News

Pool fundraising remains strong with a goal of raising $500,000 by the end of 2024. We are almost halfway to this year-end goal with over $245,000 in the fundraising account! The pool’s biggest fundraiser right now is a raffle for a brand new 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. There are only 500 of the 1,000 tickets still available. Act fast! Your odds to win a new vehicle won’t get much better than this. Please see gregorypoolfund. com for official rules and updates.

Legendary Rocker Buddy Holly Was Killed on Feb. 3, 1959; Tour Played in Minnesota Hours Later Feb.

Spring cleaning, fall cleaning, deep cleaning any time of the year, is dreaded by most people, but once in a while, a surprise is revealed that might not have been discovered otherwise. Maybe it is a lost ring, the mate to a lone sock, a photo album tucked away in an obscure spot, or your pet’s toy stash. Such was the case when Richard and Bev Rubel decided to do some cleaning at St. John’s Church in Paxton.

This January’s weather, with its snow, blizzards, and bitterly cold temperatures is reminiscent of another January 42 years ago. Thankfully, no tragedies arose as a result of the elements this year, but the same can not be said of the storm in January 1982.

Mollie Andrews, agriculture educator and FFA advisor from Gregory County, was invited to attend the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE) convention in Phoenix, AZ, November 28-December 2, celebrating their 75th year as an organization. The NAAE is a federation of state agricultural educators associations with more than 9,000 members involved in school-based agricultural education from middle school through postsecondary, and state and national agricultural education leadership.

Gregory County FFA members Aubree Miller and Avery Zeisler, as elected officers for District IV, attended District Officer Training and Legislative Breakfast in Pierre, South Dakota, January 1718. District IV includes FFA chapters from Wagner to Winner and Chamberlain to McCook Central.

Coy Determan, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, earned a spot on the Academic Dean’s List for the fall 2023 semester. Determan, of Gregory, SD, is a sophomore majoring in exercise science.

Harlan (Butch) Smizer retired from the United States Post Office on December 1, 2023, after 48 years of government service—44 as a mail carrier and four years in the United States Navy. Smizer graduated from Burke High School in 1974.

Natalie Smith earned a $500 scholarship that will be paid to her school of choice. LifeServe awards up to $500 in scholarship funds to students who organize a successful blood drive during the summer (Memorial Day - Labor Day) or winter (December and January) scholarship periods. To be eligible for the scholarship award, students must recruit donors, act as the chairperson for the blood drive, and register 25 donors ($250 awarded) or 40 donors ($500 awarded). Individual scholarships are offered to any student seeking or currently achieving a higher level of education.

Jim Frank, manager of Silver Threads Assisted Living, announced Friday, January 26, that effective Monday, January 29, he will be the administrator with his wife Dulce as assistant administrator. This change will be in effect until they hire a new administrator.