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 Dakota Valley Youth Internship Showcase was held in the high school theater on Friday, December 19, 2025, The event took place in the late morning, prior to the school’s early dismissal for winter break. Panther juniors and seniors took over the space with posters and displays for all to see. The students answered questions about their first semester internships, while showcasing all that they learned throughout the process.

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.

The North Sioux City Commission ad‑vanced major infrastructure work, approved several development agreements and set publication dates for a commission vacancy notice during a wide‑ranging Dec. 15 meet‑ing that closed out the city’s regular busi‑ness for 2025.

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Robert Lawrence remembers the war not only for the battles he survived, but for the stories he wasn’t allowed to tell. Now living in McCook Lake, the former Army broadcaster has published Good Night, Vietnam, a memoir that confronts censorship, deception and the personal toll of America’s most divisive war.

The Dakota Valley School District Board of Education met Dec. 8, moving through routine business while fielding commu‑nity input on athletics and ap‑proving an emergency repair to the middle school water line.

Holiday cheer could be heard from Elk Point-Jefferson as middle schoolers performed for the winter music concert on Monday, December 8, 2025. The program began with vocals as EPJ choir members, in grades 6th-8th, performed under the direction of Katelyn Brunick.

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.

The Union County Board of Commissioners met Dec. 9 at the court‑house, working through a wide agenda that ranged from facility upgrades and highway easements to tax abatements and budget adjustments.