Category Archives: News

Administration and the Board of Directors of Winner Regional Healthcare Center received positive news this week regarding the progress of their $23M expansion and building project. The USDA notified Winner Regional they have scheduled a required pre-construction conference meeting the first week of September, which is one of the final steps before construction can begin.

“This is great news!” stated Board President Brian Schaeffer. “It’s been a longer path to get to this point than we expected, but it’s wonderful to take another step forward with this exciting project.”

An exact groundbreaking date has not yet been determined. “Watch for news regarding that milestone as we work through the final details with the USDA over the next couple of weeks,” said Winner Regional CEO Kevin Coffey.

Along with a low interest Community Facilities loan from the USDA, the project is being funded with the previous gift of $3 million from the late John and Raymond Erickson brothers, a 10 year $1 million donation from Sanford Health, as well as $3 million in local philanthropic donations. Dr. Tony Berg is serving as Chair of the fundraising campaign and initial efforts have brought in over $1.3 million in donations and pledges. ““We are very appreciative of the support the community has shown this critical project so far,” said Berg. “As construction gets underway, it’s the perfect time for others to step forward and partner with us to ensure the wellbeing of our community for generations to come.”

Plans include 28,000 square feet of new construction, along with 16,000 square feet of major renovation work. All hospital services will continue to be operational throughout the course of construction. To support the primary goal of improving the patient experience, the main focus of the project will be the construction of a new clinic, ER and OR, along with a streamlined registration area for the entire facility.

If you would like to make a donation or have questions on the building project, please contact Foundation Director Jody Engel at (605) 842-7231.

The city of Spearfish would look much different if not for the real estate leadership of Black Hills State University alum Joe Jorgensen. Jorgensen was recently named the 2017 Swarm Day Parade Marshal.

A distinguished teacher, veteran, and real estate entrepreneur, Jorgensen will lead the annual homecoming parade through Spearfish Saturday, Sept. 9 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Donald E. Young Center Parking Lot and will proceed down St. Joe Street, Jackson Blvd. and then Main Street.

It’s a bit of a flashback for Jorgensen who helped plan the homecoming festivities at Black Hills State 50 years ago as the student chairman of the Swarm Day Committee.

“Every club spent days and weeks building their float for the parade,” remembers Jorgensen.

“The floats were huge and stuffed with napkins of different colors.”

Born and raised in Witten, S.D. in Tripp County, Jorgensen began attending Black Hills State in 1964. His hometown graduating class included just 10 students, so attending Black Hills State was a big jump for Jorgensen.

“I was nervous initially going to a big school. But I took one speech course and one theatre course to start and I just continued until I obtained my degree. I’ve used those course throughout my lifetime and Black Hills State was a big contributing factor to my success,” said Jorgensen.

Jorgensen graduated with bachelor’s degrees in social studies and speech/theatre and started teaching at Spearfish High School. Jorgensen taught several subjects including world geography, world affairs, psychology, sociology, and speech. He obtained his master’s degree in educational administration with an emphasis in guidance and counseling from BHSU in 1970.

After three years of teaching, Jorgensen was drafted into the U.S. Army where he worked with Pershing missiles. When the Vietnam War came to an end, Jorgensen returned to teaching in Spearfish and then went into real estate.

“The education my dad provided me, learning how to trade just about anything – from horses to land, real estate was always an interest of mine,” said Jorgensen, whose parents were livestock dealers.

Ever the forward-thinker, Jorgensen brought the first seated chain restaurant to Spearfish with the introduction of Pizza Hut. He introduced townhouses in 1983 and is now developing the city’s first “pocket neighborhood” Crow Peak Place.

Just one of Jorgensen’s honors or accolades would be enough recognition for a lifetime, but his commitment to economic development is consistently recognized by his neighbors. Jorgensen received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce in 2017, Lifetime Achievement from the Black Hills Board of Realtors in 2013, the Volunteer Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2008 from Black Hills Community Economic Development, the Spirit of Spearfish Award in 2007, the Vocation Award from the Rotary Club in 2006, the Spearfish Economic Development Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and BHSU Distinguished Alumnus in 1987.

He has served on the Spearfish School Board, as President of the Spearfish Economic Development Corporation, and was elected as Mayor in 1981.

Of all his accomplishments, Jorgensen said he is most proud of establishing Jorgensen Park and all the parks through which he’s worked to dedicate land to the City.

“We’ve contributed walking and bike paths to the City which the City has continued to maintain for the community. I’m also proud of the bronze horse statues we built to honor our parents at Jorgensen Park,” said Jorgensen.

Over the years, Jorgensen has supported BHSU by giving to several student scholarship funds named in honor of faculty and students: Marion Hilpert, Sever Eubank, Charlotte Forsberg, and the T.H. and June Proctor Scholarships.

Jorgensen is currently working with a group of developers on a commercial development called The Village at Creekside, and also on Dakota Meadows – a commercial and housing venture at exit 10.

“Spearfish is a wonderful place to live with no mosquitos,” Jorgensen says simply when asked why he chose to stay and build his career here. “I’m very honored and pleased to be the Swarm Day Parade Marshal at my alma mater.”

Seven members of Winner United Methodist Church were a part of sixty youth and adults from Beresford, Brookings, Huron, Montrose, Piedmont, Pierre, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Valley City, Winner, and Yankton, spent a week in southern Texas serving six immigrant families.

Six teams were blessed to meet and form relationships with the members of the families that they served. Three of the six teams roofed houses, one team sheet rocked and painted one home’s interior, one team wired and sheet rocked another home, and the sixth team repaired a ceiling, installed a linoleum floor, and repaired some windows in a home.

“A key phrase that became a part of this mission trip was ‘then this happened’.”  As a whole, we experienced the hand of God at work in and through us,” said Pastor John Britt, Winner of UMC and one of the coordinators for the mission trip.  “Of particular importance on the trip was the ‘multiplying money’ experience.”

On the first day Steve Hilton, one of the trip coordinators, found a dollar in the parking lot and simply asked, “What should we do with this”?  He placed the dollar bill on the front counter on the bus and the next day it became two dollars. The next day it became four dollars.

After posting the pictures each day in worship, on Tuesday one of the youth asked what was up with the dollar bills.  Hilton explained that the money was multiplying and we were pondering what to do with it. That night Pastor Corey Enfield, Yankton UMC, gave the message and spoke of loving others as Jesus first loved us.  His message impacted two of the young men on the trip.  They cornered Hilton and Britt after worship and wanted to talk about “something serious”.

The two young men handed over $120 and the group talked about what to do with the multiplying money.  Wednesday morning before work everyone gathered together and posted the new picture with the exponentially multiplying money.  The mission trip coordinators invited other youth and adults to become part of this.

And “then this happened”—by the end of the day, there was enough money to purchase five $150 gift cards at Wal-Mart.  Five teams gave the gift cards to the families they were serving before leaving the job sites on Thursday.

You may be wondering why only five teams got a gift card—that’s another story. Several of the families that were served expressed their thanks by offering food to the Dakota Conference teams.  It was all they could offer but it was deeply appreciated by the youth and adults that received this blessing.  For one team, the family let them know that they would like to cook them lunch on Wednesday. But when the team arrived Wednesday morning, Edith, the mother, was very upset.  She let one of the team leaders know that she received word that the stove, which was the center of the family life, would be repossessed that day.

And… “then this happened”—after some quick conversation amongst the work team, some time in prayer, and a few phone calls, a plan was set in motion.  Instead of a $150 gift card, this family received a new stove from the team serving them!

These two stories are just a glimpse of how God was active and present for those travelling to Texas from the Dakotas Conference.
Pastor John said, “The mission trip to southern Texas was such a blessing to the six families we served. But even more so, it was a huge blessing to all who were a part of the work of God amongst the people of God. For the opportunity to love and serve in the heat of Edinburg, Texas, we say thanks be to God!”

A month later, Pastor John and two middle school youth were a part of a group of twenty-one youth and adults who went to Denver in early August on an “urban plunge”. On our first day, we learned about the realities of living in poverty and about being homeless. Through a poverty simulation activity, we learned that some parents must decide between putting gas in the car to go to work and buying food for their children to eat. We followed this up by trying out the “Food Stamp Challenge”. We each had about $1.70 to eat lunch on – that is the average per meal a person has when living on food stamps. We went in groups to the Dollar General and five of us ate on $7.00. Lunch was much less than we expected!

Over the next two days, each team took turns serving breakfast at 5:30 a.m. at the Denver Rescue Mission. There we served breakfast to about 200 people. Our teams also worked at the Food Bank of the Rockies (a huge food bank) sorting over 18,000 pounds of food and at the Denver Urban Matters location where we sorted lots of food and also stocked food on the free pantry shelves. Our whole group also spent two afternoons at ARC Thrift Store sorting, cleaning, pricing, stocking, and moving a wide variety of merchandise. Each experience was a great way for our youth and adults to build compassion and empathy for those in need.

The youth of our church look forward to being in mission again next summer. These were great trips that helped us grow in our love of God and of our neighbors as well!

Tripp County Historical Society won first place for best float in the Winner Labor Day parade.

“American Heroes” was the parade theme.

Second place in the float category went to Winner fall girls softball association. Third place went to Winner Regional Healthcare Center and fourth to Winner Area Chamber of Commerce.

First place for best antique auto went to Perry Bicek with a 1940’s Nash. Second place went to Wendall Burtz and third to Bev Janak.

Bob Littau won first place for best antique machinery.

The Tobin family won first place for best horses and riders and second place went to Daile Haase.

The Winner American Legion sponsors the big Labor Day celebration in Winner.