Bancroft, SD

A De Smet baby was the winner of the “Cutest Baby” contest at Huron Regional Medical Center. Sophia Liu-Kott, a daughter of Jerry and Star Kott of De Smet, was born on Christmas Day. There were 32 babies in the contest whose photos were displayed on the Huron Regional Medical Center’s website. More than 1,300 people voted from 33 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, China, Iceland and South America. The winner was chosen via a People’s Choice vote.

Tammy Hillestad, Lake Preston resident and VP of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at Brookings Health System, was inducted into Phi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International at SDSU on March 29 in recognition of her leadership role in the nursing community. Inductees are selected for the quality of their work and leadership in the community. She also received special recognition for her accomplishments at the March meeting of the Brookings Health System Board of Trustees. Hillestad has been a nurse since 1987 and is in her third year as Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer with Brookings Health System. She oversees more than 270 employees and also the support clinics in Arlington and White.

For close to 40 years, talk and attempts have continuously cropped up about Oldham-Ramona and Rutland School Districts consolidating. In November of 2021, three public meetings were held in Oldham, Ramona and Rutland about consolidation again. While some residents were undecided at that time, those in favor of the consolidation were Rutland 45%, Oldham-Ramona at 53%.

HURON — There are two seats open on the Beadle County Commission for 2022. The retirement of Tom Hansen has opened his District 3 seat, and as the lone candidate to file for that position, Alan Greenfield will replace Hansen in January. The other open seat on the commission...

SIOUX FALLS – The 2022 South Dakota State Track & Field Meet opened Thursday in Sioux Falls for all classes, and already multiple Heartland area athletes and teams have had positive meets. The Huron Tigers qualified the girls’ 4x100-meter relay team of Brynn Gose, Zaniya Lanier, Adison Moore, and...

HURON — The annual Huron Memorial Day program will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30, in the Huron High School Auditorium. Beadle County Veteran Service Officer Taylor Jans will be the featured speaker and vocalist Frank Palleria is the musical entertainment. Alpena. ALPENA — The Owen...

In a joint announcement, Logan Luxury Theatres Corporation and michael Moore of Moore Enterprises LLC announced the sale of the Huron Luxury Cinemas. The new owner, Michael Moore, also owns Fire Pit Pizza and is the Beadle County States Attorney. Moore took over operation of the four-screen theater in Huron May 26th. Logan Luxury Theatres has operated the theatre since 1980 and operated the Starlite drive in theater in Huron from 1975 to 1986. The company was founded in 1933 and also operates the Luxury 5 Cinema and Starlite drive in in Mitchell. Moore was asked what brought him from the purchase of Fire Pit Pizzeria to the Huron Cinemas.

Valley FiberCom is coming to the Iroquois area, including rural addresses. The crew digging the lines are making quick business of it. A handful of satellite internet services currently operating in the area could be replaced by those selecting the fiber optic choice. Fiber optic cable TV is a service that can be signed up for as well.

Alivia Spilde, Jensine Matson, Ramey Gearhart and Will Matson are recipients of a $1830 Malone Scholarship presented to them at the Oldham-Ramona Awards Program held on May 17. The Francis T. Malone Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 to encourage academic excellence within the Oldham-Ramona School District. Francis Malone understood...

What happens when a company hits their twentieth anniversary during the COVID pandemic? Well, they wait for a safe time to gather and throw a company party like never before. In 2001, UltiMed, Inc. in De Smet opened their doors. The new manufacturing plant started with one insulin syringe assembly machine. They also finished some products manufactured overseas and then distributed all the products worldwide.

HURON, S.D. (News Release) — Kody Kopfmann has been named the new Head Girls Basketball Coach for the Huron Tigers. Kopfmann has been an assistant in the boys basketball program for the past seven years. Prior to coaching in Huron, Kopfmann was the assistant girls basketball coach. at Wessington...

On the last day of school during elementary awards, The Progressive Community Women PCW) of Lake Preston presented a $2000 donation to the Lake Preston School for new elementary sports uniforms. PCW raised these funds by hosting an adult prom. PCW members include Justine Sauter, left, Jalisa Von Behren, Alyssa Anderson, Codi Smith, Cathy Pillar, Becky McDaniel, Courtney Eschenbaum, Stacy Jenkins, Melissa Malone and Sierra Blachford. Not pictured were Jenna Odegaard, Marla Bertsch, Heidi Arvidson, Amanda Casper, Heidi Woodard and Tara Styf.

Ronald G. Campbell, 78, of Lake Preston, S.D., died on Sat., April 23, 2022, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet, S.D. Following retirement from the Arlington School System in 1998, Mr. Campbell was the Quality Assurance Manager at UltiMed/Shinamerican, Inc. located in De Smet, S.D., from 2001 to 2008. Prior to working in De Smet, Ronald worked for Falcon Plastics in Brookings, S.D. for about three years. Most of Ronald’s working life was spent as a teacher of high school science in the Arlington Public School System, Arlington, S.D. Ronald taught for 33 years from 1965 through 1998. During these years he taught classes in physical science, biology, chemistry, physics, electronics and computer programming.

LAKE NORDEN — Darleen Ann Duffy, 92, a former Oldham area resident, passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Avantara-Lake Norden. Darleen Ann Tunender was born February 9, 1930, at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. At 10 days old, she was adopted by John Sr. and Rosella Tunender. She spent her early life on a farm near Tea. In 1942, the family moved to a farm southwest of Humboldt.

Last week, the Ingalls Homestead, celebrated two special birthdays. Alvin Kangas, one of the wagon drivers, and Black Jack, one of the wagon draft horses, share a birthday month. Black Jack and Kangas have traveled together on a few wagon trains around South Dakota, including the Cheyenne to Deadwood Wagon...

Darleen Ann Duffy, 92, a former Oldham area resident, passed away on Sun., May 22, 2022, at Avantara Lake Norden. Darleen Ann Tunender was born Feb. 9, 1930, at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. At 10 days old, she was adopted by John Sr. and Rosella Tunender. She spent her early life on a farm near Tea. In 1942, the family moved to a farm southwest of Humboldt. Darleen graduated from Humboldt High School in 1948. She attended General Beadle College in Madison, earning a two-year teaching degree. She moved to Oldham where she taught junior high classes for two years. During this time, she met Louis Duffy, and they married on June 10, 1952, at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Humboldt. The couple raised their four sons while Louis worked on the family farm east of Oldham. They lived in Oldham until moving out to the farm in 1959. In 1998, they moved back into Oldham. Louis died on March 2, 2017. In August 2020, Darleen moved to an assisted living center in De Smet, then one in Brookings. In April 2021, she moved to Avantara, Lake Norden.

HURON — As the community continues to recover from the storm that blew through Huron on May 12, so does Riverside Cemetery. Larry Cross, Sexton of Riverside, has reported well over 100 trees were snapped, uprooted and twisted throughout the 60 acres of the beautiful resting place for family, friends and loved ones.

Three Huron area residents recently saw their lease on life extended, when were able to receive kidney transplants, after what was sometimes years of dialysis at Huron Regional Medical Center. Kirk Olson, Ea Ku Htoo and a third patient we’ll call “Sam” all received that magical call within a short...

In 1879, about a mile east of our present town near the lake shore, Knute Lewis & Bros. started a general mercantile/drugstore, which also housed the post office for the town of Preston. When the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad came to the area, they built further down from that small settlement.

Darleen Ann Duffy, 92 a former Oldham area resident passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2022 at Avantara-Lake Norden. Darleen Ann Tunender was born February 9, 1930 at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. At 10 days old, she was adopted by John Sr and Rosella Tunender. She spent her early life on a farm near Tea. In 1942 the family moved to a farm southwest of Humboldt. Darleen graduated from Humboldt High School in 1948. She attended General Beadle College in Madison, earning a two year teaching degree. She moved to Oldham where she taught junior high classes for two years. During this time she met Louis Duffy, and they married on June 10, 1952 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Humboldt. The couple raised their four sons while Louis worked on the family farm east of Oldham. They lived in Oldham until moving out to the farm in 1959. In 1998, they moved back into Oldham. Louis died on March 2, 2017. In August 2020 Darleen moved to an assisted living center in DeSmet, then one in Brookings. In April 2021 she moved to Avantara, Lake Norden.