Category Archives: News

A retirement ceremony for Tara Jo Mayes, formerly of Winner, was held June 16 at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va.

Mayes is the daughter of Don and Cathy Mayes of Winner.

Tara Jo Mayes has served 22 years in the Navy and will serve eight years in the reserve.

Master chief Mayes enlisted in the Navy in July 2000 and attended recruit training command in Great Lakes, Ill.

Upon completion of basic training she reported to Naval Service Training Command for information systems technician A school.

Her first tour of duty was with Tactical support center I Sigoella, Italy, providing technical support for P-3 Orion patrol squadrons while deployed to Kosovao I support of operation joint guardia.

In January 2004 she transferred to the USS Harry S. Truman deploying to Fifth Fleet in support of operation Iraqi Freedom. She then transferred to Center for information dominance learning site Dam Neck, Va, as an instructor for advanced network analysis and theater battle space management control systems.

Returning to sea duty she was assigned to the USS Winston Churchill conducting two deployments to Fifth Fleet where she was the selected as the commander’s sailor of the year and being selected chief officer.

Continuing in the expeditionary community she reported to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ELEVEN while deploying to Rota, Spain twice supporting communication efforts to 25 task tailored detachments in support of CTF’s 56, 68 ad 75 where she advanced to senior chief.

Returning to the surface fleet, she transferred to information warfare training group I Virginia Beach, Va., for a short tour while being promoted to master chief. After being redistributed due to advancement she reported to U.S. Second Fleet where she is assigned as the staff senior enlisted leader in support of Atlantic and Artic operations to include command and control of JFC Norfolk in support of NATO.

Her qualifications include achievement of a master training specialist, master training specialist mentor and holds an associates of science in information technology and a bachelor of science in information systems and cyber security.

Master chief Mayes is a graduate of the senior enlisted academy Class 217 and has earned the designation as a Seabee combat warfare specialist, expeditionary warfare specialist, surface warfare specialist, air warfare specialist, and has earned numerous personal and unit awards.

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

Milling started last Tuesday morning on the Highway 44 project in Winner.

Brad Norrid of the South Dakota Department of Transportation updated the public on the progress of the project.

The June 21 meeting was live streamed.

Norrid explained there are flaggers and a pilot car for this portion of the project. Persons will have a 15 minute or less wait for a pilot car.

The entire surface of the road will be removed and will be replaced with a new concrete highway. The work area is from Subway to the sale barn road, about one mile.

Norrid asks motorists to drive slow through the construction zone and be aware of lane changes.

Norrid said if there is inclement weather or a lot rain the road will have to be closed and the detour will be the sale barn road.

When finished there will be a new road surface, new curb and gutter, new sidewalk and lighting.

Reede Construction of Aberdeen is the prime contractor.

Persons can follow updates on the project on the Facebook page Winner Highway Construction 2022-2023.

The next live stream of the highway meeting will be held July 5 at 11 a.m.

Government offices in Winner will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

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

The Winner city office will be closed July 4^th. The city council meeting has been moved to Tuesday, July 5 at 6:30 p.m.

All state and federal offices in Winner will be closed Monday.

The Winner Post Office will be closed and there will be no mail delivery.

Financial banks in Winner and Colome will not be open for business on July 4.

There will be no noon meal at the senior citizens center on July 4.

Southern Plains Behavioral Health Services will be closed Friday, July 1 and Monday, July 4.

The Winner Area Chamber of Commerce office will be closed July 4.

It is Christmas in July for Winner Community Playhouse summer children’s play.

“A Snow White Christmas” by Kathryn Schultz Miller is the play. It is a small musical.

Students who will be entering grades 3 through 8 this fall are invited to consider taking part. All roles require singing.

Sign up to be part of the cast will be July 7-8 from 9 a.m. to noon each day at the playhouse.

The show date will be July 21 with an afternoon and evening show.

Sarah Taggart will be the show director.

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

Work has started on the second phase of the Highway 18 and 44 reconstruction project in Winner.

This year the focus is on Highway 44 from Plum Street to just past the sale barn road.

Reede Construction of Aberdeen is the prime contractor for this $20.9 million construction project.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation gave an update on the project at a meeting on June 14.

The state DOT and Reede Construction are holding weekly highway construction meetings each Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the city council chambers.

The meetings will be live streamed every other week. The public is invited to attend the meetings to learn about the progress of the project.

The milling of the asphalt off the current stretch of Highway 44 started June 21. This will last for about five days. There will be some traffic delays and there will be flaggers to guide the motorists through the work zone

Doug Sherman, area engineer for the DOT says the road will remain open but if there is a lot of rain it will have be closed.

A truck detour will be put in place that utilizes Highway 49 to Colome and Highway18 back to Winner.

The highway will be open to local truck traffic and delivery vehicles.

A 12 foot wide width restriction for trucks will be in place, just the same as Phase I last summer.

Work on Highway 44 will include a new concrete pavement which will be three lanes, curb and gutter, new sidewalks, lighting plus utility placement.

Though the focus this year is on Highway 44, the project also includes redoing Highway 18 from Van Buren Street to the west limits of Winner near the Country Club Motel. The Highway18 portion of the project may be in 2023 since this phase is so large.

Reede Construction has created a Facebook page so the public can follow the updates. Persons can search “Winner highway construction 2022-2023.”

In the construction zone, motorists are asked to be aware of suddenly slowing traffic, reduced speeds in the work zone and construction workers and equipment adjacent to the driving lanes.

Speak at Rotary

Sherman and Mike Flakus, project supervisor for Reede Construction, spoke at the Winner Rotary meeting on June 16. They explained the scope of the work on Highway 44.

Flakus is originally from Colome and after he retired from teaching and coaching in Aberdeen he joined Reede Construction. Flakus was the head football coach at Aberdeen Central for many years.

In addition to work on Highway 44, Sherman explained other construction work in Tripp County. Work is underway on Highway 49 from the junction of Highway 44 to Highway 47.

Also, work will start later this summer on Highway 53.