Applications are open for the 2025-2026 academic year for scholarships Horizon Health made available through a partnership with the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. Full-ride scholarships are provided to successful candidates by the Build Dakota Scholarship Program.

The Panther elementary school building was rockin’ on Thursday, January 30, 2025 in the most literal sense. It was STEM night and this year’s theme revolved around gems, rocks, minerals and stones. The acronym STEM stands for: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And from 5 pm to 7 pm, Dakota Valley families were encouraged to stop by the elementary school and have fun with STEM learning in regards to minerals, gemstones, paleontology and more.

The Panther speech and debate team was at Sioux Falls Lincoln High School on January 17-18, 2025 for the Silver Bowl Tournament. Dakota Valley students competed in speech and public forum events, as well as in the category of Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Panther one-act students traveled to Vermillion, South Dakota on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 after weeks of rehearsals and two home stage performances for the Region 1A 2024-25 One-Act Play Festival. The event took place at Vermillion High School.

Several talented Panther vocalists, in grades 4th-6th, were recently selected to represent Dakota Valley at Regional Festival Choir for 2025. These musically inclined students will participate in a day of rehearsals and a performance on Monday, March 3, 2025. The event is set to be hosted by Dakota Valley.

The Siouxland YMCA is excited to announce a new partnership with the Elk Point-Jefferson School District to bring Y Club After-School Care to families in the community. Beginning in March, Y Club will offer safe, structured, and enriching after-school programming at 402 S. Douglas St, Elk Point, SD, 57025.

The Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicle Division will launch a new title and registration system, 605Drive, on February 17, 2025. Training for the new system began on December 9, 2024, with basic trainings for county and internal users.

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The Elk Point Community Ambulance Board celebrated one of their own recently as they recognized Joann (Staum) Vinzant for her 35 years of service. A native of Elk Point, Vinzant joined the town’s ambulance team in the 1980s as an emergency medical technician (EMT). She later became a valued board member.