TOURNAMENTS UPDATE

STATE ‘B’ GIRLS BASKETBALL at Spearfish Thursday through Saturday:
Noon MDT—Corsica-Stickney vs. Irene-Wakonda
1:45—Faulkton Area vs. Howard
6:00—Ethan vs. Castlewood
7:45—Faith vs. De Smet

STATE ‘A’ GIRLS BASKETBALL at Rapid City March 19-21:
1:00 MDT—Winner vs. Hill City
5:00—Lennox vs. Red Cloud
1:00—St. Thomas More vs. Aberdeen Roncalli
5:00—Hamlin vs. Flandreau

STATE ‘AA’ GIRLS BASKETBALL at Sioux Falls March 19-21:
1:00—Sioux Falls O’Gorman vs. Sioux Falls Roosevelt
5:00—Harrisburg vs. Yankton
1:00—Rapid City Stevens vs. Brandon Valley
5:00—Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. Sioux Falls Washington

STATE ‘B’ BOYS BASKETBALL at Aberdeen March 19-21:
12:00—De Smet vs. Faith
1:45—Platte-Geddes vs. White River
6:00—Aberdeen Christian vs. Canistota
7:45—Sully Buttes vs. Viborg-Hurley

STATE ‘A’ BOYS BASKETBALL at Rapid City March 19-21:
3:00 MDT—St. Thomas More vs. Madison
7:00—Crow Creek vs. Dakota Valley
3:00—Sioux Valley vs. Dell Rapids
7:00—Sioux Falls Christian vs. Tiospa Zina

STATE ‘AA’ BOYS BASKETBALL at Sioux Falls March 19-21:
3:00—Yankton vs. Rapid City Central
7:00—Sioux Falls Washington vs. Rapid City Stevens
3:00—Sioux Falls Roosevelt vs. Sioux Falls O’Gorman
7:00—Huron vs. Brandon Valley

STATE BOYS HOCKEY at Sioux Falls Friday through Sunday:
9:05 a.m.—-Oahe vs. Sioux Center.
11:35—Brookings vs. Watertown.
2:05—Huron vs. Rushmore.
4:35—Sioux Falls No. 1 vs. Sioux Falls No. 2.

(Saturday consolation semifinals, 11:35 and 2:05; Saturday championship semifinals, 4:35 and 7:05; Sunday, fifth-place 9:35; third-place, 12:35; championship, 3:35. All tournament games will be televised live on MSN2 and broadcast live on Capital City Rock in Pierre.)

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“Tell me a fact, and I’ll learn.
Tell me a truth, and I’ll believe.
Tell me a story, and it will live in my heart forever.”

— Steve Sabol

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: coffee.
Friday-Saturday-Sunday: raspberry.
Monday-Tuesday: lime.
Wednesday-Thursday: root beer.

PIERRE GOVERNORS SPORTS ROUNDUP

Girls basketball: In their SoDak 16 game at Harrisburg, the Governor girls lost by 57-40 to end their season with a 7-14 record. Caytee Williams was high scorer with 11 points. Kodi Severyn and Kylie Thorpe are the only seniors who will be lost from this team via graduation.

SULLY BUTTES CHARGERS SPORTS ROUNDUP

Boys basketball: After winning their opening game in the Region 2B tournament, the Chargers defeated Potter County in the semifinals, 59-52. Nick Wittler scored 40 points, 25 of them in the crucial second half. Grant Johnson with 13 and Jett Lamb with six were the only other players to score. The win moved SBHS into the SoDak 16 against Herreid-Selby Area, which beat the Chargers a month ago by six points. This time the Chargers roared away from the Wolverines right from the start, so much so that the game was played with a continuous clock in the second half. The Chargers won 58-23 to advance to the state “B” tournament. Wittler had 20 points, Lamb 15, Rafe Wientjes eight, Grant Johnson six and Jesse Schall six. Sully Buttes takes a 20-2 record to the state tournament and will play Viborg-Hurley in the fourth game next Thursday.

Boys basketball: This will be the fourth straight year the Chargers have qualified for the state “B” tournament and the 16th time in the last 24 years. Sully Buttes first went to the “B” in 1974, placing fifth. Then there was a long wait until 1997 and 1998 (third place). The Chargers placed third again in 2001 and returned again in 2002. Then SBHS went to the tournament for eight straight seasons from 2005 through 2012, placing third in 2008 and 2011 and winning it all in 2009. More recently the Chargers were third in 2017 and state champions again in 2018.

COUNTDOWN

1 day: State boys hockey tournament, Sioux Falls (March 13-15).
1 day: Hayes play (March 13-15).
1 day: NCAA Div. II national championships, Sioux Falls (March 13-14).
5 days: Arizona, Illinois, Florida primaries (March 17).
5 days: Riggs High band concert (March 17).
7 days: State “B” boys basketball tournament, Aberdeen (March 19-21).
7 days: State “A” boys/girls basketball tournaments, Rapid City (March 19-21).
7 days: State “AA” boys/girls basketball tournaments, Sioux Falls (March 19-21).
7 days: State high school visual arts gallery, Sioux Falls (March 19-21).
7 days: NCAA Div. I wrestling championships, Minneapolis (March 19-21).
12 days: Kennedy Elementary spring concert (March 24).
14 days: Jefferson Elementary spring concert (March 26).
14 days: Baseball opening day (March 26).
16 days: All-State Band concerts, Mitchell (March 28).
16 days: Pierre track/field opener, Brookings (March 28).
18 days: Buchanan Elementary spring concert (March 30).
20 days: U.S. Census day (April 1).

COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDUP

South Dakota women’s basketball (Chloe Lamb, Ciara Duffy): Ciara was named Summit League Player of the Year. She was also named first-team all-conference, and Chloe earned second-team all-conference honors.

The Selection Shows: The NCAA Div. I men’s basketball selection show will be televised on CBS at 5 p.m. CDT Sunday. The women’s selection show will be seen on ESPN at 6 p.m. CDT Monday.

South Dakota women’s basketball (Chloe Lamb, Ciara Duffy): The Coyotes swept through the Summit League regular season unbeaten at 16-0, and they swept through the league tournament with three more wins, claiming the tourney title and the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, to which they would have been invited anyway. USD is 30-2 awaiting the selection show on Sunday. In the quarterfinals USD led Omaha 31-9 after a quarter and 64-18 at halftime en route to a 99-40 win. Ciara was 6-of-11 (2-of-3 in threes) and 3-of-4 for 17 points with six rebounds, six assists and a steal. Chloe went 3-of-7 (3-of-4 in threes) and 2-of-2 for 11 points with five boards, an assist and a steal. In the semifinal against Oral Roberts a dreadful 10-10 first quarter was followed by a huge second period in which USD outscored ORU 25-5 for a 35-15 lead. The final was 65-43. Ciara was 5-of-14 (0-of-5) for 10 points with one rebound, one assist and one steal. Chloe was 3-of-11 (2-of-3) and 1-of-2 for nine points with five rebounds, six assists and a steal. The championship game was a classic, but for a change the final game did not go SDSU’s way. The Coyotes led after one period, 16-15; trailed at the half by 32-27; trailed after three periods by 47-45 but outscored the Jacks 18-11 in the fourth for a 63-58 triumph. Despite shooting only 34% to SDSU’s 47%, the Coyotes prevailed, helped by 17-of-23 free-throw shooting and by out rebounding the Jacks on the SDSU boards by 20 to 5. USD had 26 points in the paint. Chloe was 3-of-10 (1-of-5) and 4-of-4 for 11 points with four boards, three assists and three steals. Ciara was 2-of-10 (0-for-3) and 6-of-8 for 10 points with five re bounds and one assist. Hannah Sjerven, named tournament MVP, led USD with 15 points.

Northern men’s basketball (Lincoln Jordre): Idle since winning their NSIC tournament championship, the Wolves are headed to Maryville, Mo., where the Central Region is held almost every year. But at least the home team won’t have any fans there either except for family members. Northern, the #4 seed in the region, will play #5 Missouri Southern Saturday. They are in the same bracket with the #1 seed, defending national champion Northwest Missouri State and #8 Oklahoma Baptist. In the bottom bracket the games are #2 Southern Nazarene vs. #7 Henderson State and #3 Southeastern Oklahoma vs. #6 Rogers State. The semifinals are Sunday and the championship game next Tuesday with the champion advancing to the NCAA Div. II national tournament.

South Dakota State wrestling (Aric Williams): At the Big 12 conference tournament in Tulsa, three Jackrabbits earned trips to the NCAA nationals in Minneapolis by reaching the championship matches of their respective weight classes. They are Henry Pohlman, senior from Johnston, Iowa, at 149 pounds; Zach Carlson, senior from Murdock, Minn., at 184, and Tanner Sloan, redshirt freshman from Alburnett, Iowa, at 197.

Tennessee women’s basketball (Caleb Currier): At the SEC tournament the Lady Vols won over Missouri in the second round, 64-51, but lost in the third round to Kentucky, 86-65. Now 21-10, Tennessee has to wait to see if they get a bid into the NCAA tournament. The women’s selection show will be on ESPN Monday at 6 p.m. CDT.

Colorado Mines women’s basketball (Liz Holter): After beating Black Hills State in the opening round of the RMAC playoffs, Colorado Mines lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Colorado Mesa, 59-47. Liz was 2-of-9 (1-of-5 in threes) and 1-of-2 for six points with four rebounds, two assists and three steals. The Orediggers finish the year at 19-10.

Minnesota baseball (Nolan Burchill): The Gophers lost to South Dakota State, 10-8. Nolan pitched one inning, giving up one hit and getting his other three batters on ground-outs. Minnesota beat Utah, 6-4, and lost to the Utes, 6-3. In a 17-11 loss to Utah, Nolan pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, three earned runs and one walk in taking the loss. He struck out three and got one man on a ground ball. Minnesota then beat Creighton, 5-3. The Gophers took a 7-10 record into a game against Creighton last night, then go to the Air Force Academy for three games Friday through Sunday.

Northern baseball (Spencer Sarringar): The Wolves lost their first six games of their spring trip to Florida. Spencer was 0-for-3 in a 12-3 loss to Seton Hill, 0-for-1 in a 14-2 loss to Findlay (Ohio), 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in a 10-2 loss to St. Anselm, 1-for-3 in a 7-2 loss to Tiffin, and he did not play in an 8-2 loss to Wayne State (Mich.). In an 8-0 loss to Wayne State of the NSIC, he was 0-for-3. Northern won its first game of the year after 12 losses yesterday, 11-7 over St. Cloud State. The Wolves are scheduled to open the NSIC season with two games Saturday and one Sunday at Wayne State.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, March 12:
Layne Heller, Susan Stahl, Alison Kennedy, John Morris, Kyle Rausch, Nathan Brakke, Vicki Brooks, Jena Forsch, Hallie Getz, Alan Dale.
— We fondly remember Whitney Barnett, who passed away two years ago today.

Friday, March 13:
Jvonne Heard-Ellingson, Brian Cazan, Myron Bryant, Bobby Oleson, Elise Holcomb, Deanna Sutton, Lexie Rausch, Vicki (Fosheim) Dant, Anne Severson, Sharla (Cass) Steever, Alicia (Hicks) Malstrom, Carole Olerud.

Saturday, March 14:
Lucas Lindholm, Tara Hiller, Maria Melius, Kevin Huxford, Jim Iverson, Ann (Beemer) Candler, Jennifer (Lomheim) Sieveking, Kenley Jo Boyer, Dee Dee Raap, Mary Voeltz, Darcy Sorenson, Isaiah Melius,.
— We fondly remember Jon Olinger, who passed away eight years ago today.

Sunday, March 15:
Justin Elrod, Mariah Heiss, Loren Thompson, Nora Wheeler, Kasey (Anderson) Cappellano, Tavis Weidenbach, Cassie (Rausch) Stoeser, Lance Spears, Ward Judson, Arlene DeVany.
— 6th anniversary, Andy/Rachel Lampy.

Monday, March 16:
Ava Bauck, Avery Askew, Jennifer (Brink) Anderson, Leah Ries, Deb Mortenson, Patrick Burger.

Tuesday, March 17:
Chris Derry, Joe Gormley, Nick Burke, Jesse Krell, Peggy Stout, Jack Aadland, Jackson Jennings, Bill Markley, Chad Cooper, Melissa Brock.
— We fondly remember Jon Olinger on his birthday.

Wednesday, March 18:
Madeleine Lindberg, John Palmer, Jane Brehe, Travis Benbow, Kendall Light, Daniel Mayer, Nickolas Rabern, Asher Yackley, Ryker Schumacher, Jamey Howard, Jamie Karber.
— We fondly remember Kathy Valnes, who passed away five years ago today.

Thursday, March 19:
Donald Tassler, Brenda Badger, Hadley Bryant, Heather Forney, Mary Welsh, Craig Long, Betty Garrett, Darlene Neiles, Sarah Yackley-Ploeger, Layndon Dewell, Calvin Wagner, Stacy (Hull) Cottrell.
— 1st anniversary, Dan/Lacy Johnson.
— 37th anniversary, Chuck/Dawnita Forrell.

HOCKEY UPDATE

Oahe Capitals: The boys JV team reached the championship game of their state tournament before losing to champion Sioux Center, 7-4.

North Dakota: The Fighting Hawks split at Omaha, losing 4-1 and winning 5-0. The win clinches the Penrose Cup, emblematic of the NCHC’s regular-season championship. Now come the NCHC playoffs, starting with best-of-three quarterfinal series. UND is home against #8 seed Colorado College Friday night, Saturday night and, if necessary, Sunday night. The series winner advances to the Twin Cities for the next round of the NCHC playoffs.

Rapid City Rush: The Rush split with Utah, winning in overtime, 5-4, and losing 7-4. Rapid City is home Friday, Saturday and Sunday vs. Idaho.

Sioux Falls Stampede: The Herd lost twice to Fargo, 4-1 and 3-2. Sioux Falls plays Friday and Saturday at Waterloo, then is home Tuesday vs. Sioux City.

Aberdeen Wings: The Wings lost twice to their nearest competitor, Bismarck, by 4-1 and 2-0 scores. Aberdeen, only four points ahead of Bismarck in the standings, hosts the same team Friday and Saturday at home. The Wings, however, have clinched a playoff spot.

Minnesota Wild: The Wild beat San Jose, 3-2; lost at Los Angeles, 7-3, and won in overtime at Anaheim, 5-4. Minnesota currently has the first of the two wild-card playoff spots out of the Western Conference. The Wild is home vs. Vegas Thursday on FSN, at Philadelphia Saturday noon on FSN, home vs. Nashville Sunday on NBCSN and home vs. Chicago Tuesday on FSN.

Oahe Capitals girls varsity: The girls lost to Sioux Falls in the quarterfinals of the state tournament at the Expo Center in Fort Pierre, 11-0. Abigail Stewart-Fromm made 36 saves. In the consolation semifinals Oahe led Watertown 3-0 after two periods, then held on for a 3-2 win. Jessa McTighe scored twice and Adisyn Gray once and Stewart-Fromm made 36 more saves. In the fifth-place game the Capital girls lost to Sioux Center, 4-1, as McTighe scored the lone goal, and Stewart-Fromm made 32 saves as the team finished sixth. McTighe Madi Evje and Kaitlyn Swenson are the seniors who will be lost from this team via graduation. Aberdeen won the state title with a 4-3 finals win over Sioux Falls.

COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDUP

Iowa Western baseball (Peyton Zabel): The Reivers are an impressive 14-4 after a four-game weekend sweep over Iowa Lakes Community College. Iowa Western won by scores of 11-1, 6-2, 8-1 in seven innings and 10-0 in five innings. Peyton continues to rehab his arm so hasn’t seen action yet in this young season. Iowa Western plays four at home Saturday and Sunday against Ellsworth CC, then stays home for two games Tuesday vs. Des Moines Area CC.

Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball (Bradley Dean): Idle since finishing second in the GPAC playoffs and earning an at-large bid to the NAIA Div. II national tournament, the Tigers open play at 7:30 tonight (Thursday) against Indiana-South Bend. The national tourney is being played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls through next Tuesday.

Wyoming wrestling (Tate Samuelson): Tate’s freshman season ended with a sixth-place finish at the Big 12 tournament in Tulsa. In the quarterfinals he won over an Oklahoma State wrestler, 3-2; in the semis he lost to Zach Carlson of South Dakota State, 3-2. Tate then lost 6-5 to a Northern Colorado man in the consolation semis and lost by a 5:47 fall to an Iowa State man in the fifth-place match.

South Dakota State baseball (Landon Badger): The Jackrabbits defeated Minnesota, 10-8, last Wednesday. In a 15-8 loss at Air Force Academy, Landon had a 4-for-5 day at the plate, driving in two runs with a pair of singles, scoring once after walking once. SDSU then beat Air Force, 9-7, as Landon was 0-for-5, and lost to the Falcons, 6-5, as Landon was 1-for-5 and scored once. On Tuesday SDSU won at Kansas State, 4-0, and Landon was 1-for-4, scoring the team’s first run in the first and driving in the third and fourth runs in the fourth with a single. After playing K-State again last night, the Jackrabbits open Summit League play this weekend with three games at Oral Roberts Friday through Sunday.

BASEBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Twins: The Twins tied Baltimore, 3-3; beat Tampa Bay, 5-3, and Detroit, 7-6; then lost four in a row—7-6 to Boston, 3-0 to St. Louis, 5-1 to Philadelphia and 3-2 to Atlanta. The schedule for the coming week:
Thursday—Baltimore, 5:05, FSN+.
Friday—Pittsburgh, 5:05.
Saturday—New York Mets, 12:05, MLBN.
Sunday—Atlanta, 12:05, FSN.
Tuesday—Atlanta, 12:05.
Wednesday—Baltimore, 12:05, FSN, MLBN.

BASKETBALL UPDATE

Sioux Falls Skyforce: The Herd won twice this week, 125-102 over Santa Cruz and 120-112 over Memphis. Sioux Falls is at Lakeland Thursday, at College Park Saturday, at Oklahoma City Monday and home next Wednesday vs. Salt Lake City.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves beat Chicago last Wednesday, 115-108, but since then has lost three games—132-118 to Orlando, 120-107 to New Orleans and 117-111 to Houston. Minnesota goes to Oklahoma City Friday, to San Antonio Saturday and to Portland Tuesday.

MIDCO SPORTS NETWORK LIVE TV GAMES

Midco will televise all games of the state boys hockey tournament from Sioux Falls this Friday through Sunday on its MSN2 channel.

Midco will also televise UND’s home hockey NCHC best-of-three quarterfinal series against Colorado College at 7:30 Friday, 7:00 Saturday and, if necessary, 7:00 Sunday on the main MSN channel.

SOCCER UPDATE

Minnesota United FC: The Loons are 2-0 after opening the MLS season with a pair of road wins. The latest was a 5-2 triumph at San Jose. The home opener comes Sunday at 6 p.m. on FS1 against the New York Red Bulls.

GOLF UPDATE

PGA Champions Tour (Tom Byrum): At the tour stop at Newport Beach, Calif., last weekend, Tom placed 76th with an 8-over-par weekend of 74-74-73=221, earning $1,044. That brings his 2020 earnings total to $19,156. The Champions tour is off for two weekends before resuming at the Rapiscan Systems Classic at Biloxi, Miss., March 27-29.

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Gary Johnson of AGE Corporation in Fort Pierre has been elected president of the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota’s highway/heavy/utilities chapter. Derek McTighe of Brosz Engineering has been elected president of the AGC highway/heavy/utilities chapter’s associate division. David Word of Word Reclamation and Bob Bak of Bak Construction are among the new officers of the Land Improvement Contractors Association.

Loren Wohlwend Jr., 66, who spent 16 years as a custodian at Riggs High School, died at Avantara in Pierre on March 3. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Isburg Funeral Chapel with a prayer service there at 6. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at New Life Assembly of God. Loren grew up on a farm near Harrold and graduated from Harrold High School in 1972. He attended Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, N.D. He worked at the Homestake mine in Lead before moving to Pierre. He and his wife Joanne were married in 1982. Loren is survived by his wife; 13 siblings, Grace Stadel of Redfield, Rebecca Watson of Aberdeen, Rachel Bobby of Pierre, Ramona Pfeifer of Hemet, Calif., Naomi Shorey of Aberdeen, Mark Wohlwend of Joplin, Mo., Elam Wohlwend in Sweden, David Wohlwend of West Richland, Wash., John Wohlwend of Pierre, Virginia Johnson of Benton, Ark., Gretchen Poole of Berwick, Maine, and Allen Wohlwend of Effingham, Ill.; and many nephews and nieces.

Ryan Merriam, himself a former Post 8 player, will bring his Dueling Duos piano act to Drifters in Fort Pierre on Saturday night as a fund-raiser for the Post 8 baseball program. The event runs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets can still be purchased from Derk Campbell at All-Around Graphix.

Seth and Karae (Englehart) Parsons brought their new baby girl home from the NICU in Sioux Falls this week. Leah was born Feb. 27 5 1/2 weeks early.

A tribute dinner honoring John and Vera Cooper will be held in Pierre on May 15 to advance prairie conservation and raise funds to support habitat conservation goals of Ducks Unlimited, South Dakota Wildlife Federation and Pheasants Forever. John Cooper spent 23 years as a special agent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 12 years as cabinet secretary of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks under two governors. He also worked as a senior policy advisor on Missouri River issues and chaired the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission. To register for the dinner and/or make a tribute gift online, go to www.ducks.org/south-dakota/events.

Josh and Kassi (Schuetzle) Wilson are partners in the brand new B Coffee Company, which you can find on the corner of a strip mall just off the I-90 Stagebarn exit in the Piedmont-Summerset area. That’s a great place to stop for coffee and other refreshments as you travel toward and from the northern Hills. The Wilsons, who live in Sturgis, also own a fitness business in Sturgis, and both are teachers in the Meade school district.

Kim Hipple has been appointed to Beach United Methodist Church in Howard as a licensed local pastor full-time effective July 1.

Pierre native Shelby Guthrie, who is completing her junior year at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, has been elected president of the Student Senate for the next school year beginning this fall.

Riandi Ras of the treble choir was named Fine Arts Performer of the Week at Riggs High School for last week. Wesley Harsma of the wrestling team was named the Pierre Athletic Coaches Association’s Athlete of the Week.

Pierre native Mary Gen (Fjelstad) Buss is one of the subjects of a glowing review written by Rick Levin in Eugene Weekly, a newspaper in Eugene, Ore., where Mary is appearing in “The Roommate” by Jen Silverman at Oregon Contemporary Theatre through this weekend. Mary plays a divorced woman living a life of middle-class isolation in Iowa City. With her son in college in New York and a serious case of empty-nest syndrome kicking in, her character Sharon decides to take in a roommate, Robyn, a weed-smoking vegan lesbian relocating from the Bronx. Levin’s review says, “Buss is a joy to behold. She gives Sharon an uncommon depth, evoking this woman with every inch of her being and fully conveying the complicated desires that drive her to bus out of her cocoon.” Levin’s review concludes, “That watching two women interacting for a couple hours on a single set—a neat, clean kitchen in Iowa City—can prove so enthralling is a testament to what local theater companies like OCT can do and why they should continue to be supported and frequented as the cultural treasures they are.”

One of the newest members of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce is Janelle (Kvislen) Carda’s JaimyLane home decor store and interior design studio. Janelle has her new business in downtown Dell Rapids open from 10 to 5 on Thursdays and Fridays and 9 to 4 on every other Saturday. She is also available on other days by appointment. You can find details on the store on the Facebook page entitled JaimyLaneDesign or online at www.jaimylane.com. Janelle and Andy Carda live on an acreage near Dell Rapids, and their boys, seventh-grader Chase and fourth-grader Lavin, attend the public schools in Dells. Andy is a national field trainer for Amgen, the bio-pharmaceutical company. In addition to their other jobs, Andy and Janelle have a vineyard.

The 67th annual Hayes Drama Club play out at the Hayes Hall is “Regrets Only.” Show times this weekend are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 per person at the door.

First-grade teacher and assistant girls basketball coach Susie Rilling, an alumna of Sully Buttes High School, has been named Teacher of the Year in the Sully Buttes district.

Wally Thomsen, a staple of the Pierre business community nearly a half-century, passed away at the age of 73 March 5 following a battle with metastasized pancreatic cancer. His funeral service took place Wednesday at Community Bible Church. Wally came to Pierre with his parents, Tommy and Mickey Thomsen, in 1951 to own Pierre Flower Shop and Greenhouse. He graduated from Riggs High School in 1964 and attended SDSU for a year. He then went to Michigan State and completed his degree in horticulture with a minor in business in 1968. He met Nancy at MSU, and they were married following his graduation. Wally served with the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972. They returned to Pierre to work with his parents in 1973. Their business was a fixture on Missouri Avenue for more than 60 years despite being flooded by the nearby Missouri River in 1951 and 2011. The end of the line came on May 1, 2015, when the flower shop burned to the ground. Wally decided to sell East Pierre Garden Center and retire full-time. He served for 11 years on the Pierre City Commission, chaired the inaugural celebrations for Governor Mickelson in 1991 and Governor Janklow in 1995, and was an original board member of The Right Turn. He was an integral member of Masons, Elks and Rotary and served as president of the board of Countryside Hospice. He was on the steering committee of Church of Hope at the state women’s prison. Wally was inducted into the South Dakota Florists Association’s Hall of Fame, and he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Thomsen; his mother, Mickey Thomsen; his daughter, Jeanne Bergerson and her husband Randy; his son, Chris Thomsen and his wife Leigh, and four grandchildren.

The state Special Olympics basketball tournament, which was scheduled to be played in Pierre this weekend, has been cancelled due to a directive from the national Special Olympics organization because of the threat of the spread of the coronavirus.

Pierre native Kaitlynn Kelly has been working as an intern during the legislative session. She recently graduated from Black Hills State University with a degree in political science and a minor in mass communications.

Ali and Rachel (LeBeau) Hachem of Seattle welcomed a baby boy on Feb. 29. Malek Ali Hachem, who weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and measured 21 1/4 inches, joined his big sister, Cora, 3 1/2, on the luckiest of all days (except if you’re Fredrick from “Pirates of Penzance”). Rachel is a music teacher, and Ali works for TMobile in its IT department. Both of Malek’s grandmothers were in Seattle for his birth—Tammy LeBeau from Pierre and Ali’s mother from the country of Lebanon.

The first South Dakota Poets of Merit award from the South Dakota State Poetry Society goes to Linda Hasselstrom, poet and essayist who lives on a grassland ranch near Hermosa and who has been writing snce the age of 9 about 58 years ago.

Berniece “Bernie” Meyers passed away March 3 under hospice care after battling cancer. Her funeral service was held March 7 at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Berniece Valentine was born in Pierre. She attended school at the Orton rural school, then in Fort Pierre, graduating from SCHS in 1968. She earned a degree in music from Black Hills State in 1971. Bernie began teaching at Midland where she restored a music program as K-12 vocal and instrumental teacher. She taught for many years at Midland, then at Stanley County, Timber Lake and Pierre Indian Learning Center. After completing a master’s degree from USD in 2001, she worked as principal at PILC for two years and at Tiospaye Topa for 11 years. She concluded her education career as reading specialist and Title specialist at Wakpala in 2018. Bernie and her husband, Phil, raised three children. She is survived by their daughter, Dana; their sons, Darron and Damon, both in Colorado, and 12 grandchildren.

The Riggs High chapter of National Honor Society welcomed local businessman Chris Maxwell as guest speaker for its induction ceremony Monday night. The following students were inducted into NHS: Adeline Abernathy, Andie Allison, Collin Brueggeman, Eleah Carda, Joseph Cremer, Bennett Dean, Brooke Easland, Morgan Eckert, Delaney Engbrecht, Taylor Evans, Tyanne Geppert, Andrew Gordon, Kenzie Gronlund, Addisyn Grueb, Lane Hedglin, Devin Hemmelman, Seneca Hertel, Ajaye Hicks, William Hodges, Miah Kienholz, Arielle Kiepke, Thomas Krupp, McCain Kruger, Jacob Larson, Gabriella Linn, Emma Lusk, Mcheala Magner, Noah McCarty, Jordan Morley, Morkeia Mutchelknaus, Carlee Natvig, Morgan Nelson, Allison Ondricek, Paige Pollreisz, Taeler Regynski, Conlan Rendell, Shelby Roman, Nolan Rounds, Hannah Schochenmaier, Alexandra Smith, Luke Venner, Eleanna Verlicek, Aubre Westover, Austyn Wiebe, Raegan Wiebe, Mesa Winder.