Category Archives: State

The Association of Mature American Citizens magazine has listed Winner as one of three places to retire.

Choosing the best place to retire is the top priority of many older Americans who seek to live well and use their money wisely.

In an informal survey of AMAC members, eight points were identified as important to retirement: affordability/ lower cost of living (housing and expenses), lower taxes, health care access, safety/low crime rates, favorable year round weather, abundance of activities, conservative government, proximity to family and friends.

In addition to Winner, the other cities chosen were Brandon, Miss and San Antonio, Texas.

The report in the magazine says the town of Winner is picturesque with the town sign boasting “Winner the beginning of the real west.”

This is a great town for people who want to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Most residents own their own homes.

Winner has experienced a job market increase over the last year and it is predicted to rise in the future but not as fast as the U.S. average. There are several reasons why Winner may be good fit for some retirees. Winner regional hospital is headquartered in the town and handles trauma, cardiology, vascular surgery and care of the critically ill as part of its service.

Winner is in the 66^th percentile for safety, meaning that 66 percent of the cities are more dangerous. The small town experiences 226 days of sunshine with 46.2 inches of snow per year as compared with 28 inches as the U.S. average.

Thus, it is ideal for retirees who enjoy snow. The summer high averages 88 degrees in July and the winter low in January is about 12 degrees

For activities, there is a drive-in theater, a community playhouse, a historical museum, library, park, pool, rodeo, gun club and a veterans memorial. There are also recreational trails and an abundance of nature.

The magazine says choosing a retirement location is a deeply personal experience.

Mike Scott, executive director of the Winner Area Chamber of Commerce, says his office has had several inquires since this article was published.

During the annual conference of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association (SDEMSA) last Friday-Sunday, Oct. 29-31 in Pierre, Brian Ring was promoted to the office of state president.

Ring is originally from Colome. He graduated from Colome High School in 1985. He is the son of Don Ring of Colome and Jolene Ring of Spearfish.

As president, Ring will preside over SDEMSA meetings, work closely with the South Dakota Department of Health on EMS related legislative affairs, act as a spokesperson on EMS, encourage association membership, coordinate association activities, and make committee appointments.

A Lifetime Member of the SDEMSA since 2018, Ring has served as SDEMSA Vice President for the past four years. He has also served numerous years as District V Secretary.

Ring received his EMT training thirty years ago. He says that he felt like the knowledge would be beneficial to him as he was growing his family. He worked for ambulance services in Chamberlain and Milbank, and joined the Onida Fire Department soon after arriving here in 1995.

During his tenure with the OFD, Ring has undergone training to become an EMT Intermediate I-85, responsible for providing basic emergency treatment for respiratory, trauma and cardiac emergencies, as well as obstructed airways, and trained to administer some medications, as well as intravenous fluids. He also became a firefighter instructor and has conducted firefighter courses. He currently serves the OFD as department secretary, and has held other offices including serving as training officer for ten years and as chief for five.

Ring has worked for the USDA for more than 31 years. This summer, the USDA announced his selection as the new Community Programs Director for the Rural Development agency in South Dakota.

Ring makes his home in Onida with his wife Sheila. They have two grown children, Lyndsey who lives in Denver, CO, and Cordell who recently moved to Mobridge.

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

This is an exciting time of year. It is hunting season.

Pheasant hunting statewide opens on Oct. 16. The season has been extended again this year to Jan. 31, 2022. Shooting hours all season start at 10 a.m. until sunset.

Dillon Bates, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks conservation officer in Winner, is looking for a good pheasant season this year.

Bates said it was looking good coming into the spring then the drought hit and changed everything.   He said a lot of chicks were lost during the drought. Pheasants eat bugs the first six weeks of their lives. “No bugs means no pheasants,” explained the conservation officer. “I did see a lot of late hatches this year so hopefully some of those survived,” he said.

Bates is still optimistic it will be a decent year for bird numbers. “Some of the areas held birds a lot better than others. It has been kind of spotty,” he said.

Historically, northern Tripp County has  more birds and he says this seems to be true this year.

Bates noted places with cattail slews and water held the birds better.

GFP no longer does brood counts where they count the number of birds in a certain area.

In August, Bates spent a few mornings driving around. “It was not good,” he said. “In the past when I would drive north of town I would see tons of pheasants and this time I saw 1 or 2.”

With the drought farmers are scrambling to hang onto every piece of grass which could have a negative impact on pheasants.

Bate has been the conservation officer here for a year. He serves the four county area of Tripp, Todd, Gregory and Mellette County.

What asked what he looks forward to this year he noted he was not sure what to expect.

COVID-19 is still hanging around.

Last year a lot of hunters did not come due to COVID-19. Now that there is a vaccine available and many people are fully vaccinated there should be more hunters. “I think we will have more hunters than last year. I do not think as many will sit out due to COVID. A lot of them that sat out last year will be itching to get back out,” said Bates.

He checked  with some hunting lodges in the area and they reported good numbers coming into the season. “I think it will be busy year,” he said.

When asked what he wanted hunters to know when they come here he said  to be respectful of private property. If hunting road right of ways know where the road right of way ends. Know what birds you can shoot and what birds you cannot shoot.

Make sure to ask permission if you  are going to go on someone’s property.

Bates stresses that hunters should know the rules and requirements of transportation of birds.

He explained a lot of guys go hunting with  their buddies and only one person brings the birds to town to the processing plant.

The rules are  the bird is tagged with the name of the hunter, the hunter’s address, the total number of species of birds taken, the date the bird was killed and signature of the hunter.

Bates also reminds hunters they cannot shoot within 660 feet of farms, livestock, school, and homes.

He said a lot of farmers are putting up signs about the 660 feet limit. Bates has signs in his office if landowner would like them.

The conservation officer continues to receive calls from hunters seeking information of pheasant season. Each day he gets one or two calls from individuals wanting to know bird numbers and where they can go to hunt.

Tripp County does not have a lot of public land for hunting. So, Bates would like to get more people interested in signing up for walk in areas. They will provide more public lands for persons to hunt.

Bates explained GFP has another program called controlled hunting access but he says is more restricted that a walk in area.

He says soon GFP will be getting a private lands biologist that can work with landowners. This person will be stationed in Chamberlain.

Bates is hoping for good weather for the opening weekend. “I am looking forward to the season and I hope everyone has a successful year and enjoys the hunt.”

South Dakotans are encouraged to start using 10-digit dialing to make all local phone calls. This could be a harsh realization for many that dialing all 10 digits of 605-(area code)-(last four digits) might not be programmed into cell phones or in land-line speed dials, or other electronic communications devices.

This transition is a necessary first step in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) move to establish 988 as a new three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This will be required beginning as early as Oct. 24, 2021, and no later than July 15, 2022, depending on your telephone provider.

Every customer with a number from the 605 area code will change to the mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls. Dialing 7 digits for  local calls will be prohibited for all customers in the entire area code.

“South Dakota’s area code remains 605,” said Leah Mohr, deputy executive director S.D. Public Utilities Commission. This action describes “the FCC’s move to establish 988 as a new three-digit dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which would require states with a 988 prefix to begin using a 10-digit code, including area code, to make local calls beginning Oct. 24, 2021.

In addition to changing your dialing patterns, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission recommends you take steps to update all contact lists ahead of the upcoming deadlines.

The PUC also suggests you take the time to update or reprogram all services, automatic dialing equipment or other types of equipment that may be programmed to complete calls using only seven-digit phone numbers.

“If you take a look at the technology you use on a daily basis or have in your home or office, you may find many devices or services with programmed call settings that will need to be updated. These can include smart home devices, home security systems, medical monitoring devices, calling networks within companies and call forwarding or voicemail services, just to name a few,” said Kristie Fiegen, vice chair PUC. “Taking the time to update these systems now will help ensure they continue working properly long past the required implementation deadlines.”

South Dakota is not the only state required to make the change. Nationwide, over 80 area codes in 36 states will be affected to ensure easy connection to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,” said Commissioner Gary Hanson.

Cal’s Angels “War on Wheels” bike ride will travel through Winner on Oct. 1.

Cal’s Angels is a leading pediatric cancer nonprofit.

The ride will kickoff at Mt. Rushmore on Sept. 29.

Riders will bike nearly 1,000 miles from Mount Rushmore to St. Charles, Ill. to support pediatric cancer patients.

The route on Oct. 1 is Murdo to Winner and then Oct. 2 Winner to Platte. The group will have a rest day in Platte on Oct. 3.

There will be about 20 cyclists raising awareness and funding for pediatric cancer research and Cal’s Angels wish program.

The ride will end Oct. 11 in Illinois.

The seventh cohort of Build Dakota Scholarship Fund students will begin classes this month, helping to fill the gap of essential workforce needs for South Dakota.

Area students who are Build Dakota Scholarship winners at Mitchell Tech are: Bailey Brown, Winner,  medical laboratory technology; Evan Farner, Winner,  ECM; Nathaniel Hansen, Colome, welding; Casey Taylor, Colome, LPN.

 In January 2021, Governor Kristi Noem announced an additional $20 million in continued support of the Build Dakota Scholarship Fund, securing funding for the program for another five years.

“The state’s commitment to the Build Dakota Scholarship is one of the best examples of how government can partner with private business to make real change in our state,” said Governor Noem. “As more and more businesses look to South Dakota to escape overregulation and high taxes, the Build Dakota Scholarship will allow our workforce the chance to train and meet the needs of our growing economy.”

Over 70% of scholars are backed by an industry partner, meaning these students are guaranteed a job upon completing their degree. Industry partners provide a match with scholarship dollars. In return, students commit to working for the industry partner for three years following graduation. With workforce recruitment challenges facing businesses across the state and nation, Build Dakota offers security and stability for businesses who invest in their workforce through the industry partner program.

“As we enter our seventh year of offering Build Dakota Scholarships to young people, I think we have even more momentum than we did when we announced the program,” said Build Dakota Chairman Dana Dykhouse. “This scholarship is moving the needle for South Dakota employers and helping create successful careers for our state’s workforce.”

Each technical college manages their own industry partner program, working with local businesses and economic development organizations to find future employment opportunities for Build Dakota scholars in high-need workforce areas. This cohort is supported by over $2.6 million in funding from industry partners like Sanford Health, Fiegen Construction, CHS, and many more.

“Our industry partner program has allowed more scholars to be awarded these scholarships, through a match program,” said Deni Amundson, program manager for Build Dakota. “Scholars with an industry partner are guaranteed a job after graduation, and the industry partner has a steady stream of highly trained employees.”

“Year after year, we have a very high level of interest from both students and industry partners wanting to utilize the Build Dakota Scholarship at Southeast Technical College,” said Southeast Technical College President Robert Griggs. “This program has changed the narrative about technical education in our state, and I’m excited to see continued growth and partnerships.”

South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB) and County Farm Bureaus are hosting informational sessions to inform producers on issues relating to Climate Smart

Agriculture and the Drought Monitor. An update will also be provided on the SDFB Health Plans.

  Each session will include three experts to address topics relating to carbon and climate. Speakers include Brian A. Fuchs with the National Drought Mitigation Center,

Ben Gordon with Corteva Agriscience and Shelby Myers an economist with American

Farm Bureau Federation.

The meetings include a meal and are free and open to the public. They will be

held four different times, in four separate locations.

August 3, at 12 p.m. (MT) at the Branding Iron, Belle Fourche

August 3, at 6:30 p.m. (MT) at the Mueller Center, Hot Springs

August 4, at 12 p.m. (CT) at the Holiday Inn Express, Winner

August 4, at 6:30 p.m. (CT) at the Miller Community Center, Miller

This event is made possible in part by grant funding from American Farm Bureau and area County Farm Bureaus.

PIERRE, S.D. –  Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order declaring a statewide state of emergency for drought conditions and allowing ditch mowing in Eastern South Dakota to begin effective immediately. As drought conditions continue to negatively impact feed availability for livestock across South Dakota, this order will increase access to hay for farmers and ranchers.

“Growing up on the family ranch, I know how difficult it can be to feed cattle during dry times,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “This increased flexibility will allow producers to immediately gain access to hay for their livestock. With a mild winter and early spring, most of the pheasant hatch is well behind us, and we do not expect this move to affect pheasant numbers.  Reports from the field look fantastic for the upcoming pheasant hunting season.”

Executive Order 2021-09 is effective immediately and will remain effective through Aug. 31, 2021.

PIERRE, S.D.– The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry, elected officers for its 2021-2022 Board of Directors. The SDBA is honored to have the following individuals serve as officers:

•  Chair: Kristina Schaefer, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls

•  Chair-Elect: David Bangasser, Southern Region President, Dacotah Bank, Sioux Falls

•  Vice Chair: David Nelson, President/CEO, First Fidelity Bank, Burke

•  Immediate Past Chair: Steve Bumann, CFO, BankWest, Inc., Pierre

The official election took place at the SDBA’s Annual Business Meeting held on June 15 in Rapid City. The term for the new officers is effective now through next year’s Annual Business Meeting.

Vice Chair David Nelson:

David Nelson is president and CEO of First Fidelity Bank in Burke. Before joining the bank in 1995, he worked as an investment representative for American Express. Nelson has a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a master of business administration from the University of South Dakota and attended the Graduate School of Banking in Wisconsin. He has Series 7, 63 and 65 national securities licenses.

Nelson is a member of the Burke Business Promotion Corporation and the Platte Area Foundation Board. He is past president of the Platte Development Corporation and previously served on the Platte Chamber of Commerce Board, St. Peter’s Catholic Church Council and the Platte Black Panther Booster Club Board. Nelson is a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

Nelson and his wife, Bernadette, have been married for 42 years. They have three grown daughters and seven grandchildren.