THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”
— Gerald Stanley Lee

POST 8 BASEBALL UPDATE

Summary of recent games:
— Sioux Falls Dakota Classic:
* W Wayzata 19-5
* W Norfolk 6-4
* W Sioux Falls West 5-0
* L Jackson 4-3 (8)
* L Shakopee 9-0 (5)
— L Excelsior 9-5
— W Huron 2-0
— W Huron 13-0 (5)
— Minot tournament:
* W Watertown, Minn. 7-1
* W Minot 7-2
* L Mandan 6-1
* L Mandan 13-8
— L Brandon Valley 7-1
— W Brandon Valley 1-0

* Most of Post 8’s games in the past two weeks have been against out-of-state teams. More important, so far as postseason seedings are concerned, are games against South Dakota teams. Pierre has won four of five of that kind of contest in the past two weeks, concluding with Jack Van Camp’s masterful complete game three-hit shutout of Brandon Valley Tuesday. He had 10 strikeouts and one walk in Pierre’s 1-0 win after Post 8 lost the opener, 7-1. Pierre moved into the fourth spot in the state seedings standings earlier this week. Post 8’s overall record is 18-12, and six games vs. South Dakota teams in the next week are crucial.

* Schedule of upcoming games:
— Friday: at Mitchell, 5 and 7:30 p.m.
— Monday: home vs. Harrisburg, 5 and 7:30 p.m.
— Wednesday: at Sioux Falls West, 1 and 3:30 p.m.
— Gopher Classic games at Mankato:
* July 9: Fargo, 3:30 p.m.
* July 10: LeSeuer-Henderson, 3:30 p.m.
* July 10: Hopkins, 6 p.m.
* July 11: Mankato Americans, 8 a.m.
— July 12-13: Potential Gopher Classic games.
— July 14: at Aberdeen, 5 and 7:30 p.m.

PIERRE TRAPPERS BASEBALL UPDATE

Summary of recent games: A series sweep at the hands of Souris Valley left the Trappers with a 10-game losing streak. They took two of three from Sioux Falls, lost two of three to Wheat City and now, with two losses to Souris Valley, another losing streak is underway and stands at four games.

Schedule of upcoming games:
— July 1-2: at Souris Valley (Minot).
— July 3-4: home vs. Sioux Falls.
— July 6-7-8: home vs. Western Nebraska.
— July 9-10-11: home vs. Hastings.
— July 12-13: at Souris Valley.
— July 14-15: home vs. Wheat City.

FOUR CORNERS BASEBALL UPDATE

* Summary of recent games: In the past two weeks Four Corners outscored Colome, 14-13; beat Chamberlain, 14-1, and lost twice to Kimball/White Lake, 19-9 and 14-9. The record is 7-4.

* Schedule of upcoming games:
— July 1: at Plankinton Bankers.
— July 8: at Plankinton Gold Sox.
— July 11: home vs. Miller.
— July 15: at Wessington Springs.

COUNTDOWN

1 day: Sitting Bull Stampede rodeos, Mobridge (July 2-4).
2 days: Fort Pierre Fourth of July rodeos (July 3-4).
7 days: S.D. Golf Association men’s/women’s match-play tournaments, Hillsview (July 8-11).
12 days: Baseball All-Star Game, Denver (July 13).
14 days: British Open golf tournament (July 15-18).
15 days: Pierre Players’ “Man of La Mancha” (July 16-18, 22-25).
16 days: Hills Alive music festival, Rapid City (July 17-18).
21 days: PGA Tour’s 3M Open, Blaine, Minn. (July 22-25).
22 days: Olympic Games, Tokyo (July 23-Aug. 8).
22 days: State Legion baseball tournament, Brandon (July 23-27).
34 days: State amateur baseball tournament, Mitchell (Aug. 4-15).
35 days: NFL Hall of Fame game, Canton, Ohio (Aug. 5).
36 days: Sturgis motorcycle rally (Aug. 6-15).
42 days: Sully County Fair, Onida (Aug. 12-15).
42 days: American Legion World Series, Shelby, N.C. (Aug. 12-17).
43 days: Pierre boys/girls soccer openers at Douglas (Aug. 13).
43 days: Field of Dreams game (Yankees-White Sox), Dyersville, Iowa (Aug. 13).
46 days: Pierre boys golf opener at Sioux Falls Washington (Aug. 16).
50 days: 9-man and 11B football openers (Aug. 20).
54 days: Pierre volleyball opener at Watertown (Aug. 24).
56 days: Corn Palace Festival, Mitchell (Aug. 26-28).
57 days: Pierre football opener at Harrisburg (Aug. 27).
57 days: Pierre Invitational cross country meet (Aug. 27).
57 days: 11AAA, 11AA, 11A football openers (Aug. 27-28).
63 days: State Fair, Huron (Sept. 2-6).

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: lime.
Friday-Sunday: raspberry.
Monday-Tuesday: orange.
Wednesday-Thursday: root beer.
July 9-11: strawberry butter.
July 12-13: lemon.
July 14-15: pineapple.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand. By dividing we fall.”
— John Dickinson

WEDDING DAYS

July 31: Jack Carpenter/Leesa Johnson.
Sept. 25: Nick Jung/Natalie Nagle.
Oct. 2: Jordan Lamb/Abbey Fjeldheim.

HOCKEY UPDATE

Aberdeen Wings: Losers of only four games in 56 during the regular season, the defending NAHL champion Wings won their semifinal series over the Minnesota Magicians, 5-1 and 2-1, in the best-of-3 series. But in the Robertson Cup championship game against Shreveport, Aberdeen lost 4-2.

GOLF UPDATE

PGA Champions Tour (Tom Byrum): At the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, Tom tied for 47th place with a scorecard of 74-72-74-74=294, 14 over par, and earned $10,800. Next on the tour are the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y., this weekend and the U.S. Senior Open in Omaha July 8-11.

Sanford International: After originally announcing that the Minnehaha Country Club board of directors had declined to host the Sanford International golf tournament on the PGA Champions Tour for two additional years, the board reversed is decision and voted to extend hosting the Sanford International through 2024. The tournament is held in September each year.

SOCCER UPDATE

Minnesota United FC: The Loons haven’t lost for more than two weeks. Minnesota tied Dallas, 1-1; defeated Austin, 2-0, and won at Portland, 1-0. The Loons host San Jose Saturday, then play at Colorado July 7.

COMMENT ON THESE TIMES

“It’s Fourth of July weekend, or, as I call it, Exploding Christmas.”
— Stephen Colbert

FOOTBALL UPDATE

Sioux Falls Storm: The Storm lost to Iowa, 57-47, and beat Bismarck, 52-27. With a record of 4-3, the Storm’s next game is July 10 at Spokane.

BLACK HILLS PLAYHOUSE SCHEDULE

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” — through July 4.
“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” — July 9-25.
“Altar Boyz” — July 30-Aug. 15.

For ticket reservations call 255-4141 or go to blackhillsplayhouse.com/shows-tickets.

BASEBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Twins summary of recent games: The Twins had a rare winning streak when they took three straight from Texas and one from Cincinnati. After a loss to the Reds, the Twins took two of three over Cleveland but now have lost two in a row to the White Sox.

Minnesota Twins schedule of upcoming games:
— July 1: at Chicago White Sox.
— July 2-3-4: at Kansas City.
— July 5-6-7: Chicago White Sox.
— July 8-9-10-11: Detroit.

Sioux Falls Canaries summary of recent games: The Birds took two of three from Fargo and won two of three over Houston. After losing two of three to Gary/South Shore, the Canaries are in a three-game string of postponements against Kansas City.

Sioux Falls Canaries schedule of upcoming games:
— July 1: at Kansas CIty.
— July 2-3-4: at Cleburne.
— July 6-7-8: Kansas City.
— July 9-10-11: Chicago.
— July 12-13-14-15: at Sioux City.

PARKER’S PERSONAL NOTES

• Shirley Javurek posted from their home in Portland, Ore., the other night that “we went out to get a bite to eat last evening (Sunday). Was 112 (official temp at the airport) but in the restaurant 118. Today supposed to be higher.” When Portland, a city which had had only two days of 100+ temperatures in its history, has four such days in succession, it is apparent that climate change is a real deal, despite what conservatives say and refuse to do about it in Congress.
• On a recent Friday morning I pulled into a parking spot on Wall’s Main Street at 7:35 a.m. and found plenty of available spaces. Twenty minutes later both sides of the street were filled with cars, and the line of people waiting to get into Wall Drug when its doors opened at 8 a.m. was a block long. Tourists galore! The breakfast line was 50 people long within minutes. May I recommend a separate line for those of us who are there only for donuts?!
• When my daughters took me to Tally’s for breakfast on Fathers Day, we were pleased to run into Jim and Darlene Neiles, who were in Rapid City visiting son Brady. He is a wildlife biologist with the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
• There are still plenty of good people in this world, and two of them are Kim (Bartels) and Devin Malone. Kim brightened the day of many Facebook readers, myself included, recently when she related what happened to them on their way home late on a Saturday night to their home in the northwest Minneapolis suburbs from a camping outing up at Lake Sturgeon. They had decided on the spur of the moment to go home that night, rather than waiting till Sunday. On the road by 10 p.m., the Malones unintentionally missed their exit from I-35W onto I-694W, so they took the next exit into New Brighton. Suddenly a cute white puppy ran in front of their truck. Though it was nearly midnight, Devin and Kim tried to corral the wayward pup. He ran into the parking lot of a Holiday station where they tried to catch him, but he kept going. The Malones saw him again farther down the road. They retrieved some deli meat from their cooler, but even that didn’t persuade the pup to stop running. They eventually corralled him near some reeds. The pup bore no collar and no identifying tags. But the Malones called 911 and learned that a missing dog had been scared away from his home by fireworks. They were directed back to the Holiday station where they met a grateful dogsitter named Lisa from whom the pup had escaped. She was frantic that she had lost her friends’ dog. We learned his name is Paco and he had run more than a mile down a busy road. “What better end to our journey than to share with Paco,” Kim wrote. And thanks for sharing your good story with us.
• The place to be next New Year’s Eve will be Minneapolis, not because of any partying going on, but because on New Year’s Day the NHL Winter Classic will take place outdoors at Target Field as the Wild play the St. Louis Blues.
• Speaking of Minnesota, food is always the main attraction at the Minnesota State Fair, which returns this year after last year’s cancellation during the pandemic. Some of the new food items on sale at the fair are buffalo chicken doughscuits, sashimi tuna tacos, and donuts topped with soft-serve ice cream. And then there is the blue raspberry blitz, which is a hand pie filled with a raspberry/apple/blueberry blend infused with vodka and topped with cotton candy sugar. Lick your lips over that one!

SUNDAYS AT THE LEGION SCHEDULE

Music begins at 5 p.m. each Sunday on the deck at the American Legion cabin.

July 4: The Sidehackers.
July 11: Bill Shoup.
July 18: Mike Hilson.
July 25: In & Out.
Aug. 1: Josh Bagwell.
Aug. 8: Hank Harris.
Aug. 15: The Barefoot Boys.
Aug. 22: No Worries Band.

2021-22 RIGGS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC SCHEDULES

FOOTBALL
Aug. 27: at Harrisburg.
Sept. 3: Mitchell.
Sept. 11 (Saturday): Sturgis.
Sept. 17: at Douglas.
Sept. 24: at Yankton.
Oct. 1: Huron (homecoming).
Oct. 8: Watertown.
Oct. 15: at Aberdeen Central.
Oct. 21 (Thursday): Brookings.
Oct. 28, Nov. 5, Nov. 12: playoff dates.

BOYS/GIRLS SOCCER
Aug. 13: at Douglas.
Aug. 14: at Spearfish.
Aug. 19: Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
Aug. 26: at Sturgis.
Aug. 28: at Aberdeen Central.
Aug. 31: Watertown.
Sept. 2: at Mitchell.
Sept. 9: Harrisburg.
Sept. 11: at Brandon Valley.
Sept. 16: at Brookings.
Sept. 21: Yankton.
Sept. 25: Sioux Falls Jefferson.
Sept. 28: Huron.
Oct. 5, Oct. 9, Oct. 12, Oct. 16: playoff dates.

VOLLEYBALL
Aug. 24: at Watertown.
Aug. 27: at Rapid City Stevens.
Aug. 28: at Rapid City Central.
Sept. 4: Aberdeen Central.
Sept. 7: at Mitchell.
Sept. 11: Spearfish.
Sept. 16: at Sioux Falls Washington.
Sept. 18: Sioux Falls Lincoln.
Sept. 28: at Sioux Falls Christian.
Sept. 30: at Sioux Falls O’Gorman.
Oct. 2: Brandon Valley.
Oct. 5: at Aberdeen Central.
Oct. 7: at Huron.
Oct. 12: Harrisburg.
Oct. 14: at Yankton.
Oct. 19: Huron.
Oct. 22: at Douglas.
Oct. 26: Brookings.
Nov. 2: Sioux Falls Jefferson.
Nov. 11: SoDak 16 match.
Nov. 18-20: State tournament, Rapid City.

(Golf, tennis, cross country and cheer/dance schedules in next Midweek Update.)

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, July 1:
Trevor Samuelson, Nadine Kepford, Quinn Reimers, Eleanor Berghorst, Hazel Leidholt, Catie Schroeder, Nathan Dryden, Dennis Ries, Cathy (Comes) Richter, Jodi Hartmann, Owen LeBeau, Joseph Nebelsick, Reese Richardson, Crystal Dvorak, Beckett Larson, Misty (Keller) Skinner.
— 16th anniversary, Jeremy/Amy Webb.
— 16th anniversary, Justin/Shawna (Claussen) Diedrich.
— 59th anniversary, Ron/Marlys Mullivan.

Friday, July 2:
Ashlie Tisland, Grace Kachelmyer, Sandi (Hindman) Laird, Linda Steele, Luke Edwards, Eric Juhala, Kellie Parker, Gerry Barnes-Baucom, Kelly Mikkelsen, Matt Clark, Taylor (Smalley) Cordingly, Heather (Nuttall) Westover.
— 2nd anniversary, Drew/Heather Osnes.
— 10th anniversary, Jeff/Kim Marso.
— 10th anniversary, Dan/Susan (Gregory) Walker.
— 5th anniversary, Devin/Laranda Bruns.
— 5th anniversary, Chad/Andrea (Bartel) Sharkey.
— 16th anniversary, Chris/Aftin (Riehle) Eich.

Saturday, July 3:
Trace Franks, Judy Perry, Dave Sayler, Claire (Garry) Peschong, Chip King, Ryan Bear, Jenah Feiler, Walker Jacob, Rick Dockter, Mike Dierks, Bethanna (Feist) Baloun, Dana Martin-Hess, Allyson (Kraemer) Formanek, T.J. Gabriel, Jody Ryland, Craig Schochenmaier.
— 5th anniversary, Aaron/Erin Bumann.
— 53rd anniversary, Roger/Jean Easland.
— 16th anniversary, Jason/Michelle Glodt.
— 50th anniversary, Jerry/Eileen Krom.
— 12th anniversary, Nathan/Carrie (Schlaak) Barnes.

Sunday, July 4:
Aurora Zakahi, Shalista (Wendt) Anderson, Joshua Dutt, Zack Clark, Peggy Huber, Jason Bucholz, Dax Salmonson.
— 51st anniversary, Daryl/Linda Johnson.
— Anniversary, Scott/Gina (Kotilnek) Hickenbotham.
— 12th anniversary, John/Annie (Fuller) BonneCarre.

Monday, July 5:
Terry Fisher, Marina (Baltzell) Rawls, Sarah (Hawkins) Pekarski, Billy Beesley, Jim Telford, Kayla (Johnson) Koob, Kyle Richards, Amber (Anderson) Edelen, Jason Bisbee, Jessica Anderson, Morgan Shaffer, Devin Kampfe, Dylan Workman, Angelica Lasley.
— 46th anniversary, Chuck/Susan Quinn.
— 7th anniversary, Jeff/Kristin (Rau) Hayward.
— 19th anniversary, Joe/Julia (Guhin) Yach.
— 13th anniversary, Pat/Sara (Tillman) Anderson.
— 18th anniversary, Chris/Lindsay (Peitz) Rounds.
— 7th anniversary, Trent/Linsey (Peterson) Robbins.

Tuesday, July 6:
Jolene Kern, Clara Marsh, Tynell Trant, Ericka Williams, Tyler Johnson, Michael Buhl, Dalton Blair, Ella Durick, Blake Simon, Isaiah Grant, Jude Nill,
Jessica (Melvin) Moore, Winney Belle Denton, Jon Ellenbecker.
— 8th anniversary, Steve/Becky (Markley) Wosick.
— 9th anniversary, Nathan/Catherine Chicoine.
— 19th anniversary, Jayson/Jennifer (Thorson) Nedrebo.
— 8th anniversary, Will/Jenna (Deutscher) Hansen.

Wednesday, July 7:
Marylinn Baker, Derald Gross, Kris Monroe, Michelle Moreno, Austin Christopherson, Chelsea (Neuhauser) Hoy, Lucas Solberg, Crayton Bouchie, Jessica Nicholas, Kirk Albertson, Derek Newcomb, Brydon Denton.
— 4th anniversary, Zach/Christina Merrill.
— 3rd anniversary, Matt/Korie Tetzlaff.
— 70th anniversary, Marvin/Dorothy Massey.
— 9th anniversary, Jared/Courtney (Thompson) Geigle.
— 31st anniversary, Jeff/Gea (Gjesdal) Eckhoff.
— 9th anniversary, Austin/Kristy Unruh.
— 14th anniversary, James/Audra (Meyer) Cardwell.
— 14th anniversary, Darin/Molly (Huber) Hausmann.

Thursday, July 8:
Kolton Knox, Paul Denton, Henry Clegg, A.J. Domeyer, Bret Graves, Megan (Snow) Fischer, Rachel Propst, Jaden Griese, Traci Corcoran, Cooper Stoeser, Angie Bishop, Jeannette Schipper, Kayla Gabriel, Kaelyn Konechne.
— 15th anniversary, Joe/Beth Stolp.
— 32nd anniversary, Dennis/Dorothy (Nygaard) Gibbs.
— 4th anniversary, Cole/Sierra Oakley.

Friday, July 9:
Adeline Bollinger, Lindsey (Haskins) Philips, Thomas Butler, Michael Hanson, Andrea Johnson, Ryan Mikkelsen, Allen Geuther, Liz Markley, Maurya Petrick, Drew Palmer, Trigg Townsend, Carol Carney, Nick Nuttall, Bryan Adams, Matt Tetzlaff.
— 10th anniversary, Darrin/Anna (Schreiner) Galinat.
— 10th anniversary, Dylan/Susan (Zabel) Dowling.
— 60th anniversary, David/Judy Perry.
— 17th anniversary, Jon/Christina (Zellmer) Nath.
— 5th anniversary, Shawn/Whitney (Stoeser) Schnabel.
— 10th anniversary, Paul/Amy (Hyde Petersen) Kolb.
— 32nd anniversary, Clark/Jayne (Knox) Kraemer.

Saturday, July 10:
Tenley Hipple, Christian Petrick, Kennen Barber-Ensz, Shad Ludemann, Lukus Leidholt, Julie Jeffries, Adam Reiss, Shane Hillmer, Casey Crawford, Lynne Reuter, Brad Wire, Jill (Storsteen) Weber.
— 51st anniversary, Tom/Esther Harmon.
— 45th anniversary, Jim/Rosa Iverson.
— 29th anniversary, Steve/Angela (Voeltz) Lang.
— 17th anniversary, Chris/Molly (Weisgram) Maxwell.
— 17th anniversary, Brandon/Crystal Lowery.
— 17th anniversary, Scott/Laura (Schoen) Carbonneau.

Sunday, July 11:
Denise Gehring, Father Tom Anderson, Somer (LaRosh) Garrigan, Aric Frost, Sarah Frost, Ty Falcon, Jaime Rutschke, Joe Martin, Don Sieck, Jennifer (Thorson) Nedrebo, Jackie (Thorson) Richey, Taya (Dockter) Runyan.
— 6th anniversary, Devin/Jessica Rounds.
— 6th anniversary, Matt/Katie (Gordon) Field.
— 6th anniversary, Taylor/LaTora Becker.
— 18th anniversary, Kristian/Steph (Vogel) Lund.
— 18th anniversary, Craig/Tara (Hicks) Knapp.
— 18th anniversary, Jonathan/Ranelle (Knight) Lueth.

Monday, July 12:
Marla Mosimanm, Jason DeWitt, Stephen Rae, Nick Jeanotte, John Lakner, Kelsee (Larsen) Stahl, Mary Jo Johnson, Cailyn Hausmann, Jesse Ahlers, Melissa (Stevens) Gibson, Sherise (Baumberger) Wittler, Jessica Kuchta-Miller, Leesa Johnson, Edward Ford, Hallie Pottorff.
— 72nd anniversary, Ed/Rhoda Baer.
— 7th anniversary, Jacob/Kashia (Axthelm) Shumaker.
— 7th anniversary, Jared/Carrie (Gonsor) Sanderson.
— 24th anniversary, Jon/Joette (Johnson) Nesladek.
— 18th anniversary, David/Jocelyn (Freidel) Ragan.

Tuesday, July 13:
Jacob Howard, Vicki (Ramse) Blake, Matt Massey, Peggy Meyer, Tyler Van Zee, Mandee (Prue) Brinkman, Christopher Smith, Byron Jennings, Aralyn Vogel, Marissa Jacobsen, Lindsey Buntrock, Dawn (Lamb) Wagner, Cheryl (Cruse) Bailey, Brandon Nickels.
— 58th anniversary, Mack/Karen Wyly.
— 8th anniversary, Chris/Angela (DiBenedetto) Smith.
— 8th anniversary, George/Heather (Knox) Sazama.
— 16th anniversary, Brian/Jessica (Cranston) Black.
— 8th anniversary, Joshua/Jessica (Callahan) Carr.
— 19th anniversary, Ryan/Tessa (Heiss) Krueger.

Wednesday, July 14:
David Voeltz, Andrea Clarke, Tanner Kost, Garrison Gross, Brenton Crane, Heather (Clausen) Redetzke, Grant Jones, Shirley Swanson, Gavin Gran, Kim (Pibal) Mentzer, Tim Storly, Lindsey Coit, Amanda Engels.
— 9th anniversary, Tom/Brooke Hindman.
— 9th anniversary, Gavin/Samantha (Hestdalen) Van Zee.
— 3rd anniversary, Shawn/Rebekah (Hartmann) Hlavacek.
— 48th anniversary, Larry/Mary Jo Johnson.
— 14th anniversary, Chris/Mandee (Prue) Brinkman.
— 42nd anniversary, Dennis/Lynette James.

Thursday, July 15:
Daniel Ellenbecker, Ruth Smith, Jennifer Urbach, Drake Hagen, Haley Hohn, Joe Prieksat, Gloria Merriam, Kylie (Sutton) Knudson, Jean Mott, Gina (Schaefer) Ahlers, Brittanie (Blaseg) Rezac, Zach Gilkerson, Cyndi Menzel.
— 5th anniversary, Bryan/Grace Beck.
— 4th anniversary, Cody/Erica (Guthmiller) Paxton.
— 4th anniversary, Will/Lindsay Uhrich.
— 21st anniversary, Chris/Gina (Schaefer) Ahlers.
— 15th anniversary, Joe/Nikki (Grandpre) Wilson.

CAPITAL CITY BAND SCHEDULE

Band concerts begin at 8 p.m. at the Steamboat Park amphitheater unless otherwise noted.

July 4 (9 p.m.): “Let Freedom Ring.”
July 7: “Rock, Roll and Remember.”
July 14: “Broadway Bound.”
July 21: “Christmas in July.”
July 28: “Director’s Favorites.”

QUOTE FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND

“So let freedom ring from the prodigious hills of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous parks of California. But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain in Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside let freedom ring!
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

James A. Hansen, 92, died June 18 in Hopkins, Minn. The funeral service was held June 25 at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnm. Mr. Hansen graduated from Fort Pierre High School in 1947 and from USD with a journalism degree in 1951. He married Clara Berkland in 1952. He worked in sports journalism at the Aberdeen American-News, then at the Grand Forks Herald for 12 years. In 1969 he became director of public relations for MinnKota Power Cooperative and held that job till retiring in 1991. He is survived by his wife, a son, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The spring semester Dean’s List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln includes Jack Van Camp, freshman in pre-law; Madison Nelson, junior in elementary education/special education, and Jessica Weber, senior in finance and economics.

A memorial celebration of the life of Jeannette Beemer was held June 26 at First Congregational Church of Christ, followed by a reception at the Capitol Lake Visitors Center. A family graveside service took place at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Pat Callahan was sworn in as Hughes County sheriff June 21, succeeding Darrin Johnson, who retired at the end of June.

Long-time Blunt residents Marvin and Dorothy Massey, who more recently lived in Rapid City, will observe their 70th wedding anniversary next Wednesday, July 7. Friends can send greetings to this address: 1205 E. Sandy Lane Rd., Apt. 134, Coppell TX 75019.

Riggs High homecoming dates for your fall calendars: * Sept. 27: coronation. * Sept. 30: parade. * Oct. 1: Homecoming day; football vs. Huron.

Edwin “Ed” Assman, 68, Pierre, died June 16. Services were held June 22 at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church with interment at Black Hills National Cemetery. He graduated from Todd County High School in Mission in 1970 and volunteered for the U.S. Army at the age of 17, undergoing airborne training. He went to Vietnam in early 1971, was wounded and earned a Purple Heart, was injured again and earned a second Purple Heart. After convalescing at home, Ed returned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He worked as an Airborne medic until his discharge. Hired by the South Dakota Highway Patrol at the age of 21, Ed was eventually stationed in Pierre and advanced to the ranks of sergeant and lieutenant. He was the first trooper to be awarded the Meritorious Service Ribbon. He underwent medical retirement in 1997. Ed continued to work as an investigator for the crime victims program and had his own investigation firm. He is survived by his wife, Josephine; three sons, Clint (Shannon), Colter and Bridger; three grandchildren; five brothers and a sister.

Kayla Nagle was married June 25 in Cody, Wyo., to Quentin Johler. Kayla’s husband is a native of Green River, Wyo., and an alumnus of the University of Wyoming. He works at T-O Engineers in Cody.

Doug and Janice Beemer have sold their home in Fort Pierre and have moved to Brevard, N.C., to be near their daughter, Ann Candler, and her family, who have also moved to Brevard, just south of Asheville in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Dave Huft celebrated 50 years with the Department of Transportation this week. He began working at the DOT in 1972 as an engineer in the Office of Materials and Surfacing. Over the years he held many positions. Now he is the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program manager.

Linda Zeller, 73, died June 16. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Lutheran Memorial Church where a prayer service begins at 7. A memorial celebration of her life begins at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Linda graduated from Lead High School in 1965 and earned a degree at South Dakota State University where she met Don Zeller. They were married in 1969 and raised three daughters. Linda worked for more than 35 years for the Department of Social Services and the Department of Health, retiring in 2008. She was active in many ways at Lutheran Memorial and also volunteered for the local food pantry, Habitat for Humanity, the soccer association, Girl Scouts, and Court Appointed Special Advocates. She is survived by her husband, Don Zeller; three daughters, Heidi Zeller-Crawford (Don) of Aberdeen, Sherri Zeller (Bobby) of Key Largo, Fla., and Katie (Brad) Murphy of Denver; seven grandchildren, and three siblings, Philip (Pam) Carrico of Conde, Maria Mason of Brookings and William (Linda) Carrico of Lead.

Ed and Rhoda Baer, who lived in Pierre for many years until moving to California to be near their daughter, Larissa FastHorse, will celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary on July 12. Greetings can be sent to this address: 4061 Grand View Blvd., Apt. 214, Los Angeles CA 90066.

Curtis Egan and Kelly Allen were married in Sioux Falls on June 18.

David Gross, 46, passed away June 21. A celebration of his life will take place at Scotty Philip Cemetery at 11 a.m. this Saturday, July 3, followed by lunch at the Pat Duffy Community & Youth Involved Center. A graduate of Stanley County High School, David attended USD for five years, majoring in political science and psychology. After college he moved to the Twin Cities where he lived for the rest of his life. He was a legislative aide on the staff of Rep. John Doll. Since 2011 he has been a legislative aide for Sen. Chris Eaton. He is survived by his parents, Derald and Shirley Gross of Fort Pierre; his brothers, Derald (Cindy) Gross Jr. and Daniel Gross of Pierre; his sisters, Jackie (Kelly) Cross of Fort Pierre and Tarilynn (Michael) Gerlach of Mitchell, and numerous nephews and nieces.

A retirement reception for Leann (Sevening) Weischedel was held at BankWest’s Onida office June 29. She has spent 43 years working for BankWest.

Eric and Jessi (Huber) Herrscher and their two children have completed their cross-country move from the Minneapolis suburbs to Nampa, Idaho, where Eric and Jessi will both be high school teachers. Jessi posted that during their drive through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho they saw 15 deer, 31 antelope, two moose, one dead bear and the license plates of 40 different states. Jessi got to see her future classroom this week, posting a picture of the biology lab at Ridgevue High School.

The South Dakota USA Softball program announced five players from the state will be on the district All-American team that will play teams from other regions in Oklahoma City Aug. 13-15. Macy Bryant, daughter of Tyler and Megan Bryant, is an infielder/catcher, and Autumn Bryant, daughter of Toby and Amber Bryant, is a pitcher/shortstop/first-baseman. Toby Bryant will coach the 12U team in Oklahoma where the tournament will be played on the same field where the NCAA Women’s College World Series is played each year.

Max Foth, who teaches and coaches at Stanley County High School, and Jessie Chalcraft will be married July 16 on the Pacific Ocean beach at Bandon, Ore. A reception for the couple is planned for July 23 at the Blue Goose in Onida where Max grew up and attended high school.

Earl Sherburne, who graduated from Riggs High School in 1963, died June 17 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. He was the son of Verlin and Ethel Sherburne, who ran a grocery store in the west end of the Corner Drug building. Mr. Sherburne was a music educator for 48 years. He ended his career at his alma mater, Augustana University, directing the brass choir as well as the Sioux Falls Community Band. He is survived by his wife Sonja of Maplewood, Minn.; two sons, Erik (Kaia) Sherburne and Kirk (Kari) Sherburne, all of Roseville, Minn.; and his brother, Paul Sherburne of Inver Grove Heights, Minn. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. July 16 at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, Minn. Friends can send condolences to the Sherburne family in care of HHBP Funeral Home, 515 Highway 96 West, Shoreview MN 55126.

Matt Thorson has been named coach of the girls wrestling team at Riggs High School. Not only will he be Pierre’s first girls wrestling coach but the first such person in South Dakota. Travis Heasley will be Thorson’s assistant coach.

Four Pierre girls are members of the South Dakota United U15 soccer team, which won its regional tournament in Chicago with four wins and one draw. The team advances to their national tournament in Colorado July 16-20. The coach is Matt DeBoer, who is also Pierre Governors girls soccer coach. The Pierre athletes on the team are Gracelyn Taylor, Ryann Barry, Brianna Sargent and Ireland Templeton.

Melvin Feuerstein, 85, Sioux Falls, died June 21 at Bethany Meadows in Brandon. Services were held June 28 at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. A native of Watertown, Mr. Feuerstein worked for the Sioux Falls school district, then purchased KwikCheck convenience stores. In Pierre he worked as the child and adult nutrition commodities coordinator in the Department of Education, retiring in 2000. He is survived by two children, two grandchildren and seven siblings.

Several Oahe Hockey Association players have been selected for Team South Dakota teams for the 2021-22 seasons. Jarron Beck will be on the U16 boys team, Carter Sanderson on the U14 boys team, Sara Bierne on the U16 girls team, Brylee Kafka and Emily Nemec on the U14 girls team and Alyssa Stahl, Olivia Swenson and Ashton Lee on the U19 girls team.

Steph (Dvorak) Delvo’s husband, Mitch, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last November. After six months of chemotherapy and immune therapy, Mitch underwent a stem cell transplant June 24, and Steph posted that the surgery went well. The donor was a 100% match from Poland. The Dvoraks, who have a daughter, Ruby, and a son, Fletcher, are expecting their third child in a few weeks, so they have a lot on their plate right now. There is a CaringBridge.org page where friends can follow Mitch’s progress. The family live in Bismarck.

The SDHSAA announced its winter/spring Academic Achievement Awards teams and organizations from schools statewide. At Riggs High School the honored groups are the boys basketball cheerleaders, boys basketball team, boys tennis team, boys track and field team, girls basketball cheerleaders, girls basketball team, girls golf team, girls track and field team, gymnastics team, large group band, large group chorus, newspaper staff, one-act play cast, student council, visual arts team, wrestling team and yearbook staff. At Sully Buttes High School the boys basketball cheerleaders and the girls basketball team earned this recognition.

The Rev. Gordon Higgins, 86, who pastored First United Methodist Church in Pierre in the 1980s, died June 24 after battling cancer for several years. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. next Tuesday, July 6, at the United Church of Christ in Spearfish, followed by burial at 1:30 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery. Rev. Higgins grew up in northern Illinois. He attended Dakota Wesleyan University and completed his degree in 1964. Later that year he married the former Jeanne DeVries. They were married for 50 years until she passed away in 2015. Rev. Higgins graduated from Garrett Theological Seminary in 1970 and from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1979. He served churches in Illinois, South Dakota and North Dakota for more than 50 years. After leaving Pierre, he was pastor at the United Methodist Church in Spearfish from 1987 to 1995 and at the United Church of Christ in Spearfish from 2012 until his death. He was also a pilot, flying search and rescue missions for the Civil Air Patrol from 1983 to 1997. His survivors include his brother, Gerald; his children, John and Keren, who both attended Riggs High School, and three grandchildren.

The Board of Regents announced that Neal Schnorr, who has been chief of staff at Cal State-Long Beach, will be the new president of Northern State University. Onida native Dr. Alan LaFave, currently president of Valley City State, was one of the three finalists for the presidency at NSU, his alma mater.

Among the nominees in softball for the Argus Leader Sports Awards are Tevan Bryant and Dessa Bryant, both members of the Harrisburg High School softball team.

Delores Sieler, 82, who was the school food director for the Pierre school district for many years, died June 18 at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital. A memorial service was held June 25 at Lutheran Memorial Church. Delores graduated from high school at Madison in 1956. She married Douglas Drew in 1960, and they had two children. She married Philip Sieler in 1992. She is survived by her sons, Duane (Susan) Drew and Justin Sieler; her daughter, Darci (Josh) Bible; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The Col. Robert F. Wales Award at USD honors in-state student-athletes who have achieved success in the classroom, community and competition. The nominees from each sport included Chloe Lamb of Onida for women’s basketball, Joana Zanin of Pierre for women’s soccer, A.J. Plitzuweit for men’s basketball, Sami Slaughter for volleyball, Carly Haring for track and field, Maddie Lavin for swimming/diving, Holly Gerberding for track and field, and Zack Anderson for track and field. Chloe will use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic to play one more season of basketball for the Coyotes. She will graduate in December with her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and sport management, then begin her master’s degree work in the spring semester.

A memorial service for the late Carol Robertson will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, at First United Methodist Church in Miller. The service will be conducted by her son-in-law, the Rev. Andrew Bartel. Interment will take place at Sunbeam Cemetery in rural Hand County, followed by a get-together at the Dakota House in Miller.

Agnes (Goosen) Niehoff, 91, Onida, died June 20. A celebration of her life was held June 25 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Onida. Aggie graduated from Onida High School and married Reuben Niehoff in 1947. They raised two children. Aggie worked with her husband at Niehoff Produce and later at Ken’s Lounge, the Wagon Wheel Drive-In and Niehoff Cafe. She is survived by her son-in-law, Jerry Weischedel of Mobridge; her daughter-in-law, Lori Niehoff; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and three siblings, Elmer (Martha) Goosen, Mary (John) Beougher and Donnie Goosen. Among those who preceded her in death were her husband; their son, Richard Niehoff; their daughter, Ramona Weischedel; her parents, a brother and a sister.

Michelle (Beemer) and Todd DeWitt, who have been living in Loveland, Colo., will be moving from Colorado to St. Paul in August to begin new jobs.

Jim Mehlhaff is leaving the Pierre City Commission after 12 years of service. He did not seek re-election this year. Todd Johnson will be sworn in to occupy Mehlhaff’s seat at next Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Dan Lusk received a Christmas present in June this week when his three-month checkup revealed that a brain MRI showed no sign of a tumor. He has been cleared of all restrictions, but his doctors will continue to keep an eye on him in the upcoming months for safety’s sake.

The state Department of Health reported yesterday that the death toll from COVID-19 has reached 2,035. There were as of yesterday 148 active cases, 15 of them new since Tuesday’s report. The first case of the Delta variant has appeared within the state in the Ipswich area. This very contagious variant has caused the CDC to, for the time being, leave it up to local officials to make decisions on mask-wearing. The fear is that the new variant will be especially dangerous in areas with low vaccination rates.

Georgie (Pierson) Sibson, 81, Omaha, formerly of Pierre, died June 23 at the Parson’s House for assisted living in Omaha. Visitation will be from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at the Isburg Funeral Chapel with a prayer service there at 6. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church. Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, followed by lunch at the church. Georgie went to school at Alexandria and married Herb Sibson in 1957. They lived at Philip, Midland, Pierre and Fort Pierre, then at Tucson, Ariz., and Omaha. While Herb farmed thousands of acres in the Pierre area, Georgie stayed home to raise their family. She later worked as a secretary at the Pierre elevator, a cook in the Pierre school system and a switchboard operator at St. Mary’s. She is survived by seven children, Julie (Mark) Durham, Greg (Laurie) Sibson, Brad Sibson, Cheryl Reed, Diane Pfeifer, Connie (Tom) Askew and Eric (Julie) Sibson; 17 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Among those who preceded her in death were her husband of 63 years, her parents, four siblings and a great-granddaughter.

Former Pierre resident Pam Steece passed away Monday evening after battling uterine cancer. Service details will be forthcoming. Among her survivors are her husband Rick; her sons, Luke (Jennifer) Steece and Tim (Rachel Knutson) Steece; four grandchildren, and her brother, Tim Backous.

Dave Lindekugel, 74, passed away June 27. His family will be holding a service at a later date. Dave was the fifth of six children of Fred and Vera Lindekugel. He graduated in 1965 from Riggs High School where he participated in football, basketball, baseball and track. He attended General Beadle State Teachers College in Madison for 1 1/2 years, playing football and baseball there. He worked in road construction in Seattle and South Dakota. Dave married Kathy Frey in 1970, and they followed road construction projects until settling in Burke. They moved to Pierre in 1976. Dave then began a 37-year career as watermaster for the Grey Goose Irrigation District, retiring in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; his sons, Tyson (Crystal Boehmer) Lindekugel and Travis (Becky) Lindekugel; six grandchildren; his sister, Diana Lindekgel; his brother-in-law, Wayne Frey, and many nephews and nieces.

PONDER THIS

History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from. And, if it offends you, even better because you are less likely to repeat it. It’s not yours to erase. It belongs to all of us.