Fire reminds residents to be careful this Fourth of July weekend

Madison’s two cemeteries look so much better after the May 12 storm, thanks to staff, volunteers and donors. The storm knocked down dozens of trees, which in turn damaged fences and even some headstones. Both Graceland Cemetery east of town and St. Thomas Cemetery to the south took a beating.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A shooting involving law enforcement outside a fast food restaurant in Sioux Falls has left one person dead, according to police. Sioux Falls officers and a Minnehaha County sheriff’s deputy made a traffic stop about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a Burger King when at least one individual fired at the officers, officials said.

Kelli Brown always liked movies, but not to the point that she thought she would someday own her own movie theater. For the past couple of years, she has been a co-owner at Dakota Cinema, Madison’s local theater. Brown is a native of Carthage and a high school graduate...

Mike and Kim Pederson of Madison announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter Kara to Tyler Erck, son of Bill and Lisa Erck of Brandon. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Madison High School and Stewart School. She is a self-employed hairstylist and makeup artist at Rooted Elements of Sioux Falls.

Gertrude “Trudy” Aartun, age 91, of Madison, died on Aug. 7, 2022, at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison. To plant a tree in memory of Gertrude "Trudy" Aartun as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.

BRANDON – Sioux Valley Energy’s second Safety Day event will be held on Saturday at its Brandon Service Center, 108 N. Heritage Road, Brandon. Members of the public are invited to join Sioux Valley Energy for a free pancake feed, interactive safety demonstrations, children’s activities with prizes and much more from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Jean A. Herreid, age 90, of Madison, died on July 31, 2022, at Madison Regional Health System. To plant a tree in memory of Jean Herreid as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.

Leslie Driscoll, 77, of Madison, died on Aug. 6, 2022, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. To plant a tree in memory of Leslie Driscoll as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.

My name is Zachary Zwaschka, and I was born and raised in Spearfish. I graduated from the local high school in 2018 before leaving for the University of South Dakota to pursue a degree in journalism. Although I transferred to the Black Hills State English program after one semester, my passion for language and writing stuck with me. I fell in love with literary analysis, poetry and the art of storytelling, eventually taking a position as a student editor at the college’s writing center.