By Beth Hutcheson times1reporter@gmail.com The VFW Post 915, Auxiliary and American Legion Post 134 will be hosting Memorial Day services Monday, May 29. Services will be held in Jefferson at 8:30 a.m. and Elk Point at 10:30 a.m.

The staff of the Dakota Dunes/North Sioux City Times and the Southern Union County Leader-Courier were recently presented with awards from the 2022 South Dakota Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented at the 2023 convention held in May.

The Bishop Heelan High School band was invited to perform at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in December. Forty high schools across the country were selected to perform at the game.

At a prior meeting, the Union County Board of County Commissioners were informed the current communications tower couldn’t be relocated and would have to be replaced. At their meeting May 16, the commissioners heard the estimate for building a new tower at a different location on the courthouse property.

American Legion Post 319 will conduct its Memorial Day Services May 30 at McCook Cemetery and Civil Bend Cemetery. Post members will be at McCook Cemetery at 10 a.m. and Civil Bend Cemetery at 11 a.m.

Liane Welte, North Sioux City Community Library Librarian, announced this summer’s reading program at the North Sioux City City Council Meeting May 15. All Together Now is this year’s theme and promotes Community Unity. A planned event to kick off summer reading is going to be held June 6 at the library.

For the last 25 years, the Rabbitt family has been taking care of families across the nation and improving the sight of many within the North Sioux City community. Rabbitt Family Vision Center, currently located at 100 River Drive, began their business as Outpost Optical in February 1998.

The 2023 Dakota Valley Seniors graduated May 13 in the Dakota Valley High School Gymnasium. With the gym full of friends and family, the seniors walked to their seats to “Pomp and Circumstance” by Elgar, performed by the Brass Ensemble.

A New York City Fire Department based program was present at the North Sioux City Fire Department (NSCFD) on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6 to provide area firefighters with new and different techniques on aerial devices (ladder trucks).

South Dakota senior citizens and citizens with disabilities have until July 1 to apply for sales or property tax refunds under South Dakota’s Tax Refund Program. Under the program, certain individuals are able to receive a portion of the sales or property taxes they paid from the previous year if they meet the eligibility requirements.