Vote for 2009’s Top Wessington Springs Area Stories.

 What were the top news stories of 2009? You can use these suggestions or make one of your own. You may vote for the top story of 2009 by email (truedakotan@sbtc.net), telephone (605-539-1281), fax (605-539-9315), mail (PO Box 358), or at truedakotan.com Responses may be reprinted. Names may be used if you sign your response.

Here are some suggestions:

Well, the weather has to be right up there. The True Dakotan reported “We’re a hardy bunch” after a bone-chilling blizzard arrived on January 12, 2009. Weather watchers had to look in their 1996 files to find a colder spell of weather. Temperatures fell to -22 degrees in Wessington Springs, but compared to Aberdeen’s stunning -47 we had it good. “March goes “out like a lion” (April 7, 2009) reported a drop of 20 inches of new snow in late March and early April. Another storm, the Christmas Blizzard-2009, dropped 15 inches of snow over a three day period in late-December of 2009, making the year one of the worst as snow storms are concerned.

February 3, 2009: “True Dakotan introduces full-time color on page one!”  This one might appear to be self-serving, but A LOT has happened in the newspaper business in the past 35 years. We started the newspaper in 1975 with an antique, hot-metal-spittin’ linotype typesetting machine. Today’s version of the paper sports full color photographs, an active website, computerized page layouts and email. Pretty cool, huh?

February 3, 2009: “It’s good to be back in town”- Tyler Easton was on hand at the Wessington Springs basketball games last Monday, the February 3 headline read. He has battled cancer over the past few years and although he lost his left leg in the ordeal he is getting around very well.  A pretty good portion of the rest of 2009 has been spent at a cancer center in Texas.

February 10, 2009: “Community wins RC&D “Outstanding Sponsor Achievement” state and region award. The city council accepted the award from the Western Association of RC&D Council on behalf of the community. The award is given for communities that show innovation, spirit and teamwork.

February 10, 2009: “Jerauld County man killed in farm accident”. Forty-three year old Donald Ziebart, who farmed in the Twin Lakes area of Jerauld County, was killed when he was pinned by a baler at their farm. He is survived by his wife, Tami and the couple’s four school-age children.

 

February 17, 2009: “SACC makes money, keeps giving it away; $1,000 scholarship to be given” – The Springs Area Community Club (SACC) is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a graduate of Wessington Springs High School. The club president Matthew Orstad also presented a $600 check to Delores Schimke of the Springs Area Bus on the same day. This story could be selected not only for this item, but for all of the good deeds the club does during the year –baseball concession stand, Main Street Consignment Store, chili feed– all of the proceeds are given away, thousands of dollars worth!

February 17, 2009: “Wind turbines are ready to go commercial at full power – Enough electricity to power 15,000 homes” – The wind turbine generators at the Springs Wind Farm were ready for full power this week, according to wind farm manager Ryan Logan of Wessington Springs. The turbines are ready to deliver Heartland Consumers Power District with enough electricity to power the equivalent of 15,000 homes. The project has been built south of Wessington Springs, along the Wessington Hills, over the past year. At the same time the tower owners, Babcock and Brown, made a $2,500 donation to the Wessington Springs firemen and Jerauld County Ambulance.

March 10, 2009: “Slain Woonsocket woman worked in Jerauld County” - A Huron man is being held in connection with the death of a Woonsocket woman. Shannon Flowers, Huron, is charged with the February 26, 2009 death of Brittney L. Chua, age 20, and her unborn daughter. According to obituary she had worked at L.S.I. (Jack Link’s Beef Jerky) in Alpena and at the time of her death was an employee at Weskota Manor Avera nursing home in Wessington Springs.

May 5, 2009: “Tom Dean to receive national Practitioner of the year award from National Rural Health Assoc.” – Dr. Tom Dean of Wessington Springs was selected the 2009 Practitioner of the Year by the National Rural Health Association and was to be honored at a ceremony during the May 7 annual conference in Miami, FL. Dr. Dean has practiced for over 30 years as a family medicine specialist in Horizon Health Care’s community health centers in Wessington Springs, Woonsocket and Plankinton.

May 19, 2009: “Springs Auto’s GM line is among those scheduled to close” — The General Motors dealership in Wessington Springs has been scheduled to be closed as part of the company’s nationwide move to eliminate nearly one in five of its franchises. Springs Auto received notice from the parent company on Friday, May 15. Springs Auto owner Lawrence Caffee took over the local GM dealership in 1980. The Caffee family is one of the top employers in Wessington Springs with 27 people on the payroll.

June 9, 2009: “Senior Center building fund reaches half way” – Senior $50,000 has already been donated or pledged for the new Senior Center in Wessington Springs as that fund drive continues. That amount represents approximately half of the money needed to build the center.

June 23, 2009: “Thunderstorm produced giant hail stones, sends residents scurrying for cover” - A huge thunderstorm rolled past Wessington Springs on Tuesday, June 16, spurring tornado warnings and throwing baseball-sized hail stones at the area. Windows in rural homes were shattered and damage to vehicles and roofs was reported.

 

 

 

 

 

August 11, 2009: “Springs Schools receive bus grant” – The SD Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources announced that the Wessington Springs school district will receive $64,000 to purchase a new diesel bus. The money was part of the government’s federal stimulus package.

August 18, 2009: “Federal Stimulus money pays for new Springs bus” — The federal government came through with some more stimulus package money in the form of a new bus for the Springs Area Bus. The new 14-passenger bus was unveiled by drivers Don Wenzel and Pam Meyer this week. Bus fares, state funds and local donations account for all but $59.00 of the $65,000 annual bus budget.

August 18, 2009: “Springs Auto is first in women’s state bowling tournament” - The Springs Auto women’s bowling team won the state tournament in Brookings. Team members included Mary Reider, Dayna Hohn, Marie Wood and Mette Ness.

August 25, 2009: “Hainy’s bat raises the standard at 2009 state amateur baseball tourney” – Springs amateur baseball player Nathan Hainy had a .765 batting average and hit three home runs at the 2009 state amateur baseball tournament in Mitchell. Hainy was a pickup player for the Miller-Wessington Outlaws, who made it to the quarterfinals of the state classic. Hainy also had three doubles and at least three runs batted in each of the team’s four appearances. Hainy is a longtime members of the Wessington Springs Owls baseball team as a player and manager. The .765 batting average is a new state tournament all-time record. He was named Most Valuable Player in the 2009 state baseball tournament.

September 1, 2009: “Jerauld County Clinic awarded grant to add oral health services here” – Horizon Health Care, Inc. announced that the Jerauld County Clinic was awarded a $287,500 grant to add oral health services in Wessington Springs. The clinic is working with Dr. John Krueger to provide services from his office as he moves toward retirement.

September 29, 2009: “Community Development grant will help build new Senior Citizens Center” - A Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $107,500 has been secured from the SD Governor’s office to help construct a new Senior Citizens Center in Wessington Springs. “This project will enhance the quality of life for all of Wessington Springs’ citizens,” said South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds.

 

October 13, 2009: “Springs junior participates in six state sports events in his first two years of high school” – None of the WSHS sports legends ever got off to the start like that of a current WSHS junior. In his first two years at WSHS, Cordell Muilenburg has participated in six state events, has been on three station champion teams, and has been a member of the FFA National Range team. He also has run on three consecutive state champion cross country teams, including one in 2009 that occurred after this story was written. Events include 2007 state championship team title in cross country; 8th place in the 2008 state B wrestling tournament; Participated in the 2008 state track meet; 2008 cross country state champion team; 6th place 2009 State B wrestling tournament; ranked four in class scholastically with a 3.39 GPA.; Plus you can add the 2009 state team cross country championship here.

 

October 27, 2009: “Teamwork makes the dream work; boys’ cross country team captures a “three-peat” – The Wessington Springs Spartan cross country team captured an unprecedented third straight State B team title during the 2009 running of the state meet in Rapid City last weekend. Members of the team included Mitch Kraft, Drew Kraft, Cordell Muilenburg and Jase Kraft. Mindy Kraft also placed fourth in the girls meet with Lindsey Mettler finishing 21st. They were coached by Becky Bell-Krueger, who has been named SD High School Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year.

 

November 3, 2009: “Harvest Bee held at Salmen’s” – Combines scooped up a record crop, tractors with grain carts loaded the precious soybeans into waiting trucks as an age-old tradition unfolded on the Donnie and Phyllis Salmen farm 17 miles southwest of Wessington Springs. Friends and neighbors made short work of the beans as they gathered for an old-time harvest bee. While Donnie has been battling cancer, the couple has been overwhelmed by the generosity of their neighbors during harvest time. “No they are not just good neighbors,” Donnie said, “they are super neighbors.” Donnie continued his health battle after he and Phyllis moved to town, but passed away in December.

November 10, 2009: “Man charged with aggravated assault found not guilty” – A Georgia man, 29 year old Christopher Brad Tartin, was found not guilty by a Jerauld County jury. He had been charged in an incident involving a five-month baby. The baby was air lifted to Sioux Falls on Tuesday, September 16, apparently suffering from shaken baby syndrome. The jury heard testimony over a three-day period.

 

November, 2009: “Record Corn Crop”: Area farmers were busy battling the elements and waiting for corn crops to sufficiently dry as the late harvest was underway. What turned out to be a record corn crop –sometimes in excess of 190 bushels to the acre– was finally harvested, but it took a long time. 

 

 

December 8, 2009: “High school senior, Jasmyn Knippling dies in car accident” – A Wessington Springs High School senior Jasmyn Knippling died of injuries in a one-car accident on December 5, and three others were injured. Also injured in the accident were Tanner Easton, Loriann Schimke and Ty Kenobbie.

 

December 22, 2009: “Local business robbed” – A local convenience store was broken into and an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) was stolen last week. An unknown number of people broke into the Pit Stop convenience store in the late hours of Tuesday, Dec. 15 or early morning hours of Wednesday, Dec. 16. A $2,000 reward is offered to information that leads to the conviction of the person or person involved.

December 29, 2009: “Christmas blizzard baby” – Hayes Charles Christensen will most likely be called the Christmas Baby for the rest of his life. The son of Wade and Christina Christensen, Wessington Springs, Hayes was born during the Christmas blizzard. He wa supposed to be born around January 11, 2010. But things don’t always turn out the way they are planned. It’s not such an unusual thing that a baby is born a couple of weeks early and everything would have been fine if the blizzard hadn’t been raging outside their farm home, northwest of Wessington Springs. After bucking snow drifts and driving through near white-out conditions, the couple finally arrived at the city limits of Wessington Springs. They were forced to walk the final block to Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center –facing 30-40 MPH winds and stopping for labor pains. With the help of everyone at the hospital, including Dr. Tom Dean and his mid-wife wife, Kathy Dean, the 8 lb., 6 oz. bundle of joy arrived. He was the first baby born at the hospital since April-2000. Happy New Year!