Under new ownership, the Jefferson Conoco Pit Stop is expanding its inventory, extending daily operating hours and introducing a new on-site dining option for local residents and interstate travelers. The travel plaza recently secured its municipal liquor license and began stocking full inventory across the previously empty shelves. To better serve evening travelers and local convenience needs, the station extended its daily hours, remaining open seven days a week until 11 p.m.

North Sioux City commissioners on Monday received updates on federal grant requirements, flood recovery construction and several zoning matters during their Aug. 17 regular meeting.

Elk Point‑Jefferson has added Lilly Mockler to its elementary staff for the 2026‑27 school year. Mockler, a Vermillion native and recent SDSU graduate, is teaching second grade and settling into her first full‑time classroom. Below is a look at her background and interests.

Union County commissioners on Tuesday reviewed upcoming courthouse construction work, discussed needs at the temporary Turner Building office site and approved several financial actions during their Aug. 18 meeting in Elk Point.

Transportation at Dakota Valley (DV) has a new look for the 2026/27 school year. Foreman Sales and Service will now be in charge of bus routes and activity transport for the Panthers. Many have noticed the sleek yellow school buses driving through the neighborhoods of North Sioux City, Dakota Dunes and Wynstone since school began on August 18, 2026.

Some called it a blessing and others declared it a miracle. Both descriptions ap‑pear to be correct when it comes to the “Grass‑hopper Crosses” of Jef‑ferson, South Dakota. It was in the late 1800s that three crosses were erected in the small town within Union County. This was done in an effort to combat the devastating lo‑cust outbreak. A plea for divine intervention worked and the cross‑es still stand today. Therefore, an excit‑ing community event is planned for Sunday, September 13, 2026. It includes a pilgrimage walk, mass service plus a potluck meal to honor the cross’s 150th anni‑versary.

The South Dakota Association of Middle Level Edu‑cation (SDAMLE) awarded Elk Point-Jefferson’s Cas‑sandra Schmith with the Emerging Educator Award on July 27, 2026. The announcement came at this year’s SDAMLE conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Area residents and four-legged companions gathered Wednesday, Aug. 12, to celebrate the grand opening and official naming of North Sioux City’s new dog park during a summer ice cream social hosted by the North Sioux City Parks and Recreation Board.

With the start of the school year approaching, the Elk Point-Jefferson School Board locked in coaching positions, raised adult meal prices and reviewed facility up‑dates during its Aug. 10 meeting.