South Dakota or Bust!

5 miles South of the Canadian Border – Voyageurs Natl Park, Minnesota

Soldiers of the 147th Field Artillery Unit based in Yankton said they wouldn’t consider their Iraq mission over until everyone gets home. Tomorrow, the last man will fly into the Chan Gurney Airport on the north edge of Yankton where he’ll be greeted by his fellow soldiers, family, friends and perfect strangers.
Charlie Battery had tough [...]

We’ve quoted Archie Gilfillan, the late Harding County sheepherder & author, more than once. Remember when he said that there are more characters in the country than in the cities because people are like nuts — if you roll them around together in one big hopper they all start to take on the same shape; [...]

Thursday’s edition of the Argus Leader showed the best and the most bothersome side of South Dakota’s biggest city.
The paper has stories about a new, smoke-free piano bar opening alongside Minerva’s downtown, and about Whiffer’s little sandwich shop on Minnesota Ave. (a staple for 30 years), and a festival of music and art by the [...]

Photo by Scott Howard
South Dakota Tourism’s Scott Howard was at the right place at the right time last night when he got this shot of the capitol building. Scott’s title is actually “video specialist” but it looks like the tourism office could capitalize on his photography skills also.

Fans and friends of retired KELO broadcaster Dave Dedrick (and there are tens of thousands) will enjoy Doug Lund’s blog update today. Be sure to read it. For one thing, the longtime smoker has kicked the habit at age 80 or so.

I know that some of our readers have looked in vain for the granite stones that mark the border between the Dakotas. Apparently, along many miles of the border the markers have been removed for fireplace mantels or buried by erosion, perhaps, in the 1930s. Others simply have no roads in the vicinity. Some have [...]

Our college intern Chris Vondracek is writing a Tuesday report for the Web site. Here are his latest thoughts:

I would’ve bought the tie whether the Celtic store’s proprietor spoke in an accent or not, but he seemed to enjoy doing it just the same. We asked the gentleman where he was from – guessing by [...]

Yes, a thick and heavy brew of oil beneath the Canadian tundra is badly needed by American consumers – so badly needed that today six men in dark suits came to Yankton City Hall to explain why they need to dig a 1,800-foot trench and bury a pipe four feet in the ground, crossing roads [...]

Just $14.95
We’ve published a new book in conjunction with Globe Pequot Press of Connecticut of all places, and Barnes & Noble of Sioux Falls has invited our office dog Yeller (who is featured prominently on the cover and in other parts of the book) to a book signing Saturday (June 23) from 2 to 4 [...]

Thirty to 60 days too late, I’ve now begun my summer battle against the thistles on my farm. Long ago I surrendered to the foolish notion that I will ever win. Now it is enough to just let the neighbors know I’m on their side of the fight. It takes far more gumption to fight [...]

Our underpaid but highly appreciated Belle Fourche correspondent Ed Goss ranged all the way down Highway 14 to the Manchester town site and snapped this photograph of the memorial which will be dedicated this Saturday (see our June 18th post).
The memorial lists the names of people who lived in the community over the years. That’s [...]

The New York Times’ “frugal traveler” is headed toward South Dakota. Matt Gross, who’s writing a series titled, “Into Middle America But Staying on the Fringe” last visited an “intentional artist community” in Wisconsin called Dreamtime Village. It’s a self sustaining farm community where individuals are encouraged to focus on creating art and music. Next [...]

Over 100 entries paraded down Tolstoy’s main street Saturday for the town’s 100th Anniversary. That’s a pretty impressive turnout, considering the town’s population is only 46. Cold, rainy weather didn’t deter the parade-goers, who covered in blankets or watched from inside cars or buildings.
Tolstoy was one of several towns built along a rail line. [...]

One of our favorite poets is retired Lutheran pastor Gary Westgard. He and his wife, Vivian, now live in Watertown but they served congregations in Farmington, Minn.; Laurel, Neb.; and in Gayville, Vermillion and Watertown. He always was a wonderful, down to earth preacher and his poetry is the same: he conveys his thoughts and [...]