We uncovered a mystery in this week’s (March 9) True Dakotan. Marvin Mentzer brought in some antique glass negatives that he had found in the basement of his house. We managed to scan them with a digital scanner, looked at the people in the photo and even identified one of them….. here’s a hint, the glass negative is exactly 100 years old! We’ll uncover that story in a couple of days, after our True Dakotan subscribers get a look at it first. — craig

I enjoyed seeing Katie’s picture with former Senator Gladys Pyle in this month’s column.

While providing ecology-friendly electrical power to portions of eastern South Dakota, a wind farm that sprouted up in the Wessington Hills is about to begin providing a punch to the Jerauld County economy.

Officials around Jerauld County area expecting a windfall of sorts as they await the arrival of tax money generated by a 34-tower wind farm near Wessington Springs.

The first annual payment should arrive sometime in April, according to Jerauld County Auditor Cindy Peterson.

 A blonde calls her boyfriend and says, “Please come over here and help me.. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can’t figure out how to get started.”

Her boyfriend asks, “What is it supposed to be when it’s finished?”

The blonde says, “According to the picture on the box, it’s a rooster.”

Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, “First of all, no matter what we do, we’re not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster.”

Jerauld County, Wessington Springs schools and two Jerauld County townships await the 2010 taxes, paid on the Springs wind farm during 2009. Who gets what…. where will it be spent? Next week’s True Dakotan takes a look.

TRUE DAKOTAN PHOTO/DUKE WENZEL

 WHEN LAMBS BEGIN TO ARRIVE can spring be far behind? A mother ewe feeds her offspring in front of the barn at the Karen Wagner farm, west of Wessington Springs along SD Highway 34. Calving in the area should be in full swing over the next few weeks. Heavy snow could create a problem, or melted snow could also pose a problem trying to find a dry place to calve out.

Ten charges were filed against Tanner Easton, including a charge of vehicular homicide after a December–2009 roll over killed one passenger and left two others injured.

The accident happened on December 5 a few miles west of Alpena. Wessington Spirngs High School senior Jasmyn Knippling died as a result of injuries in the crash.

 A change in the assessments for agricultural land in South Dakota will have some effect on landowners according to a news release from the office of the Jreauld County Director of Equalization.

Beginning with the 2010 assessments (for taxes payable in 2011) agricultural land in South Dakota will be assessed based upon its productivity value. The Department of Revenue and Regulation (Department) contracts with the Economics Department of South Dakota State University (SDSU) to produce the “productivity value” or the “formula value” for the productivity valuation system. This value is the starting point for valuing all agricultural land in the state. This starting value is adjusted by the county Director of Equalization to ensure uniform and fair valuations. See more in your copy of the True Dakotan… (annual subscription $45.00 non-SD – PO Box 358, Wessington Springs, SD 57382)

Wessington Springs is happy to have such good people on the school faculty. The schools are full of outstanding teachers– and last year Charlotte Mohling was SD Teacher of the Year.  A week ago we had a story about Mary Gohring, a high school math teacher who was named SD Science Teacher of the Year.  And now THIS! We are presently working on a story for next week’s True Dakotan about a WSHS coach being named SD Coach of the Year. Wow! –Craig

TRUE DAKOTAN PHOTOGRAPHS

BY DUKE WENZEL

 The 20th annual Wessington Springs Chamber of Commerce Farm and Home Show was held as scheduled despite cool temperatures at the Springs gymnasium on Monday, February 15, 2010.

Some vendors and visitors showed up late due to the weather.

Some of the early visitors are shown at left as they stopped at some of the 50 vendors who attended.

 People from the American Bank & Trust in Wessington Springs are shown at right as they cooked sausage for the bank’s free pancake feed that was held in the school lunch room. Shown from left are Kevin Mebius, Pat Jones, Joel Boschee and Charlie Bergeleen