Kludt for mowing school grounds during the summer was approved. The total package is $9,430.

The board approved the contract with Schoenfish and Co., Parkston to do the 2014-2015 school audit.

The March 9 school board meeting was moved to Monday, March 16.

The board heard reports from school administrators.

Kim DeMers, curriculum coordinator, said teachers are getting ready for the Smarter Balance test which will be given in April.

Elementary principal Brian Naasz said enrollment at the school climbed by seven students.

He said on Feb. 26 the school will celebrate 100 days of school.

Read Across America will be held on March 2 with Winner High School students coming to the school to read to students.

A 4^th and 5^th grade music concert will be held on March 10.

Winner High School/middle school principal Gerald Witte said the enrollment at the school is up 3 at 330 students.

He said FCCLA week activities will be held at the school and the following week FFA events will be held.

Witte told the board on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. a financial aid night will be held in the Winner Armory.

Supt. Bruce Carrier reported total enrollment in the district is at 676 students which is an increase of 11.

The superintendent went over education bills that are in the legislature.

The school board met in executive session for personnel and a student matter.

Following executive session, the school board approved several motions.

They approved offering 2015-2016 certified staff contracts as recommended by Supt. Carrier, salary and fringe benefits to be determined at a later date.

Approval was given to offer  classified staff contracts with salary and fringe benefits to be determined later.

The board approved extracurricular assignments for 2015-2016 with salary to be determined at a later date.

A summer 20 day contract was approved for Wyatt DeJong and Danielle Pemberton.

The board extended Gerald Witte’s two year contract as middle school/high school principal, technology coordinator to the 2016-2017 school year. Salary and fringe benefits will be determined at a later date.

The board extended Brian Naasz’ two year contract as elementary principal/special education coordinator to the 2016-2017 school year. Salary and fringe benefits will be determined at a later date.

The board approved extending Dan Aaker’s two year contract as assistant middle school/high school principal/activities director to the 2016-2017 school year. Salary and fringe benefits will be determined at a later date.

By Scott Feldman, Rapid City Journal

Dawson Phillips never met Lloyd Rypkema.

And yet Dawson, a 13-year-old boy from Winner, has read about Rypkema and is convinced the pair have a connection: that they are both “true cowboys at heart.”

Dawson wrote an essay this month in which he spoke of his own youthful but already deep love for animals, ranching and rodeo riding.

The seventh-grader at Winner Middle School who looks sharp in a cowboy hat wrote of working with 4-H programs, riding and caring for his horse, and tending to goats, cattle and sheep at the ranch owned by his parents, Marty and Roni Phillips.

He wrote about participating in rodeo events like team-roping and the flag race. He told about helping around his family’s farm by doing chores, and working with neighbors when they need a hand.

And finally, he wrote about Rypkema, who lived and breathed the cowboy lifestyle and was active in public service for decades before he died in 2010.

“Not knowing Lloyd and only having the chance to read about him, he seems like a true cowboy at heart,” Dawson wrote in his essay. “His active involvement in his community, the generosity in giving to individuals and his community a helping hand, proves he was a very kind and giving man.”

The touching words in Dawson’s essay won over the heart of Marv Rypkema, Lloyd’s son, who each year honors one young South Dakota rancher a free pony in memory of his father. This year, Dawson was selected as the winner of the fourth annual Lloyd W. Rypkema Memorial Quarter Horse Award.

“This is probably one of the best applications we have seen in four years,” Marv Rypkema said in an email this week.

Since 2012, one youth has been awarded a colt that carries the bloodlines of Lloyd’s favorite quarter horse stallion, named Black Cat Dancer, at the Black Hills Stock Show.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

A Tripp County La Leche League will hold its first meeting on Feb. 9 from 6-7 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Winner.

La Leche League is an international organization that promotes breastfeeding.

Rachel Vogt of Winner is a trained leader and urges women who want to learn more about breastfeeding  to attend. She says are babies are also welcome.

The group will meet the second Monday of every month at the Winner Methodist Church.

South Dakota Legislators met with District and State FFA Officers at the 2015 South Dakota FFA Legislative Breakfast and District Officer Training hosted by the South Dakota FFA Association on Wednesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 22 at the AmericInn in Fort Pierre, S.D.

Attending from the Winner FFA chapter were: Calah Covey, District IV president; Sydnie Peters, district reporter and Kayleb Brozik, district student advisor.

The purpose of the event was to promote the FFA’s mission of premier leadership, personal growth and career success by bringing together South Dakota’s governmental leaders with leaders of the South Dakota FFA.