True Dakotan

09/08/2026

For Alison Bergmann, joining the Wolsey-Wessington staff is a homecoming. Read more at the link.

For Alison Bergmann, joining the Wolsey-Wessington staff is a homecoming. A 2014 Wolsey-Wessington graduate, Bergmann is beginning her first year as the district’s middle and high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.

09/08/2026

Wolsey-Wessington welcomes new educators: Meet Tate Schoenfelder

Tate Schoenfelder joins Wolsey-Wessington this fall as the district’s middle and high school principal, stepping into his first administrative position after seven years in the classroom. Originally from Mitchell, Schoenfelder earned his bachelor’s degree in history education from Dakota Wesleya...

09/08/2026

The Bad River Youth Rough Stock Series will return to Wessington Springs for its second year Sunday, Sept. 13, beginning at 1 p.m. The youth rodeo was introduced last year, replacing the longstanding Bull Bash traditionally held in the fall in conjunction with the Kyle Evans Memorial Wagon Train.

Check out age groups and entry info at the link https://www.truedakotan.com/news-newsletters/bad-river-youth-rough-stock-series-returns-sept-13

09/02/2026

The Humm Dinger is staying in the family.

When Cory Zacher stepped in following the sudden death of his brother Jason in March, buying the Wessington Springs convenience store wasn’t part of the plan.

What changed his mind? Cory says it was the people...the great staff Jason had put in place and the Wessington Springs community that welcomed him as he worked to keep his brother’s business moving forward.

Read about Cory’s decision, what’s ahead for the Humm Dinger and how he hopes to continue what his brother started in this week’s True Dakotan.

https://www.truedakotan.com/news-newsletters/zacher-keeps-humm-dinger-family

08/31/2026

After a decade caring for patients during some of their most critical moments, Devan Hoekman is shifting her focus to what can happen long before an emergency.

Hoekman, a certified nurse practitioner who recently joined Horizon Health in Wessington Springs, spent 10 years as a CareFlight nurse for Avera McKennan Hospital. Seeing the long-term effects of chronic diseases helped shape her interest in prevention and family medicine.

“I think that’s a huge part of it, just the CareFlight side of things and seeing the long-term effects of chronic diseases,” Hoekman said. “I look forward to shifting my focus to more on the prevention side.”

Read more at the link

After a decade caring for patients during some of their most critical moments, Devan Hoekman is shifting her focus to what can happen long before an emergency. Hoekman, a certified nurse practitioner who recently joined Horizon Health in Wessington Springs, spent 10 years as a CareFlight nurse for A...

08/27/2026

A room filled with St. Joseph parishioners and supporters fell silent Thursday night as Bishop Donald DeGrood delivered the news many had spent nearly eight months fighting to prevent.

The Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls will not allow St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wessington Springs to be rebuilt following the Dec. 26 fire that heavily damaged the church.

“I have decided that there will not be a rebuilding of the church,” DeGrood told those gathered Aug. 20 in the basement of St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket. “I know this is painful, and I can only imagine how disappointing this news is to receive.”

Gasps followed. Some parishioners put their hands to their faces. Parents hugged children as tears spread through a room filled not only with St. Joseph parishioners, but Wessington Springs community members of different faiths who came to show their support.

Read the full story in this week's True Dakotan: https://www.truedakotan.com/news-newsletters/diocese-says-st-joseph-church-will-not-be-rebuilt

08/24/2026

Pheasants Forever to put Wessington Springs in spotlight for ‘Opening Day’ film: Community plans to ‘Roll Out the Orange Carpet’ as national project captures South Dakota pheasant tradition

Wessington Springs and its opening-day pheasant traditions will be in the national spotlight this fall when Pheasants Forever brings its “Opening Day” film project to the community for South Dakota’s pheasant opener.

Bob St. Pierre, chief marketing and communications officer for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and the familiar voice behind the organization’s “On the Wing” podcast, will spend opening weekend in Wessington Springs filming the community, its hunters and the traditions surrounding one of South Dakota’s biggest weekends of the year.

St. Pierre, who joined Pheasants Forever in 2003 and has become known by many as “the voice of Pheasants Forever,” is also the host of the “Opening Day” film series. Each installment uses a different place and group of people to tell a larger story about hunting, habitat and the relationships built around opening day.

He has filmed previous installments in Minnesota and Michigan, while a Missouri film shot last year is set to be released this year. But St. Pierre said he was deliberate about waiting before bringing the project to South Dakota.

After all, this is the place he calls “pure and simple the pheasant capital of the world.”

And when it came time to tell South Dakota’s story, he chose Wessington Springs.

Read more at the link https://www.truedakotan.com/feature-newsletters/pheasants-forever-put-wessington-springs-spotlight-opening-day-film

08/24/2026

As students return to classrooms, Jerauld County Sheriff Jason Weber is reminding motorists that back-to-school season also means changing driving habits.

School buses are once again traveling county roads, children are walking near schools and crossing streets, and increased morning traffic coincides with a time of year when fog can significantly reduce visibility.

Weber said one of the most important reminders for drivers is to stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended.

“Every school year, we see motorists passing school buses, even when the red lights are flashing and the stop sign is extended,” Weber said. “We want to make motorists aware of the laws — and the penalties that will be handed down when those laws are violated.”

As students return to classrooms this week, Jerauld County Sheriff Jason Weber is reminding motorists that backto- school season also means changing driving habits. School buses are once again traveling county roads, children are walking near schools and crossing streets, and increased morning traff...

08/23/2026

A beautiful summer evening provided the setting Sunday for a celebration 100 years in the making at Wessington Springs’ Shakespeare Garden.

Local residents, former residents, family and friends gathered for a Garden Party marking the centennial of Wessington Springs College English professor Emma Shay’s 1926 journey to England, which inspired the creation of Shakespeare Garden. The evening also honored Kathy Dean as she retires from the Shakespeare Garden Society after 37 years of helping restore, preserve and care for the historic garden and Anne Hathaway Cottage.

Read more and view additional photos at the link

A beautiful summer evening provided the setting Sunday for a celebration 100 years in the making at Wessington Springs’ Shakespeare Garden. Local residents, former residents, family and friends gathered for a Garden Party marking the centennial of Wessington Springs College English professor Emma ...

08/20/2026

Walk through the door of Prairie Rose Market House and visitors will find clothing, handmade goods and home décor, antiques and even farm-fresh eggs.

Around another corner is a bright kitchen where specialty cookies and other treats are being made.

And sometimes, people walk through the door without plans to buy anything at all. They just want to visit.

For owner Desi French, that might be one of the best signs that the new business along Highway 281 in Wolsey is becoming exactly what she hoped it would be.

“It’s a space for a little bit of everything,” French said. “We wanted to create something that everyone in the community could utilize.”

Read the full story at the link:

Walk through the door of Prairie Rose Market House and visitors will find clothing, handmade goods and home décor, antiques and even farm-fresh eggs. Around another corner is a bright kitchen where specialty cookies and other treats are being made.