ELECTION UPDATE

According to a story in the Rapid City Journal, U.S. Sen. John Thune will have at least two challengers in next June’s Republican primary. We reported earlier this summer that one challenger would be Mark Mowry of Spearfish, and the Journal says he has filed his candidacy papers with the Federal Elections Commission. The other potential candidate is Patrick Schubert Sr. of Box Elder, who, the newspaper says, has not yet filed with the FEC.

Both Mowry and Schubert, according to the Journal, are challenging Senator Thune because he did nothing to get the election of President Biden overturned in Donald Trump’s favor.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
— Aristotle

PIERRE GOVERNORS SPORTS ROUNDUP

This week’s schedules:
— THURSDAY
Girls soccer: at Sturgis, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer: at Sturgis, 6 p.m.
— FRIDAY
Volleyball: at Rapid City Stevens.
Cross country: home for Pierre Invitational.
Football: at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
Boys golf: at Huron invitational.
Girls tennis: at Rapid City invitational.
— SATURDAY
Volleyball: at Rapid City Central.
Cheer/dance: at Aberdeen Central invitational.
Girls tennis: at Rapid City invitational.
Boys soccer: at Aberdeen Central, noon.
Girls soccer: at Aberdeen Central, 2 p.m.
— MONDAY
Boys golf: at Sturgis invitational.
— TUESDAY
Cheer/dance: at Watertown invitational.
Boys soccer: home vs. Watertown, 4 p.m.
Girls soccer: home vs. Watertown, 6 p.m.
Boys golf: at Aberdeen Central invitational.

Girls soccer: The Governors improved to a 3-0 record with a 1-0 home win over Roosevelt. Avery Davis put in a goal late in the second half. Jenna Gehring made 12 saves in goal at the other end.

Boys soccer: Pierre got a big lead, then held on for a 4-2 win over Roosevelt. Cole Peterson and Rylan Derry scored first-half goals, and Steven Blanchette made it a 3-0 lead before the Rough Riders cut their deficit to a 3-2 with a pair of fast goals. Peterson, however, clinched the win with a late goal. Pierre’s record is 2-1-0.

Girls tennis: One of their scheduled matches was rained out, but the Governor girls went 2-1 in matches played in Sioux Falls. Pierre lost to Lincoln, 8-1, but skunked Roosevelt and Washington by 9-0 scores. Marlee Shorter and Gracie Zeeb went unbeaten in doubles in their three duals, including scoring the only point against Lincoln. Sydney Tedrow/Karra Weiss and Jocelyn Corrales/Caitlin Ott were 2-0 in doubles in the other two duals. Tedrow, Shorter, Weiss, Corrales, Caitlin Ott and Carissa Ott were 2-0 in singles in the two Pierre wins.

Volleyball: Pierre won at Watertown for the first time in six years Tuesday. The Governors took out the Arrows, 3-1, on game scores of 25-11, 19-25, 25-8, 25-22. Ayvrie Kaiser had 21 kills, Reese Terwilliger eight kills and Lily Sanchez three service aces. The match gave Tiffany Stoeser a win in her first match as Pierre head coach.

Boys golf: Watertown was team champion at Tuesday’s Pierre Invitational with a 6-over-par score. Pierre Green was second at +15 and Pierre White eighth. Luke Olson tied for fourth at 2-over 74. Jon Lyons tied for seventh at 75, Jack Bartlett and Dawson Getz tied for ninth at 76, Sawyer Sonnenschein tied for 13th at 77 and Nick Bothun was 17th at 79.

STANLEY COUNTY BUFFALOES SPORTS ROUNDUP

This week’s schedules:
— FRIDAY
Football: home vs. Parkston, 7 p.m.
— SATURDAY
Volleyball: at Bennett Country triangular (with Wall), 2 p.m.
— TUESDAY
Volleyball: home vs. Chamberlain.

Football: Early in the season-opening game at Timber Lake, the Buffaloes drove the field and threatened to take the early lead, but a potential touchdown pass into the end zone was intercepted. After that the game was all Panthers as Timber Lake routed SCHS, 40-0. Timber Lake had 16 points in the second quarter, 16 more in the third and a final eight points in the final period.

SULLY BUTTES CHARGERS SPORTS ROUNDUP

This week’s schedules:
— FRIDAY
Football: at Corsica-Stickney, 7 p.m.
— SATURDAY
Volleyball: home for Yellowstone Trail Conference tournament, 10 a.m.
— TUESDAY
Volleyball: home vs. Faulkton Area.

Football: It was a stunning season opener for the Chargers, who scored on their first six possessions on drives ranging in length from 23 to 67 yards. After leading at halftime by 46-0, the Chargers ended the game via the mercy rule on the first play of the second half, winning 52-0. Thomas Farries led the punishing ground attack with 236 yards rushing. Quarterback Landon Hepker threw six times, completing two, both ending in touchdown runs, and had 71 yards in all. Colome came up with a meager 25 yards of total offense against the SBHS defense.

Volleyball: The Charger season opened Tuesday in Murdo with a 3-1 loss to Jones County although three of the four games were close ones. The game scores were 23-25, 25-23, 13-25, 24-26.

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: grape.
Friday-Sunday: raspberry cheesecake.
Monday-Tuesday: coffee.

COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDUP

Augustana football (Jett Lamb, Colton Hartford): The Vikings open at home Sept. 4 against Minot State.

USF cross country (Jessica Lutmer): The first meet of the Cougars’ season is the Augustana twilight meet Sept. 3.

SDSU football (Regan Bollweg): The Jackrabbits kick off their season on FS1 at Colorado State Sept. 3.

South Dakota women’s soccer (Joana Zanin, Janina Zanin): The Coyotes’ dual against Texas-Rio Grande Valley was canceled, but USD did beat Northern, 1-0, in double overtime. The only goal was finally scored in the 106th minute as USD outshot NSU by 18-4. Now 1-0, USD goes to Colorado to face Colorado State Thursday, then up to Wyoming Sunday.

Dakota Wesleyan men’s soccer (Cam Ahartz): The Tigers beat Clarke, 3-2, and lost to St. Ambrose, 4-2, in weekend duals at LaCrosse, Wis. Now 1-1, DWU played Bellevue last night, then goes to Nebraska Wesleyan next Wednesday.

NDSU football (Grey Zabel): The Bison open the season at home vs. Albany at 2:30 Sept. 4.

Northern football (Jacob Howard, Joe King): The Wolves’ season opener is at Minnesota State-Mankato Sept. 2.

Dakota State football (Collin Brueggeman, Nathan Cook): The Trojans’ traditional opener vs. DWU is in Mitchell on Midco Sports Network at 7:05 Saturday.

USD volleyball (Brooklyn Bollweg): The Coyotes tip off their season in Colorado this Friday and Saturday against Colorado State, Northwestern and Northern Colorado.

DWU football (Josh Rowse): The Tigers open their season at home Saturday night against Dakota State on Midco Sports Network at 7:05 p.m.

Dakota State volleyball (Nicole Sarringar): The Trojan women go to Kansas this weekend to play Haskell, Panhandle State, Hastings and Kansas Wesleyan.

DWU cross country (Morgan Oedekoven): The Tigers’ first meet is the Augustana twilight meet Sept. 3.

Morningside bowling (Alex Badger): The Mustangs have a slim schedule in the fall. The first tournament will be Oct. 3-4 at the Midwest Collegiate Championships in Wauwatosa, Wis.

St. Joseph’s (Pa.) soccer (John Axtman): The Hawks open their season Thursday against Marist and continue play Sunday against Long Island University.

Northwestern (Iowa) football (Morris Hofer): Ranked #1 in the nation in NAIA football, the Red Raiders should have a soft opener when the play in Aberdeen against Presentation Saturday.

South Dakota Mines football (Matt Heilman): The Hardrockers open tonight (Thursday) at home vs. Missouri S&T.

USD football: The Coyotes have another week until their opener at Kansas Sept. 3.

BHSU football (Josh Breske): Coach Josh’s opener is at home against Dickinson State Sept. 2.

DWU volleyball (Gracie Olivier): The Tigers have rolled to a 5-0 start this season and with five straight 3-0 wins have not yet lost a game. In Kansas DWU beat Bethany, St. Mary’s, Tabor and Friends by 3-0 scores, and Tuesday the Tigers scored another sweep at Presentation by the same score. DWU is off until next Tuesday at Dakota State.

WORDS OF WISDOM

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “Happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand me. Don’t underestimate the importance of happiness. As long as you’re happy, who cares what you do.
— John Lennon

COUNTDOWN

1 day: Pierre football opener (Aug. 27).
1 day: Pierre Invitational cross country meet (Aug. 27).
7 days: State Fair, Huron (Sept. 2-6).
11 days: Labor Day (Sept. 6).
14 days: NFL season opener, Dallas at Tampa Bay (Sept. 9).
15 days: S.D. Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, Chamberlain (Sept. 10).
17 days: Minnesota Vikings season opener at Cincinnati (Sept. 12).
22 days: Sanford International golf tournament, Sioux Falls (Sept. 17-19).
23 days: Homecoming at Northwestern (Iowa) (Sept. 18).
24 days: Emmy awards, CBS-TV (Sept. 19).
28 days: Custer State Park buffalo roundup arts festival (Sept. 23-25).
29 days: Custer State Park buffalo roundup (Sept. 24).
30 days: “M” Day at School of Mines (Sept. 25).
30 days: Blue & White Day at DWU (Sept. 25).
30 days: Swarm Day at BHSU (Sept. 25).
30 days: Homecoming at U. of Minnesota (Sept. 25).
30 days: Trojan Day at DSU (Sept. 25).
31 days: Crazy Horse Memorial fall volksmarch (Sept. 26).
31 days: Tony awards, CBS-TV (Sept. 26).
32 days: Riggs High homecoming coronation (Sept. 27).
35 days: Riggs High homecoming parade (Sept. 30).
36 days: S.D. Festival of Books, Deadwood (Oct. 1-3).
36 days: Riggs High homecoming day (Oct. 1).
37 days: Dakota Day at USD (Oct. 2).
37 days: Homecoming at U. of Nebraska (Oct. 2).
37 days: Gypsy Day at Northern (Oct. 2).
37 days: Cougar Day at USF (Oct. 2).
39 days: State boys golf tournament, Huron (Oct. 4-5).
42 days: State girls tennis tournament, Sioux Falls (Oct. 7-9).
44 days: Viking Day at Augustana (Oct. 9).
44 days: Homecoming at U. Mary (Oct. 9).
49 days: Riggs High play (Oct. 14-15-16).
50 days: Minnesota Wild season opener (Oct. 15).
51 days: State soccer championships, Sioux Falls (Oct. 16).
53 days: Riggs High choir concert (Oct. 18).
54 days: Georgia Morse Middle School band/choir concert (Oct. 19).
56 days: Riggs High band concert (Oct. 21).
57 days: Pierre Players’ “A Little Piece of Heaven” (Oct. 22-24, 28-30).
57 days: Rapid City Rush season openers (Oct. 22-23).
58 days: Hobo Day at SDSU (Oct. 23).
58 days: State cross country meet Sioux Falls (Oct. 23).
58 days: State cheer/dance tournament, Brandon (Oct. 23).
65 days: All-State Chorus/Orchestra concert, Rapid City (Oct. 30).

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Here in South Dakota where we’re “open” and “free” to do as we please, there were 455 new COVID cases reported yesterday alone in the Department of Health’s daily report. There are now 3,416 active cases in the state, and there are 80 reported Delta Variant cases in the state. Forty-four counties out of the state’s 66 are listed as having “high” community spread.

Some of the past week’s developments:

• At Pierre Indian Learning Center masks are required at all times, and students must quarantine for two weeks before even coming to Pierre.
• The Pfizer’s vaccine has become the first vaccine to earn FDA full approval. There goes one more excuse not to be vaccinated!
• The Pentagon, where the Department of Defense is housed, is requiring vaccinations for all military personnel worldwide, including National Guardsmen in individual states. There’s no word yet on what Republican governors think of that mandate.
• In Denver the public schools started Monday, and everyone is masked, whether vaccinated or not.
• In New York City all education staff, including teachers and administrators, have to be vaccinated by Sept. 27 or submit to weekly testing. This ruling affects 148,000 school district employees.
• School boards in 10 of Florida’s largest school districts are defying Governor DeSantis by requiring masks of all students unless they have notes from their doctors. The Florida Board of Education told defying districts that they will lose at least some of their state funding if they fail to provide parents with a way to opt out of a mask requirement.
• Governor Inslee of Washington required vaccinations for all teachers and school staffs in all of the state’s districts.
• Meanwhile, at Washington State University the football coach, who did not want to get a vaccination, may relent. He is the highest-paid employee on the state payroll, and the governor had mandated that all state employees get vaccinations to keep their jobs.
• The University of Virginia disenrolled 238 students for failing to show proof of vaccination or failing to file an exemption. Meanwhile, at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, the school will fine students weekly for failing to submit a vaccination status report, and those who don’t fulfill the vaccination requirement will lose Wi-Fi access.
• Ohio State University, one of the largest schools in the nation, is requiring that all students and employees be vaccinated.
• At the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, masks are now required in all indoor settings there—restrooms, elevators, clubs, hallways, stores—in order for the Cubs to abide by the city-wide mandate on masks.
• The Todd County School District school board at Mission, S.D., pushed back the first day of school in all 12 of its schools to Sept. 14 due to the Rosebud Fair Aug. 29-30 and the threat of its being a super-spreader event.
• A pair of conservative Republican legislators in South Dakota—Rep. Scott Odenbach of Spearfish and Rep. Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids—are urging a legislative ban on vaccine mandates which would prevent business, health organizations, schools and everyone else from requiring vaccinations. So far at least, Governor Noem has not favored such a law. Being as power-drunk as they are, the Republicans now have yet another legislator—this time the Speaker of the House, Rep. Spencer Gosch of Glenham—say he has his own mask mandate ban law and would favor a special session of the Legislature to enact such a measure.
• In Montana as of this past spring there is a law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that no business can enact a vaccination requirement as a condition of employment because, they say, it is “discrimination” and a violation of the state’s human rights laws. Physicians in Montana are calling for the Legislature to reverse the law, but what do doctors know!
• The Texas Education Agency reversed its public health guideline. School districts must now notify teachers, staff and families of all students of any positive COVID-19 case in a classroom or extra-curricular activity or after-school program.
• The lieutenant governor of Texas, Dan Patrick (you can guess which political party he represents!), said on CNN that the surge of COVID cases in Texas is attributed to Blacks who are not vaccinated. That excuse probably wouldn’t work in South Dakota. There are all those “rapists” crossing the border 1,500 miles away from us, however.
• Hundreds of Penn State University faculty members taught by Zoom Monday and Tuesday rather than in in-person classes in protest of the lack of a vaccination mandate on their campus.
• The University of Minnesota will require vaccinations of all persons on all of its campuses, including the U. of M./Twin Cities, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota-Crookston, Minnesota-Morris and the Rochester campus. Several private colleges in Minnesota have a similar requirement, including Hamline, St. Thomas, St. John’s and St. Benedict.
• The state of Louisiana reported 139 new deaths Tuesday, the most in a single day since the pandemic began. Meanwhile at LSU, where football is king, the school announced that vaccination proof or a negative COVID test proof will be required of anyone attending a football game there this season.
• The Seattle Mariners are requiring masks at all indoor portions of T-Mobile Park, such as restrooms, eating areas, concourses and hallways, regardless of fans’ vaccination status.
• The Big 10 Conference has made it a clean sweep. All five “power conferences” now say that, if a football team gets itself bogged down with COVID infections, that’s too bad. You will forfeit the games you cannot play. So, football players, it’s up to you to put your team first and be careful what you do, where you do it and with whom you do it.
• New Jersey is requiring shots for all teachers and state employees, or they will have to take regular COVID tests.
• The number of active COVID cases in Meade County, where Sturgis and its motorcycle rally are located, went from 24 on Aug. 4 to 235 on Aug. 23. . On Tuesday of this week the state’s Department of Health daily virus report revealed 785 new positive tests, of which 193 were in Pennington County (Rapid City). The 737 active cases in that county accounted for the highest number there in any one day since Jan. 7. Alarmingly, 142 of the state’s new cases are in children 19 and younger.
• A member of the Slipknot band which performed a concert at the Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis motorcycle rally has been battling COVID-19 (“the sickest I’ve ever been,” he said). Earlier two members of the Britnee Kellogg band, which did four shows at Sturgis, had tested positive for COVID-19. This is probably surprising news to some people.
• The state Department of Health gave the Rapid City school district free tests to use in the district. The majority of the conservative school board, whose chairman famously has repeated that the district is not responsible for students’ health, was going to prohibit the district staff from using the free tests. After vigorous objection by one board member, the majority relented and left the tests in the back-to-school plan that was adopted.
• The same Rapid City school board did change the wearing of masks to be “voluntary” rather than “recommended.” Of the five board members who voted for the new policy, only one has children currently enrolled full-time in district schools.
• Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky said sending unvaccinated kids to school without masks is “like holding the world’s largest chickenpox party,” except, instead of chickenpox, this virus was the third-leading cause of death last year. He had issued a statewide mask mandate earlier, and he is now being sued by a group of parents from a Catholic school. Meanwhile, Governor Beshear has deployed his state’s National Guard, not to somebody else’s state but to his own to help overwhelmed hospitals deal with the surging COVID patient load.
• The largest employer in all of West Virginia—the West Virginia University Health System— will require all employees to be vaccinated.
• If you were to believe everything you hear at a Rapid City school board meeting, you now know that hand sanitizers contain cancer-causing agents. I guess you probably shouldn’t drink that stuff.
• The Brookings city council, which bravely kept its city much safer than others in this state during the first months of the pandemic despite vigorous opposition from many of its citizens, passed a resolution this week recommending masks be worn indoors.
• Delta Air Lines will begin unvaccinated employees $200 per month for the financial risk they are creating for the company by remaining unvaccinated.

SOCCER UPDATE

Minnesota United FC: The Loons tied Sporting Kansas City, 0-0, last weekend. Minnesota goes to Houston for a 7:30 match Saturday.

GOLF UPDATE

PGA Champions Tour (Tom Byrum): At the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash., Tom tied for 49th placer, shooting 69-72-74=215, one under par, and earned $6,300. This weekend the tour goes to Grand Blanc, Mich., for the Ally Challenge tournament Friday through Sunday.

WEDDING DAYS

Sept. 10: Kyle Kurth/Amanda Hossle.
Sept. 25: Nick Jung/Natalie Nagle.
Oct. 2: Jordan Lamb/Abbey Fjeldheim.

FOOTBALL UPDATE

NFL live games on TV this weekend:
— Friday, 7 p.m.: Minnesota at Kansas City, NFL Network.
— Saturday, noon: Green Bay at Buffalo, NFL Network.
— Saturday, 6 p.m.: Chicago at Tennessee, NFL Network.
— Saturday, 9 p.m.: Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle, NFL Network.
— Sunday, noon: Jacksonville at Dallas, NFL Network.
— Sunday, 3 p.m.: Miami at Cincinnati, CBS.
— Sunday, 3 p.m.: Las Vegas at San Francisco, NFL Network.
— Sunday, 6 p.m.: New England at New York Giants, NFL Network.
— Sunday, 7 p.m.: Cleveland at Atlanta, NBC.

Midco Sports Network live games this weekend:
— Thursday, 7 p.m.: High school football, Mandan vs. Bismarck.
— Friday, 6 p.m.: High school football, Sioux Falls Washington vs. Sioux Falls Jefferson.
— Saturday, 7 p.m.: College football, Dakota State at Dakota Wesleyan.

Sioux Falls Storm: It was win or else for the Storm in their last regular-season game, and they won, 58-33, over Green Bay to clinch a playoff spot. As the #8 seed, Sioux Falls goes to #1 Arizona Saturday night at 5:05 p.m. in the first round of the IFL playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings: A touchdown and a field goal weren’t enough to offset four Indianapolis field goals in a 12-10 loss to the Colts. Now 0-2 in the preseason, Minnesota finishes the preseason at Kansas City at 7 p.m. Saturday on KSFY-TV and the NFL Network.

HOCKEY UPDATE

Badlands Sabres: There is a new hockey team for South Dakotans to cheer for—the Badlands Sabres of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The Sabres take the place of Missoula, Mont., in their division where the other cities are Gillette, Sheridan and Yellowstone (Cody) in Wyoming and Bozeman, Great Falls, Butte and Helena in Montana. The Sabres, whose home will be the Roosevelt Park Ice Arena in Rapid City, will open their season at Gillette Sept. 10, then host Gillette Sept. 11 and Sheridan Sept. 17-18.

BASEBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Twins schedule:
— Thursday: at Boston, 6:10 p.m. (BSN)
— Friday: Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m. (BSN, MLBN)
— Saturday: Milwaukee, 6:10 p.m. (BSN)
— Sunday: Milwaukee, 1:10 p.m. (BSN)
— Monday: at Detroit, 1:10 p.m. (BSN, MLBN)
— Tuesday: Chicago Cubs, 7:10 p.m. (BSN)
— Wednesday: Chicago Cubs, 7:10 p.m. (BSN)

SUNDAYS AT THE LEGION SCHEDULE

The summer is winding down, but there will be music on the deck at the American Legion cabin Sunday at 5:30, this week featuring the Hidden Timber Band.

PARKER’S PERSONAL NOTES

• If you’re a fan of Broadway musicals, set your TV to record “‘Wicked’ in Concert,” a concert version of the music from the ground-breaking musical, “Wicked.” The two-hour special at 8 p.m. CDT this Sunday, Aug. 29, will be hosted by two of the stars of the original Broadway cast, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
• You’re going to read this a lot between now and next June, so get used to it. Vote “no” on Amendment C on primary election day next June 7. The Republican Legislature scheduled this vote for the primaries instead of the general election because they assume the vote will be light and that Democrats and independents will likely not have races to vote upon and thus will skip going to the polls. Republicans will have primary races for at least a couple high-profile races, and people of that party may “fall in line” with their party leadership and pass this amendment, which would require a 60% majority, instead of a simple majority, when we vote on ballot measures. The leadership wants this 60% majority law in place for the November 2022 general election when Medicaid expansion, something the Republicans don’t want, will likely be on everyone’s ballots. They want it to be as difficult as possible for the measure to pass. So keep it in mind for the next nine months: Vote ‘No’ on C in June.
• With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks just three weeks away, you can expect a plethora of TV specials recalling and discussing the events of that tragic day in 2001. One of the programs that is sure to be well done starts on National Geographic Channel this Sunday night at 8 p.m. CDT, and by the time it concludes on Wednesday the program will have occupied seven hours over four consecutive evenings. “9/11: One Day in America” will show that day through the eyes of those who lived it,” and editors perused 1,000 hours of footage to compile the seven hours of this program.
• My son Ryan, who moved to Pittsburgh from Tucson last spring, has an apartment on the north side of the city where PNC Park, home of the Pirates, can be seen from his place. Thus he has been to several games this summer, 14 of them in fact, and the lowly Pirates, one of the very worst teams in baseball, have a winning 8-6 record with Ryan in the stands.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Everyone has a right to make their own decisions regarding their health and their body until a decision as to yourself impacts negatively many others. We have to check ‘I’ at the door and go forward with “we.”
— Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, Aug. 26:
Hannah Reiprich, Jensen Kusser, Scott Hipple, Liz (Winter) Marso, Mick Dooley, Barb Bjorneberg, Pat Clark, Ursula Waack, Johnathon Mhlhaff, Braeden Bruning, Trestin Johnson, Landry Blake, Hope (Hoover) Brenny, Jamie (Dykstra) Fitzke, Chad Grunewaldt.
— 10th anniversary, Chad/Emily (Currey) Kiel.
— Anniversary, Chris/Beth (Weischedel) Henrichsen.
— 43rd anniversary, Kevin/Connie Tveidt.
— 4th anniversary, Taylor/Angie (Kemnitz) Owens.
— 4th anniversary, Jerry/Darcie (Mennenga) Tveidt.

Friday, Aug. 27:
Thomas Simon, Nicole Stengle, Kodi Jo Spaid, Kirstyn Larsen, Lauren Bauer, Amber (Osnes) Antholz, Joe Dravland, Alison Weyer, Ainsley Ries, Cameron Villa, Megan Robertson.
— 5th anniversary, Mike/Jenna Zellmer.
— 10th anniversary, Jason/Sarah (Linn) Hyde.
— 10th anniversary, Brandon/Sasha (Yackley) Bertsche.
— 16th anniversary, Levi/Crystal (Fosheim) Neuharth.
— 10th anniversary, Scott/Debbie (Wagoner) Mees.
— 10th anniversary, Joel/Anne (Rounds) Harrington.
— 28th anniversary, Joe/Stephanie (Colwill) Harmon.

Saturday, Aug. 28:
Pierce Danforth, Anita Zastrow, Brylon Beck, Mike Mehlhaff, Whitney (Stoeser) Schnabel.
— 11th anniversary, Shawn/Kristy (Sobolik) Luskey.
— 17th anniversary, Aaron/Carisa (Rathbun) Marshall.
— 17th anniversary, Andrew/Kayla (Johnson) Koob.
— 5th anniversary, Charles/Cleo (Hilding) Berg.

Sunday, Aug. 29:
Jared Neilan, Elin Johnson, Lisa Kohler, Carolyn Fouts, Dalton Carroll, Dan Nielsen, Stella Thier, Zach Merwin, Lincoln Boer, Jocelyn Olson.
— 6th anniversary, Cliff/Kristin (Gilbertson) Curry.
— 6th anniversary, Drew/Pam Garry.
— 12th anniversary, Abe/Kate Storms.
— 6th anniversary, Clayton/Kacie (Cross) Etzkorn.
— 12th anniversary, Eric/Niki (Fergen) Rodawig.
— 52nd anniversary, John/Sylvia Moisan.

Monday, Aug. 30:
Amanda Tinker, William Maier, Chris Johnson, Barry Johnson, Henry Runyan, Addison Sarvis, Lindy (Bouchie) Geraets, Michelle (Koehn) Fox, Nathan Vetter, Audra Sarvis, Laura White, Morgan Finley.
— 19th anniversary, Cody/Aimee (Stoeser) Nickolas.
— 18th anniversary, Kyle/Heather (Smith) Englehart.
— 7th anniversary, Kip/Kelsey (Ahlers) Rounds.
— 52nd anniversary, Randy/Alice Wright.

Tuesday, Aug. 31:
Hank Hoffman, Cecelia Hight, Joliz (Schaefer) Beskow, Heather (Knox) Sazama, Thelma King, Chloe Harder, Holly Knox.
— 2nd anniversary Cody/Bailey (Bradford) Nelson.
— 8th anniversary, Mark/Sarah (Zinter) Detwiler.
— 2nd anniversary, Tom/Parker Johnson.
— 8th anniversary, Peter/Serena (Norman) Townsend.
— 9th anniversary, Todd/Julia (Weisgram) Lintner.
— 47th anniversary, Blake/Cathy Barringer.
— 19th anniversary, Bradley/Amy (Klein) Gruba.
— 48th anniversary Gary/Judy (Sonnenschein) Larson.
— 19th anniversary, Jared/Krystl (Anderson) Vermundson.

Wednesday, Sept. 1:
Lauren (Gilsrud) Thayer, Josh Baldwin, Brett Ripley, Taylor Mickelson, Janet (Ellis) Leidle, Jess Ellingson, Trace Beck, Katie Nold, Tarina (Zebroski) Kopren, Jetta Whitebird, Diane (Lomheim) Schlenker, Megan Stulken.
— 9th anniversary, Kevin/Lauren Hall.
— Anniversary, Nick/Renee Osterkamp.
— 9th anniversary, Brandon/Kia (Otten) Rieger.
— 9th anniversary, Cody/Cassie (Rausch) Stoeser.
— 14th anniversary, Shawn/Tracy Hostler.
— 14th anniversary, Kellen/Angie (Huxford) Pfleger.
We fondly remember Jim Valnes, who passed away two years ago today.

Thursday, Sept. 2:
Shayne McIntosh, Mary Ness, Brian Knadle, Kelly (Lingle) Royer, Rachel (Knutson) Steece, Danielle Peters.
— 4th anniversary, Jayson/Jordyn (Anderson) Herra.
— Anniversary, Andy/Kate (Robertson) Bartel.
— 15th anniversary, Chris/Carrie Rasmussen.
— 4th anniversary, Justin/Lisa (Jenssen) Harmon.
— 15th anniversary, James/Audra (Meyer) Cardwell.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“If we Christians somehow arrive at the conclusion that giving up some personal liberties for the sake of other people’s safety somehow makes us less free, then we have deeply misunderstood the cross.”
— Rev. Ben Cremer, Cathedral of the Rockies, Boise

FOOTBALL CONTEST #2

Last week in Contest #1 for this season, Thomas Voeltz emerged with an 8-2 record for our best score, just earning 10 points in our season-long competition. Our second-best record, worth nine points each, was 7-3 by Randy Pool and Nathan Vetter. At 6-4 for eight points apiece were Mikal Kern, Levi Neuharth, Jason Noyes, Kyle Richards and Jeff Adel.

This week’s games (send your 10 winners to parkerhome16@hotmail.com by Friday afternoon:
(1) Pierre at Harrisburg.
(2) Tea Area at Brookings.
(3) Sully Buttes at Corsica-Stickney.
(4) Sioux Falls Jefferson vs. Sioux Falls Washington.
(5) Madison at Custer.
(6) Mobridge-Pollock at St. Thomas More.
(7) Brandon Valley at Rapid City Stevens.
(8) College: Dakota State at Dakota Wesleyan.
(9) College: Nebraska at Illinois.
(10) College: Hawaii at UCLA.

The 10 games for next week’s Contest #3 will be posted on the Parker Knox page on Facebook by this Sunday evening, so contest participants can enter by “commenting” with their 10 winners on that page. The contest games will also be here in the Midweek Update next Thursday.

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Our sympathy to former Pierre resident Sandy Albertson and her sons. Her husband of 50 years, Warren Albertson, died Aug. 22 after a long illness. Mass of Christian Burial is being celebrated at 10:30 a.m. this (Thursday) morning at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Rapid City. Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday. Warren grew up in North Dakota. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Germany. He was in the Army in 1955-56. After his military service he attended Michigan State University, graduating in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture and urban planning. He worked for the National Park Service out of San Francisco, then worked in Denver as a community planner for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Central Engineering Office. He met the former Sandy Culbertson while in Denver. The Albertsons moved in 1978 to Pierre where Warren worked as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration representative for South Dakota and Nebraska. While in Pierre, Warren was active in the community where he served as president of the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce and the St. Joseph School Board. He was instrumental in the development of the Ramkota RiverCentre. Warren and Sandy also opened the Hickory Loft store in downtown Pierre. Warren retired from the federal government in 1997, and the Albertsons moved to the Black Hills where they have lived in Spearfish, Black Hawk and Rapid City. Warren is survived by his wife, Sandy; his sons, David Bennett of Denver, Keith (Denise) Albertson of Pierre, Bret (Meghann) Albertson of Kirkland, Wash., Kirk Albertson of Pierre, and Jay Albertson of Red Wing, Minn.; five grandchildren; a brother-in-law; three sisters-in-law and many nephews and nieces.

The Sioux Falls Little League baseball team, which won its state and regional tournaments and is playing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., this week, has a definite Pierre connection. One of the players on the team (uniform No. 18) is Boston Bryant, son of Tyler and Megan Bryant. The team defeated Lafayette, La., 2-0, and Lake Oswego, Oregon, 3-0, in its first two World Series games. Yesterday the opponent was another 2-0 team, Torrance, Calif. Sioux Falls scored a run in the first inning, and that was enough for a 1-0 win. Gavin Weir pitched yet another no-hitter, with 14 strikeouts accounting for 14 of the 18 Torrance outs, and Sioux Falls had three hits. Sioux Falls advances to the semifinal round Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on ABC-TV against the winner of tonight’s (Thursday) elimination game between Hamilton, Ohio, and Torrance. Saturday’s semifinal losers will play in the national consolation game Sunday morning, and the two semifinal winners will play for the LLWS championship Sunday afternoon.

After church in Pierre or Fort Pierre this Sunday morning, remember to head for Steamboat Park for an event hosted by Faith Lutheran Church. The Mariachi San Pablo band from El Paso will present a concert at 1 p.m. (Bring your own blankets or chairs to sit on!) First, however, there will be a free Mexican lunch and kids’ games at noon.

Pierre native Kyle Kurth will be married Sept. 10 to Amanda Hossle of Faulkton. Their wedding will take place at the Sylvan Lake Lodge in the Black Hills. Kyle works for Broad Engineering in Pierre while Mandy works for the state Department of Public Safety.

We told you last week that Joie (Schuetzle) Jockheck is leaving teaching and beginning a new job in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her husband, Andy, is taking a new job in the banking industry. He will be branch manager/vice president for Columbia Bank’s branch in nearby Post Falls.

Former Riggs High teacher/coach Shawn Schnabel is beginning his second year as offensive line coach at Missouri Baptist University in suburban St. Louis.

A celebration of the lives of Dennis and Shirley Eisnach, who both passed away in the past year, will be held in Pierre this Saturday. A 5K walk/run will begin at 8 a.m., preceded by registration at 7:30 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce building. A memorial service will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Community Bible Church. Refreshments will be served from noon to 2 p.m. at Steamboat Park with music there provided by the Over Forte Orchestra. In the event of inclement weather, the refreshments and music will take place at the church.

Carv Thompson, a member of the South Dakota Hall of Fame and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in 1972 against Gov. Richard Kneip, died in Omaha Aug. 11 after suffering a heart attack and a stroke a month earlier. A life-long resident of Faith, he took over Thompson Drug in Faith and operated the business for 44 years, expanding to six other northwestern South Dakota towns. Memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Catholic church in Faith at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 28.

Davis Meyer, son of Onida native Charlie Meyer and grandson of Jan Meyer and the late Brian Meyer, an attorney in Pierre and Onida, had a hooding ceremony for his master’s degree in land development and real estate at Denver University. Charlie’s daughter, Alli, is a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Tori Thorpe, after completing her bachelor’s degree at Northern last spring, is back in school this fall, this time going for her physical therapy degree at USD.

Logan Benbow and Mallory Gordon were married Aug. 21. Mallory continues her job at the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce.

LaVonne (Bechard) Anderson, 72, who was born and raised in Pierre, died Aug. 20 at LaVista, Neb. She met and married Dennis Anderson in Pierre in 1970. They and their family lived at Wall for many years until retiring to Rapid City in 2008. She is survived by her husband; brothers David (Judy) Bechard and Roy (Diana) Bechard; two children, Chad (Shawn) Anderson and Shelly (Jeff) Nikodym; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral services are being held at the United Methodist Church in Wall this (Thursday) morning at 10 a.m.

Pierre native Larissa FastHorse, who has become a prominent playwright based in Los Angeles, said this week her theater trips for the rest of August and all of September have all been canceled. “I am grateful to my theater community for putting actual safety above our intense desire to pretend everything is fine. I will gladly be back on Zoom rather than forcing people to feel unsafe for art,” she said.

Joe Wilson, who lives with wife Nikki (Grandpre) and their three kids in Omaha, participated in the 50-Mile March from Lincoln to Omaha last Sunday. The fund-raising event benefits the Moving Veterans Forward and Guitars for Vets Nebraska organizations.

Val (Kunsman) Fairbanks and fellow teachers and students in the Washoe County School District in Reno and Sparks, Nev., had a day off from school Monday in their second week of classes. Smoke from wildfires in nearby northern California forced the district to cancel school due to the hazardous air quality.

Nick and Liz (Winter) Marso revealed on Facebook this week that the baby they are expecting will be a daughter. The Marsos already have a son, Calvin.

Margaret Meierhenry of Sioux Falls, a junior at USD and the daughter of Riggs High alumnus Todd Meierhenry (’79), has been elected to serve as a student representative on the Mortar Board National Council. She will represent nearly 5,000 students in Mortar Board chapters across the nation. She will also have the opportunity to meet distinguished members and alumni, network with other student leaders and professionals and help guide the future of Mortar Board. Margaret on Tuesday was also selected as a member of USD’s elite choir, the Chamber Singers.

PONDER THIS

Education opens our eyes to so many amazing things. It literates us from ignorance and allows us to flourish. He who opens a school door closes a prison.
— Victor Hugo