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.

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.

The North Sioux City Planning Commission recommended updates to the city’s commercial and industrial zoning regulations and approved a conditional use permit for a new car wash during its Aug. 12 meeting.

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.

South Dakota’s new‑est historical marker was dedicated Aug. 8 at Elmwood Cemetery in rural Elk Point, where about 60 people gath‑ered for a ceremony that also rededicated the historic burial grounds.

The July meeting for the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement District (CID) was held on the 20th of the month, at 6:00 pm, at 335 Sioux Point Road. Members present included Ken Beau‑lieu, William Shorma, Dal‑ton Hanson, Janet Finzen and Brian Goeden. Also on-hand were: Larry Wi‑ese, Boyd Allison, Wayne Bradsha, manager An‑drew Tramp, legal counsel Darrell Jesse and CID em‑ployee Katelyn Irby. It was noted that Goeden left the meeting at 7:48 pm.

The Panthers represent‑ed well at the Best Buddies leadership conference, on the campus of Indiana Uni‑versity, on July 17-19, 2026. Dakota Valley (DV) teacher and Best Buddies advisor Madison Kenney accompa‑nied six students from DV as they attended education‑al sessions and met peers from across the country. Students at the conference included: India Orr, Emily Olhausen, Payten Kono‑pasek, Tyce Emrich, Ian Weber and Logan Brandon.

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