BY DUKE WENZEL- TRUE DAKOTAN

The culvert beneath SD Highway 34 at Wessington Springs connects the two sides of South Gulch. Have you ever walked through the 13 ft. culvert? I have -- Craig Wenzel/Photo

Two major SD Highway 34 improvements were addressed during a meeting in Wessington Springs last Tuesday, January 10.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) held an informal meeting at City Hall outlining the replacement of an underground culvert on SD Highway 34, just east of the Dakota Avenue entrance to town. Also announced were plans for the much-needed re-surfacing of the highway from the corner of Dakota Avenue and Highway 34 to 21 miles west at the junction of Highway 34 and Highway 45 (Gann Valley junction).

Road Design Engineer Supervisor Neil Schochenmaier gave the presentation.

DOT’s plan to re-surface SD 34 west of Springs is good news

More good news came at Thursday’s meeting when the DOT announced the stretch of SD Highway 34 from Dakota Avenue in Wessington Springs to Highway 45, 21 miles west, will get some much-needed work with a mill and asphalt overlay slated for the fall of this year if everything goes as planned.

(WESSINGTON SPRINGS, SD) – Horizon Health Care’s Jerauld County Clinic has changed its name to Jerauld County Community Health Center. The name change highlights Horizon’s focus on providing access to comprehensive health care services, as well as financial assistance resources to all members of the Wessington Springs community.

“Community Health Centers (CHCs) are not a one-size fits all health care facility, but offer a unique set of services based on the needs of the community and patient population,” said John Mengenhausen, CEO of Horizon Health Care, Inc. “The name change reflects what Horizon’s focus has always been and will continue to be for many years to come: to provide access to personalized, affordable, high quality primary healthcare to the Springs community.”

Also known as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) a Community Health Center is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation that delivers primary medical, dental, and mental health services in medically underserved areas. Horizon receives Federal Community Health Center grant funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care, a division of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding allows Horizon to offset the costs of providing reduced patient fees through its Sliding Fee Program.

Not every community can have a CHC. Only communities with a high-need for access to health care based on core barriers like provider ratios, poverty level, percent of uninsured and distance to nearest accessible health care. To meet the need of the patient population, each CHC must provide primary, preventive, and enabling services. Additionally, each site’s core staff must be able to provide all the required services and be appropriately licensed, credentialed, and privileged.

Each of Horizon’s 12 medical locations will change its name to reflect their designation as a community health center. Stationary, signage, internal documents, phone greetings and more are already in the process of being updated and will be completely rolled out by the end of January. Below are the new names of Horizon’s CHCs across South Dakota:

Aurora County Community Health Center; Bennett County Community Health Center; Bryant Community Health Center; De Smet Community Health Center; Howard Community Health Center; James Valley Community Health Center; Jerauld County Community Health Center; Lake Preston Community Health Center; Mellette County Community Health Center; Mission Community Health Center; Springfield Community Health Center; Whiting Memorial Community Health Center.

For over 35 years, Horizon Health Care, Inc. has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality primary health care through a rural, community-based network in South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves the health care and dental needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 63,000 patient visits annually in 17 medical and dental clinics in the following communities: Bryant, DeSmet, Howard, Huron, Lake Preston, Martin, Mission, Plankinton, Springfield, Wessington Springs, White River and Woonsocket. For more information please visit www.horizonhealthcare.org

Wessington Springs firemen fighting the prairie fire

Alpena fire truck swishes through the frame as Duke Wenzel shot a picture of the fire

 The fire burned past the old Frank Hensley place and on over the hill to the east. Fire departments from Plankinton, Woonsocket and Alpena were also

Plankinton fire department came to help -- Duke Wenzel

called in and soon over a dozen fire trucks and tankers were on the scene. The fire was under control after about an hour with the springs crew staying to mop up the hot spots. The firemen were back in the shop around sundown. The fire covered around 180 acres and involved only grassland belonging to Dennis Beckman and Schroeder Ranch, Inc. Several area farmers also came to the fire with tractors and disks to help out if needed.

Wessington Springs firemen and area farmers tend to the huge fire (below). An Alpena fire truck zoomed into the frame as a picture was being taken of the billowing smoke (above right). A fire truck from Plankinton tends to the fire (right). Smoke from the fire could be smelled 45 miles away in Huron.

The firemen had a busy week. Aside from the prairie fire and Springs Auto fire, they were called to put out a blaze a few miles south of Lane.

A cow on a Jerauld County farm enjoys a lunch of corn stalks during perfectly gorgeous winter weather recently - DUKE WENZEL/TRUE DAKOTAN

TRUE DAKOTAN/DUKE WENZEL

The home of Dr. Jack and Joyce Krueger, on College Avenue in Wessington Springs,  is being remodeled to accomodate Jack’s return.

The longtime Wessington Springs dentist suffered a stroke in December, and although showing good signs of recovery, still has some work to be done.

The work shown above, according to Joyce Krueger, is being done by Total Construction, 

Workers at the Jack and Joyce Krueger home in Wessington Springs, are preparing the house so Jack can come home to the basement after suffering a stroke in December-2011. He is a longtime Wessington Springs dentist.

Inc., of  Wessington Springs, saying: “They have been working right through the cold in order to get the work done so Jack can come home!”

It’s great, living in a small town!

The scholarship will be given on the basis of community service and will be selected from the applicants by the scholarship committee of the Springs Area Community Club.

The scholarships will be dispersed $500 per semester to an accredited institution of higher learning (University, College, Technical School, etc.).

Scholarship applications are available at the American Bank & Trust of Wessington Springs.

Applications can be received by mail or email by contacting Rev. Dan Edzards, P.O. Box 238, Wessington Springs, SD 57382, 605-539-1042, dedzards@sbtc.net.

Scholarship Applications are due May 4, 2012 at the above address.

OBITUARY

Esther Schuettpelz Fillmore

Esther Schuettpelz Fillmore, 98, passed away on Saturday, December 27, 2011 at Bickford Cottage, Marion, Iowa. Funeral services were held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Marion on Wednesday, December 21.

Esther was born to William and Betty Greimann at Garner, Iowa. She attended Iowa State College and began her teaching career in a one room schoolhouse in Hancock County, Iowa at the age of 17.

She was married to Earl Schuettpelz on October 21, 1939 in Taylor Falls, MN.

Earl passed away August 30, 1981.

Esther married John Fillmore on January 7, 1987. John passed away January 24, 1995.

Esther is survived by her three children: Donald (Patricia) Schuettpelz, Diane (Terry) Conklin, and Carl (Dawn) Schuettpelz; seven grandchildren, six great grandchildren; one brother, Earl Greimann, and one sister, Gladys Alden.

Esther was the sister-in-law of Barbara Schuettpelz and Velma Kieffer of Wessington Springs.

The sun goes down behind the 100-tower wind farm southwest of Wessington Springs. /Frozen water is seen in the foreground. Duke Wenzel/True Dakotan