News

Billie Sutton’s pro-rodeo career was cut short due to a tragic back injury. He was just 23 and he would never walk again.

I attended the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) June 11-15 in our nation’s capital. This program is put on by the National FFA Organization each summer with the goal of developing leadership skills and creating change makers.

Seven-year-old Levi Yoder of the local Amish community was killed in a tragic accident on June 27, 2024. The family has been hauling water to their home while they wait for the well driller to dig their well, and it was 13-year-old Amos’ job to fill the tank and bring it home.

Recent rains have caused problems with roads, bridges, and culverts across the county. During the recent meeting of the Gregory County Board of Commissioners, held at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 3, Gregory County Highway Superintendent Tyler Plumbtree discussed the flooding on County Road 57 and the option of relocating the road. He said that FEMA funding will only cover repairing the road and not relocating it. He will contact property owners of the land being considered for the relocation.

An estimated crowd of 200-300 gathered at Gregory City Park on Friday evening, July 5, 2024, to enjoy the musical talents of Gregory High School alumnus Roger Frank and his band, Citrisity, feed on some burgers, brats, and fries, and catch up with neighbors, friends, and former schoolmates at the Party for the Pool to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gregory’s twin pools and raise funds for the next 100-year pool. Bug repellent fogged the air to keep the legion of mosquitoes at bay as Mark Braun announced to some groans at 9:00 p.m. that the drawing for the Ford Bronco would be delayed until 10:00 p.m. in order to try to sell the remaining 25 of the 1,000 tickets available for the drawing.

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Friends and relatives gathered at the Bonnie Johnson and Dave Dobesh homes in Gregory, SD, for the 4th of July parade and picnic. Attending was the weekend guest Terri Frank of Beresford, SD, as well as Joyce Heath of Winner, SD; and also Kevin and Lorie Wagner of Winner, SD, and their guests, sons Travis and Tyler and kids; Janet Kahler of Rapid City, SD; Heath “Doc” Hitchcock, Lincoln and Emerson, of Newport, NE, and Brent Roggow and family from Mills, NE, were also guests to watch the parade. The Ekroth family were annual parade-watchers also.

The annual Avera Fun Run was held on the morning of the 4th of July with 116 runner/walkers participants. Winners of the Avera Fun Run are as follows: Runners Girls 5K 10U: 1st place, Oaklynn Baker, 40:05; 2nd place, Taylynne Hay, 40:45.

Commentary by Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA There’s a fierce conflict within the U.S. cattle industry right now. One side says we need to reverse the industry’s present course of consolidation, vertical integration (where the beef packer controls the production of cattle), and centralization. We’re on this side and we believe our industry will continue to shrink in terms of the number of cattle producers, number of cattle, and number of small to mid-sized feedlots if our industry’s present course is not quickly reversed.

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