South Dakotans depend on their local community newspaper to keep them informed and connected. Who are the people who read South Dakota newspapers? Every month, 574,000 consumers – or 83 percent of South Dakota adults – read the local newspaper in print or online.

Few if any people in South Dakota will argue that the state’s vaunted pheasant hunting industry in 2022 is as strong as in the past. Compared to prior decades, the slow and steady declines are apparent in both license sales and bird numbers and, to some extent, how out-of-state visitors who pump millions into the East River economy plan their trips.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners held their last meeting of 2022 on Dec. 27. To end the year, the commissioners conducted final transfers of money to balance funds. These included: Courts – $3,150; Public Building – $101,600; Fair – $188,500; Rural Fire – $340; and Domestic Abuse – $1,485 for a total of $295,075.

Braden Evans, an 18-yearold Elk Point-Jefferson senior, was offered a chance to gain some real life, hands-on experience through a program at school while gaining school credit. Evans learned about the program through a friend that participated in the program in 2021.

Dolores J. Hofland died Dec. 21, 2022 at Mercy Medical in Sioux City at the age of 92. Visitation will be held Dec. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Kober Funeral Home. Services will be held Dec. 30 at 10:30 a.m. at Kober Funeral Home with Noah Ruppert officiating. Burial will be at St. Paul Cemetery in Elk Point SD.

The Jolley Historic District in Vermillion has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the official federal list of properties identified as important to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture.

Another once in a lifetime experience is gracing the students of Elk Point-Jefferson. This year, the high school marching band gets to participate in the ReliaQuest Bowl halftime show along with eight other schools.

At the special meeting for the Elk Point-Jefferson School District Dec. 19, the board appointed Superintendent Phililp Schonebaum as a bidding representative.

Dakota Dunes/North Sioux City Times and Southern Union County Leader-Courier have updated our email address. For anyone trying to send emails to any of our “iw.net” addresses, they will come back as undeliverable.

Governor Kristi Noem appointed Melissa Magstadt as Secretar y of the South Dakota Department of Health. Magstadt’s appointment was effective on Dec.