ELECTION UPDATE

The voter registration deadline for the June 2 elections has passed. Now it is up to registered voters, who received applications in the mail, to apply for their absentee ballots, send those applications in to county auditors and, when the ballots arrive, get those ballots mailed back to arrive no later than June 1.

Of course voters can also go to their polling places on Tuesday, June 2, and vote in person the old-fashioned way. In some places social distancing requirements will be in effect, so voters should allow for extra time to do their voting duty. Also remember to take your driver’s license or other personal identification.

A reminder if you haven’t yet mailed in your absentee ballots: Check the BACK of the envelopes you receive. There are places to sign before they are mailed in, and if the proper signatures are not there, the ballots won’t be counted.

BASEBALL UPDATE

Legion baseball as of last weekend: There apparently will still be American Legion baseball in South Dakota this summer—well, sort of. After the national Legion canceled all Legion baseball in every state, that ended the South Dakota Legion’s plan to still sponsor baseball. As of now, the 16 Class A Legion teams will play a season, the players can wear Legion uniforms, the state Legion Athletic Commission will give the season no administration, attendance arrangements will be determined by local ordinances that are in effect, and teams are still at the mercy of local officials’ permission to play on their fields. If all of that still allows the teams to play, there will be a shorter-than-usual season, just over a month in length, leading up to playoffs. According to an Argus Leader story, there will be a best-of-3 regional round, then a best-of-3 super regional round to determine four teams to play in a state tournament at the home field of the highest seed.

Legion baseball as of yesterday: Will somebody make up his mind and let the decision stand? Yesterday it was announced the state Legion will indeed sanction a 2020 Legion season, so forget what you read in the previous paragraph. The Legion is back in charge, so that apparently means the originally planned seeding system and playoff pattern will be in effect, ending with a state tournament at Brandon.

Pierre Trappers: The Expedition League, which was to have opened its season next week, will now try for a season-opening date in the July 1-4 time frame. One report this week said the league is looking at a 46-game season (23 home games, 23 road games).

Amateur baseball: May 31 is the first allowable date for amateur baseball in South Dakota although some teams are already playing nevertheless. Locally Four Corners will be home that Sunday against Plankinton.

FOOTBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Vikings: If the NFL preseason comes off on schedule, which is definitely not a certainty, the Vikings will have two home games—Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. vs. Houston and Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. vs. Seattle.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Directions: Draw a 4×4 box of 16 squares. Number the boxes in the top row 1, 2, 3 and 4 from left to right. Number the boxes in the left-hand row 1, 5, 6 and 7 from top to bottom.

Clues:
ACROSS—
(1) Water travels through it.
(5) Quaker —-.
(6) Boat.
(7) Water bird.
DOWN—
(1) One who provides lodging.
(2) Local dam.
(3) Mix; agitate.
(4) Sports network.

Answer at the bottom of this Update.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“With all the challenges this country faces right now, nobody can tell you, ‘No, you’re too young to understand’ or ‘This is how it’s always been done.’ Because with so much uncertainty, with everything suddenly up for grabs, this is your generation’s world to shape.”

— President Barack Obama in his national commencement address to the Class of 2020

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: root beer.
Friday-Sunday: lime.
Monday-Tuesday: cinnamon.
Wednesday-Thursday: pina colada.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS UPDATE

Track and field Academic All-State: There was no season this spring, but the state’s coaches determined which track athletes would have qualified for Academic All-State recognition, including:
— Riggs High: Paul Adam, Clay Alban, Paige Brandt, Isaac Buchholtz, Cobey Carr, Caden Davis, Halli Drewes, Tyler Gere, Emry Heiss, Morgan Jones, Will Kessler, Mikah Moser, Morgan Oedekoven, Addy Smith, Megan Van Liere, Jack Walsh, Janaina Zanin.
— Stanley County High: Reid Wieczorek.
— Sully Buttes High: Angela Guthmiller, Jett Lamb, Avery Weinheimer.

Baseball: There was no high school baseball season this spring, but the state’s coaches selected an All-State team nevertheless. Pierre players on the honor squad are Garrett Stout, A.J. Goeden, Justin Houlette, Grey Zabel and Cobey Carr.

COUNTDOWN

4 days: Memorial Day (May 25).
6 days: NASA launch of SpaceX astronauts (May 27).
12 days: Primary/city/school elections (June 2).
21 days: PGA Tour resumes, Fort Worth, Texas (June 11-14).
31 days: Fathers Day (June 21).

PONDER THIS

“My biggest fear, as I encourage my staff to come to work every day and be compassionate and help people, is I’m going to lose one of them. So please work on the social distancing. Please help people out so the number of deaths that we have to endure are minimized as much as they can.”

— Dr. Sharon Develos, Peoples Community Health Clinic, Waterloo, Iowa

PARKER’S PERSONAL NOTES

— There is no “Day by Day” section at the bottom of this week’s Midweek Update. I don’t believe I could resist the temptation to discuss the week’s events in South Dakota and still be nice, so I’ll stem the tide of my frustrations with people and just not say anything. For now. Maybe next week!

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, May 21:
Bob McCarty, Garrett Weber, Tara (Hyde) White, Sam Booker, McKenna Halverson, Hayse Moore, Lindsey Kozel, Tessa (Heiss) Krueger, Boomer Kuiper.
— 4th anniversary, Tyler/Erika Tordsen.
— 16th anniversary, Josh/Kelli (Snow) Rohrer.
— 43rd anniversary, Mark/Sheryl Nielsen.
— 9th anniversary, Masrk/Alysia Livermont.
— 9th anniversary, Harry/Emily (Goeden) Decker.
— 26th anniversary, Paul/Toni Kenefick-Aschoff.
— 4th anniversary, Cliff/Alexis (Yackley) Warner.

Friday, May 22:
Mandy (Hill) Johnson, Brian Bumann, Tennyson Newman, Pat Snow, Nicole Royer, Christopher Carter, Scott Aker, Kim (Merkwan) Schaefer, Macy (Welsh) Kaiser, Michell (Knoll) Peterson, Elliot Jean Bertsch, Dick Koester.
— 11th anniversary, Joe/Amy (Robinson) Ryan.
— 10th anniversary, Kipp/Kelsee (Larsen) Stahl.

Saturday, May 23:
Caroline Zebroski, Hunter Canode, Matt Gill, Kade Binegar, Bob Jeffries, Billy Serbousek, Jenny (Gors) Hodges, Morgan Freidel.
— 5th anniversary, Aaron/Claire Rumpca.
— 5th anniversary, Dmitri/Brittni Melius.
— 67th anniversary, Darrell/Sue Robbins.
— 28th anniversary, John/Heather Forney.
— 8th anniversary, Maxx/Macy Vaudrin.
— 5th anniversary, Dustin/Tarin James.
— 11th anniversary, Neils/Kara (Gloe) Christoffersen.

Sunday, May 24:
Stephanie Paul, Betsy Valnes, Luke Schanzenbach, Gio Cappellano, Hannah Maxwell, Tony Jockheck, Adrian Freidel.
— 17th anniversary, Gary/Molly Redden.
— 6th anniversary, Cody/Darcy (Unruh) Keiser.
— 6th anniversary, Mick/Jenny (Ness) Hofer.

Monday, May 25:
Michael Lyons, Kristen (Hanson) Ganske, Jennifer (Duba) Erlandson, Bronson Schiefelbein, Kris Schneider, Caitlin Reimers, Ryan Russell, Jessica Smith, Ronda (Zebroski) Kline, Dave Mack.

Tuesday, May 26:
Chuck Quinn, Isabel Gander, Jessica Lomheim, Will Mortenson, Ryan Goehring, Brandon Christiansen, Adrie Frame, Beth (Yackley) Rinehart, Bergen Osterkamp, Abby Kennison, Tom Harmon, Chad Gran, Conor Cruse, Jackie (Schall) Shepherd.
— 25th anniversary, Derk/Teresa (Tassler) Campbell.
— 13th anniversary, Josh/Meagan Hove.
— 7th anniversary, Tim/Rachel (Knutson) Steece.
— 8th anniversary, Mike/McLean (Thompson) Kerver.

Wednesday May 27:
Audrie Morris, Emma Haberman, Mary Peterson, Kristi (Kennedy) Van Winkle, Troy Fox, Marcia Mack, Erin Starr, Debbie (Willingham) Hubbard.
— 3rd anniversary, Ryker/Angela (Koch) Tieszen.
— 4th anniversary, Alex/Nikki (Douglas) Jensen.
— 3rd anniversary, Cody/Jessica (Blackmore) Nilson.
— 14th anniversary, Jason/Deanna Reitz.

Thursday, May 28:
Mary Heidelberger, Sarah Deters, Larry Johnson, Dave Hauschild, Brian Custer, Emma Lundeen, Sophia Lundeen.
— 15th anniversary, Brian/Nicole (Miller) Willis.
— 15th anniversary, Tom/Erin (Nielsen) Nielsen.
— 15th anniversary, Ross/Jessica (Duba) Castelli.
— 3rd anniversary, Taylor/Bethany Brock.
— 4th anniversary, Ryan/Elizabeth (Nail) Miller.
— 9th anniversary, Chad/Amanda (Sorensen) Jungman.
— 3rd anniversary, Damon/Jessica Thielen.
— 9th anniversary, Brian/Caitlin (Feller) Kemnitz.
— 4th anniversary, David/Georgina (McKee) Smith.

THOUGHT FOR THESE TIMES

Wearing a mask is considered as being afraid, yet carrying a gun is just protection.

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Travor and Brielle (Yackley) Bohle became parents on May 14. Their daughter, Micah Catherine Bohle, weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and measured 19 3/4 inches.

Sully Buttes High School’s graduation, weather permitting, will take place on the football field in Onida at 1 p.m. Saturday. The event is open only to seniors and their invited guests, but it will be broadcast via Facebook Live on the Agar-Blunt-Onida School District page. There will be a parade down Main Street at 2 p.m. An alternate day of May 30 has been designated in case weather interferes this weekend.

The following area students earned degrees or diplomas from Mitchell Technical College this spring:
— Dominic Howard, associate degree in power sports technology (with honors).
— Conner Kroll, associate degree in precision ag technology.
— Lacey Malm, associate degree in architectural design and building construction.
— Braeden Bruning, associate degree in electrical utilities and substation technology (with high honors).
— Dominik Diedrich, diploma in power line construction and maintenance.
— Keagan Schroder, diploma in power line construction and maintenance.
— Logan Spelbring, associate degree in information systems technology (with high honors).
— Carly Oakland, associate degree in medical laboratory technology.
— Sophia Bullard, associate degree in radiologic technology.

The Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls is beginning to announce indoor public events with spectators allowed. The Professional Bull Riders championship event will be held there July 10-12 with some restrictions in place.

PRCA rodeos that are still on for this summer include the Black Hills Roundup at Belle Fourche July 1-4 and the Sitting Bull Stampede at Mobridge July 2-4. According to the South Dakota Rodeo Association, the Fort Pierre Fourth of July Rodeo is on for July 3-5 as well as all scheduled July rodeos.

Long-time Pierre resident Onie (Nellermoe) Neuharth observed her 91st birthday on Tuesday of this week. Friends can still send her greetings at: Onie Neuharth, Avera Maryhouse, Room 318, 717 E. Dakota Ave., Pierre SD 57501.

Brian and Caitlin (Feller) Kemnitz are the parents of a son, Carson Don Kemnitz, who was born May 15. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and joins a sister, Lindsey, 5, in the family. They now live in Huron.

Riggs High alumna Tonya Manus, a writer for the Rapid City Journal and other publications there, earned third place in the best feature story category in the South Dakota Newspaper Association’s 2020 awards judging. Her winning story concerned a playhouse that made a 9-year-old boy’s dream come true.

So what are the immediate plans for the Sully Buttes seniors? The graduation section of The Onida Watchman revealed this information:
— Jack Darling: Bemidji State for marketing.
— Taylor Christ: Mitchell Tech for medical office professional.
— Brianna Fanger: Dakota State for business.
— Tatyana Ferguson: Lake Area Tech for building trades.
— Angela Guthmiller: Dakota State for digital sound design and art/digital photography.
— Aspen Heath: Lake Area Tech for nursing.
— Grant Johnson: SDSU for business economics.
— Kenean Johnson: a 4-year college for elementary education.
— Quinn Jordre: Northern State for psychology.
— Kendra Kleven: SDSU for business economics.
— Jett Lamb: Augustana for football.
— Kari-Anne Lyons: Black Hills State for drama and music.
— Kiley McGee: Mitchell Tech for medical laboratory technology
— Gabrielle McQuirk: Lake Area Tech for dental hygiene.
— Tryston Ogle: Lake Area Tech for building trades.
— Avery Weinheimer: SDSU for entrepreneurial studies.
— Shalie Weinheimer: SDSU.
— Nick Wittler: Dakota Wesleyan for pre-chiropractic and basketball.

Justin Scott and his wife, Natalie, became parents for the first time on May 14. Their son, Preston Todd Scott, weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 19 inches. The Scotts live in Minneapolis where Justin, who majored in urban planning at the University of Minnesota, works for SRF, a transportation consulting firm, leading its freight transportation planning practice.

Michael and Maddie Roberts of Spearfish are the parents of a daughter, Blake, who weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

A Memorial Day program will be held outdoors at Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Blunt at 10:30 a.m. Monday. The address will be given by Dianna Welch Knox, and music will be provided by Julie Vasquez.

This year’s Trail of Governors unveiling ceremony scheduled for June 12 has been postponed to a later date. The former governors whose statues are to be unveiled this year are Charles Sheldon, Coe Crawford and Carl Gunderson.

The Fort Pierre city council did not make a definite decision on opening the city swimming pool at Monday’s meeting, but the councilmen indicated they are leaning toward opening the pool at some point this summer. Meanwhile, cities such as Sioux Falls and Vermillion decided their public pools will not open at all this summer. Neither will Rapid City’s, where the city council’s decision is based not on the coronavirus situation but on the financial losses the city has endured due to the pandemic.

Gale Brink, 82, Pierre, formerly of Onida, died May 14 at Highmore Healthcare. A service was held Tuesday at Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Blunt. A native of Canadian, Texas, Gale came to Midland with her parents and her brother in the early 1950s. She married Jim Brink and was a mother of three by the time she was 20. The family settled at Onida in the early 1970s. In 1993 Gale moved to Washington state where she spent 20 years near her son and his family. In 2013 she returned to Pierre to support the next generation of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was active in Southeast United Methodist Church and the Pierre Senior Center. She is survived by three children, Sue Joachim and her partner Sam Holland, Jim Brink and his wife Colleen, and Jennifer Anderson and her husband Jason; 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. Among those who preceded her in death were her parents, her brother, her daughter Lynda, a grandchild and a great-grandchild.

Chris Klucas, who graduated from Riggs High School in 1998 and who is a firefighter/paramedic with the Rapid City Fire Department, graduated this month from the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences with a master of physician assistant studies (MPAS) degree. He will take the physician assistant national certifying exam in June. Chris earned his degree while still working full-time in Rapid City with the fire department.

Gloria Eller, 92, long-time Onida resident, died May 14 in Rapid City. A graduate of the high school at Wood, S.D., Gloria attended a business college in Missouri. She accepted a job with Spears & Spears Real Estate in Onida. She married Elton Eller in 1948, and they became partners in their farming operation on the east edge of town. They were married 59 years. Gloria is survived by her son, Ed; her daughter, Eileen; two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held later this summer.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWER

H O S E
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