By Lexie Smith

Bennett County Future Farmers of America (FFA) members attended their first FFA State Convention in Brookings, S.D., April 7-9. It was the 91st South Dakota FFA Convention. In attendance from Bennett County was Laney Fanning, Tim Fanning, Frank Huber, and Ridge Ward. 

Tim, Frank, and Ridge competed in the Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE), and Laney competed…

Read more: BCHS FFA members attend State Convention in Brookings

Story submitted

Angie McDonnell, of Martin,  was inducted into the Black Hills State University Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society for Collegiate Schools of Business, on April 9, 2019.

To be accepted at the undergraduate level, Angie had to be in the top ten percent of her class.

Angie is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications degree with…

Read more: McDonnell inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society

By Marj Frew

Since 1999 Vickie VanderMay has been piecing together Badlands Quilting, row by row, to create her downtown Martin business. While visiting with Vickie about the history of the business, she quickly pointed out that many local people helped grow the business to what it is today.

“From the Kadoka region, through Long Valley, to the Martin area, I have a long list of people, who from…

Read more: Badlands Quilting grows from rural home to busy downtown business

Pictured above are the 2019 American Legion Boys and Girls State delegates. Pictured left to right is Weston Ireland, Lily Alexander, Gage Jager, Katie McDonnell, and Frank Huber. Boys State will be held May 27 - 31, 2019, at the Northern State University campus in Aberdeen. Girls State will be held May 27 - June 1, 2019, at the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion.

Read more: Legion Boys and Girls State delegates

By Marj Oleske

Bennett County Emergency Manager Jeff Siscoe reminds local residents that damage to their homes or businesses due to flooding, whether from snow melt, water damage, or river flooding, should be reported to his office.

The information will be used in conjunction with federal disaster claims. 

Residents are asked to contact Siscoe at 685-6991, or at the Assessor’s Office at the…

Read more: Reporting flood damage to homes

Read more: King Tee Allen & Queen Keisha Rayhill

By Mary C. Hunt

Winter storm Ulmer may be over but its impact is still being felt across Bennett County and throughout the region.

“We believe all rural roads in general are impacted by at least snow-melt water. In some places there are two to three feet of water standing on it for quarter mile stretches. The water isn’t moving but standing water from runoff,” stated Jeff Siscoe, Bennett County…

Read more: Bennett County flooding: all county roads impacted

By Mary C. Hunt

It’s got a name — Ulmer.

The blizzard of 2019, Ulmer, packed a mighty wallop, hitting South Dakota with hurricane force winds, flooding and heavy snowfall. With no official snowfall depth numbers for Bennett County from the National Weather Service, it is hard to say how much snow the county received. However, NWS reports Kadoka received 18.3 inches, Interior received 18, Okreek…

Read more: Ulmer wallops the Great Plains

By Taylor Risse

At the March 6, 2019, meeting of the Bennett County Commissioners a motion was made to hire Terry Smokov as highway superintendant at $45,000 a year plus benefits with a six month probation, following executive session. Smokov accepted the offer and started on Thursday, March 7. The board asked Smokov to come to each meeting and give an update on what’s going on. 

Craig…

Read more: Commissioners hire Smokov as Highway Superintendant