The school's outdoors will see some changes this spring and summer with a new statue and playground equipment; another burn ban has been placed due to drought conditions; and we deep dive into why city codes and ordinances need updating. Plus, Garretson hosted a successful track meet despite winds, baseball clocks two more wins, and much more!
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The school's outdoors will see some changes this spring and summer with a new statue and playground equipment; another burn ban has been placed due to drought conditions; and we deep dive into why city codes and ordinances need updating. Plus, Garretson hosted a successful track meet despite winds, baseball clocks two more wins, and much more!
April 4, 1935 ~ April 5, 2025 Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Our dear Irish angel passed peacefully into God’s gracious light at home surrounded by family and friends.
Brigid was a beloved Catholic Educator who cherished the unique giftedness and dignity of every child.
Funeral Mass 10.30 a.m. Saturday, May 10th at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Road. Please wear something green! In lieu of flowers, do something for a child in need. May we be living her legacy.
Rachel Vannie Danielson, age 95, of Garretson, passed away on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM Thursday, April 17, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Sioux Falls. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Wednesday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.
Rachel was born on April 30, 1929, on the Edmundson family farm to Martin and Dorothy (Mason) Edmundson. She grew up on the farm and graduated from Garretson High School. On February 7, 1948, she married Robert “Bud” Danielson in Garretson. Rachel and Bud farmed west of Garretson on different farms until finally setting on the old Bucher farm. Rachel taught school for one year and then worked at Montgomery Wards in Sioux Falls. She also enjoyed being the photographer for Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny at the mall. In 2008, they moved into Garretson. Bud died on October 2, 2013.
Rachel was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson and greatly enjoyed her time volunteering at the Treasure Chest in Garretson. She also loved spending time with her family and friends.
Survivors include her children: Michael (Linda) Danielson, Sioux Falls, Peggy (Jeff) Stoterau, Sioux Falls, and Tom Danielson, Garretson; grandchildren: Lance (Dani) Danielson, Kim (John) Massey, Jessie (Vonnie) Hariri, Austin (Jill) Danielson, and Andy (Amanda) Stoterau; great-grandchildren: Justin Danielson, Katie Danielson, Mack Massey, Rex Stoterau, Renly Danielson, Wes Danielson, Leo Danielson, Rye Danielson; brother, Eddie Edmundson, Garretson; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, and husband, Robert “Bud” Danielson.
Roger Dale Elverson, age 93, of Sioux Falls, formerly of rural Sherman, passed away on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at his home in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Highland Lutheran Church, rural Sherman. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Tuesday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.
Roger was born on June 11, 1931, on the Elverson family homestead (which is now celebrating its 151st anniversary) in Highland Township to Theodore and Clara (Semmen) Elverson. He attended Highland District 45 country school and graduated from Jasper High School in 1949. He served in the United States Army until the death of his father in 1953. He was honorably discharged and returned home to run the farm. On November 5, 1956, he married Clara June DeToy in Pipestone. In addition to farming, Roger sold insurance for over 50 years and served on the boards of the Minnehaha County Farm Mutual Insurance in Baltic and the DeSmet Farm Mutual Insurance Company. After retiring from farming, Roger and Clara moved into Sioux Falls on March 15, 1999. Clara died on April 17, 2005.
Roger was a lifelong member of Highland Lutheran Church. He enjoyed watching all professional sports, and was also a SDSU Jacks fan. He had great passion for playing cards and it was impossible for any of his kids to beat him. But above all else, his greatest love was for his family, and because of that, our lives have been immeasurably blessed. He simply was the best husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa, uncle, brother, friend, and bridge partner anyone could hope for.
Survivors include his children: Carlene (Willie) Lodermeier, Johnston, Iowa; Tom (Cindy) Elverson, Sherman, SD; Lisa (Mike) Wahowske, Eagan, MN; and Amy (Marty) Weismantel, Columbia, SD; son-in-law, Doug (Amy) Ode, Brandon, SD; grandchildren: Allison (David) Gier, Ryan (Lauren) Ode, Erik (Gracie) Ode, Ted (Christine) Elverson, John (Taylor) Elverson, Katie Wahowske, Hattie Weismantel, and Elliana Weismantel, granddaughter-in-law, Kimberlee Lodermeier; great-grandchildren: Elmer, Walter, Emma, Edwin, Wyatt, Adeline, Ellis, Bowen, Rosalie, and Dawson; sister-in-law, Marie Martinson; brother-in-law, Joe Zimprich; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara, daughter, Jennifer Ode, grandson, Luke Lodermeier, and sisters, Pearl Stoterau and Doris Koch.
The downtown library in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)
Checking out some books through local libraries could soon cost more than a standard library card fee.
Libraries were instructed Monday to immediately suspend use of the state’s interlibrary loan courier program.
The courier service transports books and other library materials across South Dakota from the libraries that have them to those that don’t, typically faster and more efficiently than would be possible though the U.S. Postal Service.
The State Library relies on federal funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to pay for the program.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March directing the head of that federal agency — which provides a federal grant that funds around half of the South Dakota State Library’s services — to cut its operations to the “maximum extent allowable by law.”
Former Gov. Kristi Noem sought to cut state library funding in her proposed budget to a level too low for the state to continue receiving federal matching funds. The state Legislature, however, approved a pared-back library budget large enough for the state to maintain access to about $1.4 million in IMLS funding.
While South Dakota hasn’t gotten confirmation its funding is cut, Department Secretary Joe Graves told the state Board of Education Standards on Monday, the federal government notified other states they’re receiving cuts.
“South Dakota, at least to my knowledge as of 8 a.m. this morning, hasn’t heard. So we don’t know what’s going on with that,” Graves said Monday.
The State Library cannot renew the contract with its interlibrary loan courier service at the end of April because of “uncertainty” about funding, according to an email sent to librarians that same day, which was reviewed by South Dakota Searchlight. Department of Education Spokeswoman Nancy Van Der Weide confirmed the suspension.
“The South Dakota State Library will not be renewing the contract until it is certain that the funding to support this service is in place,” she said.
Van Der Weide did not answer questions about any other impacts to the State Library expected as a result of the Trump executive order. She told South Dakota Searchlight recently that “we do not have a clear indication” of what might happen with future grant funding.
Congress authorized grant funding through federal fiscal year 2025. The department “is waiting on a grant award” for 2025, Van Der Weide wrote in an email last month.
Libraries could charge for, limit service
About 70% of South Dakota libraries share books with each other through interlibrary loan, according to the State Library website. Without the courier service, local libraries and governments will need to pay to ship books to other libraries across the state, according to South Dakota Library Association President Elizabeth Fox. That costs an average of $5 an item each way, she said.
To pick up the new cost, local libraries could limit how many interlibrary loans an individual can make, or charge a fee when someone requests an interlibrary loan.
“Each library will have to determine how they deal with this,” Fox said.
Hill City Public Library Director Tammy Alexander plans to discuss the impact with members of her library’s board of directors next week. She sent requested books through the mail yesterday to Brookings and Chamberlain libraries.
“Like all budgets right now, even our small city budget will have cuts for 2026,” Alexander said. “My board will have to decide if they’ll allow me to include that.”
The State Library also pays for subscription-based academic databases, accessible at no cost through any public library in the state. It also provides support for summer reading programs, organizes professional development workshops, and offers Braille and talking book services for readers with disabilities.
Noem’s proposed cut would have pared down services to those last two items.
‘This is disheartening,’ lawmaker says
Lawmakers softened budget cuts this winter with the expectation they’d budgeted enough money to preserve the IMLS federal grant funding. The plan spared the jobs of all but 3.5 State Library employees, but dissolved the board that oversees the State Library.
Rep. Terri Jorgenson, R-Piedmont, worked closely with the Education Department on the compromise.
“After all our hard work we put into this to restructure and save this program, this is disheartening,” Jorgenson said.
Interlibrary loans are crucial for homeschool students as well as students in public and private schools, she told South Dakota Searchlight on Tuesday. Burdening local governments with shipping costs and potentially passing the cost onto families will add up quickly.
Jorgenson and other lawmakers will need to explore funding options for library programming in the wake of the news, she said.
“Ultimately, this means we’re going to have to get creative,” Jorgenson said, “to save money and work to still provide this important service.”
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence.
SIOUX FALLS – A second spring burn ban was enacted by the Minnehaha County Commission at their Tuesday, April 15, meeting.
Because of spring rains, burn bans are unusual for these months, but this year, with low humidity, dry conditions and high winds, another ban is necessary, according to Emergency Management Director Jason Gearman.
Due to “red flag” warnings from the National Weather Service, a previous ban on open burning was issued by the commission on March 25, but due to rain showers coming through the area, it was lifted a week later on April 2.
Since that time, the area has seen very little in the way of precipitation, and the same dry windy conditions have returned, bringing with them more warnings from the NWS.
Although some rain is expected in the next few days, the last rainfall prior to the meeting was only .01-of-an-inch on April 14.
Gearman and commissioners were uncertain how much more rain future showers would bring, so this newest ban could stay in effect longer.
That ban, which went into effect as of the April 15 meeting, only applies to areas of the county outside of any organized municipalities that have their own fire ordinances.
Also, the burn ban does not apply to fire in enclosed burn structures made to keep sparks and ashes from escaping.
Annual reports
At the meeting, commissioners also heard three annual reports from different county agencies: the coroner’s office, the Information Technology Department and the Sioux Empire Fair.
Dr. Kenneth Snell, the Minnehaha County Coroner, presented numbers his office saw in 2024.
He reported that cases through his office were up 12.6% over 2023, going from 612 cases to 689.
All deaths in the county do not necessarily go through the coroner’s office, but of the ones that do, some require full autopsies, while others are more simple external examinations.
Of those examined, 33% of deaths were from natural causes. Other major causes of death, Snell said, were accidents at 35%, suicides at 21%, homicides at 7%, and 5% were classified as “undetermined.”
A further breakdown of causes of death were 28 gunshot wounds, 27 drug-related, 14 hypertension, 13 traffic (driver, passenger, pedestrian), and nine alcohol-related.
And of those drug deaths, the top two causes were from meth and fentanyl.
Of the suicide deaths, 20 were from gunshot wounds, six from hanging and five from drug toxicity.
In more “up-beat” reports, Sioux Empire Fair Manager Scott Wick told the commission about the many different events that happened with the fair in 2024, but his main positive news was that the fair made a profit of $267,811, having approximately $1.6 million in revenues and only $1.3 in expenses.
Monte Watembach, the county’s IT Director reported on changes made in 2024, and looked ahead to upcoming technology changes the county should see this year.
The next meeting of the Minnehaha County Commission will be on Tuesday, April 22, at 9 a.m. in the third-floor meeting room of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
On Sunday, the Garretson American Legion Post #23 held a community breakfast in conjunction with an Easter celebration, which included a visit from the Easter Bunny.
//Leif Moritz//Leif Moritz
Several activities for young children were available, with helium-filled balloons provided courtesy of CHS, the chance to pet a real bunny named Brandy, an easter egg hunt, coloring sheets, and more.
Children were also encouraged to enter for a chance to win an easter basket with goodies or one of two bikes that were being given away by the Post #23 Auxiliary. The baskets were won by Ellie and Paisley, and the bikes were won by Maverick and Anna. Congratulations!
Turnout to the event was high, with community members enjoying watching the children play while they ate a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and biscuits and gravy.
On Facebook, the Legion stated, "We are honored to be part of the Garretson Community. Thank you to all the Legion and Auxiliary members who helped make this such a wonderful event." -photos by Leif Moritz
Concern about speed limits on Dows Street opened Monday's City Council meeting, when a resident voiced a complaint about the reduction that recently occurred. In the same meeting, the council opted to table the repeal of several older ordinances as they wrestled with whether they should be mirroring several state statutes.
GHS seniors Kaitlyn Steinhoff and Eliza Potter were presented with Certificates of Appreciation for their participation in the first ever Student Advisory Council at Monday's City Council meeting. They were thanked for their participation by Mayor Bruce Brown, who noted that the students have religiously attended council meetings and provided valuable input. //Carrie Moritz, Gazette
At the meeting's opening, resident Mike Ebbing addressed the council, asking why they had reduced the speed limit on Dows Street from 35 mph on the east side down to 20 mph.
"As somebody that travels that road, sooner or later I'm going to get a speeding ticket because I'm going to be going 22 miles an hour and I'm looking down and I can't even set my cruise in my car at that speed," Ebbing stated. He was worried his 16-year-old daughter would get a ticket, which would put his insurance costs at risk.
Jackie Rotert, who represents Ward 3 and lives along Dows Street, responded that she had heard from residents along the street that the reduction in speed was necessary to protect the number of children found crossing, walking, or biking in the area.
"I live on Dows and there were residents complaining with kids and with the baseball fields and the football field traffic, we've had requests to lower it drastically," she said.
Other members of the council concurred, pointing out that yes, it is an easy road to speed on. However, it was stated that anyone who sits and watches traffic patterns for any amount of time would notice immediately that pedestrian traffic is high from the football field entrance all the way to Highway 11. More development along and south of that stretch is inevitable in the future, which will increase the pedestrian traffic even more, precipitating the need for a reduction in vehicle speeds.
"There's also been a number of speeding tickets in there where people drive 60 miles an hour," said Mayor Bruce Brown. "So, it's one of those things that we looked at all the speed limits [around town]."
According to the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department, 15 citations for speeding were issued from January to March this year.
Service calls up
The council then moved on to committee reports, where a new line was added for Engineering. Riley Reiner of DGR reported that seven projects had been identified as top priority for the newly-designated city engineers to focus on, including digitizing utility maps, a dog park, sidewalk improvements, and industrial park access.
The council later approved the utility mapping at a cost of $13,500 plus a $700 cost for licensing of the software. The Highway 11/285th Street access to the Industrial Park was recently approved by the SD Dept of Transportation, and funding sources are being sought out. Sidewalk improvements have identified three areas, including South Main Avenue between Dows St. and Northfield St., the east side of Lacy Drive, and Railroad Ave. to Hwy 11 along Dows St.
Of the seven, the only one being indefinitely tabled was the dog park due to numbers. While Garretson has a high pet population, very few of them are registered at the city, and those numbers are required as part of application requests for funding.
Tad Heitkamp of the Garretson Fire Department noted that calls have been up substantially so far this year, including 8 calls for fires due to dry conditions in the later part of March.
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