National Junior Honor Society inductions for Dakota Valley occurred on Tuesday, March 28 in the Performing Arts Center. Students in 8th grade, who became members in 2022, were on-hand to usher in the new inductees from this year’s 7th and 8th grade classes. In order to be eligible for the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) a pupil must have a 3.0 grade point average or higher. Community service work, leadership skills, citizenship and character are other criteria taken into consideration when a student applies for NJHS.

Ella Demers has been named the April 2023 Rotary Club Student of the Month from Bishop Heelan High School. She will be honored during the Rotary Club meeting on Monday, April 10, 12 p.m. at the MidAmerican Energy Community Room.

The Dakota Valley PTO Daddy Daughter dance was held on Saturday, March 25 at the DV elementary school building from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This was the first time the event has been held post-COVID and it was a resounding success. Many attended all dressed-up and it was a fun time for all. The night was a success in large part to the many volunteers who donated items and helped chaperone. Kellie Markve and Emilie Schroeder, both members of the DV PTO, coordinated the event which included slow songs, fast tunes, cotton candy, balloons, plenty of photo opportunities and more.

For faith, family and the drive to help others, Dakota Valley student Tyler Schutte visited West Africa for a memory making trip. It was an experience that showed him first-hand how far kindness can go, especially in a third world country. Schutte travelled to Bamako in Mali, with his parents, Kyle and Stephanie of Dakota Dunes, this past February for 10 days. The trio stayed with the operators of ASEMALI orphanage and provided love and service to those in need.

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March 18-19 marked a new milestone for V.I.P. Gymnastics, Ninja and Cheer as they hosted the state club gymnastics meet. Over a year in the making, the meet was almost cancelled due to weather, equipment delays and scheduling.

St. Thomas More: “This was a back-and-forth, physical game, and our kids came out on the biggest stage and weren’t intimidated in the least. We led from start to finish and played great defense across the board. At the end of the game, we talked about fouling but there were too many scenarios that could allow them to win instead of just tie, so we played it out. Hollenbeck is a great player and made a great shot to tie the game. However, our guys didn’t panic and went out and executed on the final play to hit what turned out to be probably the most memorable shot of the tournament. Devon Schmitz played great and set the school record for most made 3’s in a game without a miss, going 6/6 from deep. Evan, Easton, Alex and Garrett really played well for us too and helped us maintain the lead the entire game. Overall, we didn’t play great offensively but we found a way to battle through the most physical game in the state tournament and come out with a win. For this being the first time, these guys have been in that atmosphere in basketball, we were extremely proud of them for their execution, grit, determination and overall success.”

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Jon Hauger of Dakota Dunes has been named to Barron’s magazine’s 2023 list of Top 1,200 Financial Advisors. He ranked No. 6 in South Dakota. Hauger has served area investors for the past 23 years. He is one of 11 Edward Jones financial advisors to be named to the 2023 Top 1,200 ranking, which is published in the March 13 issue of Barron’s.

Three bridge replacement contract agreements and corresponding documents were approved at the Union County Board of County Commission meeting March 21. Union County Highway Executive Secretary Cristy Harkness was present to go over several items in relation to the highway department.

The Dakota Valley high school band brought home amazing ratings at this year’s instrumental music contest on March 1. Band students spent the entire school day at Lennox High School in order to compete in the solo and ensemble competitions under the direction of Mr. Daryl Jessen.