The Union County Commission opened the new year Tuesday with a full reorganization session, approving 2026 salaries, confirming dozens of annual appointments and setting polling places for the upcoming election cycle during a wide‑ranging meeting at the courthouse. Commissioners Kevin Joffer, Mike Dailey, Bob Ballard, Tom Kimmel and Peg Ustad were present for the 8:30 a.m. meeting.

Dakota Valley hosted a quo‑rum on December 18, 2025 to talk about Governor Larry Rhoden’s annual state budget address. The South Dakota governor delivered his budget statements on December 2, 2025. Panther superintendent Garrett Schmidt was on-hand along with DV school board member Matt Thompson.

The Union County Commission moved through year‑end business Tuesday, approving contingency transfers, contracts and project actions during its Dec. 23 regular meeting at the courthouse.

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Closing out December was the 2025 Homestead Holidays at Adams Home‑stead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, South Dakota. Staff, volunteers and Park Manager Jody Moats worked hard to light up the natural beauty of the state park in festive flair for all to enjoy.

Dakota State University student Sydney Bousquet is student teaching fifth grade for the spring semester in the Elk Point Jefferson School District. Bousquet is an elementary education and major from Elk Point, South Dakota.

The year 2025 was closed out by the Board of Supervisors for the Dako‑ta Dunes Community Im‑provement District (CID) with regular meetings held in mid-November and mid-December. Those present for the November 17, 2025 meeting were: Scott Wetz, Ken Beaulieu, Janet Finzen. William Shorma was absent and Julie Shanafelt attended virtually. Larry Wiese and Dalton Hanson, both Dakota Dunes residents, were on hand along with CID attorney Darrell Jesse, CID Manager An‑drew Tramp and Finance Officer Katelyn Irby. Kim Leif, Dakota Dunes Com‑munity Association Man‑ager, was also present at the November meeting.

Customers at Jones’ Food Center raised nearly $1,900 for the Elk Point Food Pantry in November by round‑ing up their purchases at the register. The store matched the total with $1,000, and First Dakota Bank contrib‑uted another $1,000, bringing the combined donation to $3,892.

The Elk Point City Council approved a supplemental appro‑priations ordinance, advanced a series of major fund transfers and authorized 2026 employee raises during its Dec. 15 meeting, which also included action on a survey plat and several year‑end financial adjustments.

South Dakota’s state oral interpretation festival, for high schoolers, was held on December 5-6, 2025. The event took place in Watertown and Elk Point-Jefferson was represented at state by Carter Heckathorn, Austin Clercx, Jaxon Vande Vegte, Lexi McDermott and Stella Bonnema. All of these pupils punched their tickets to state after qualifying at regionals in November.