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SiouxperCon 2021 Set for October 1st-3rd

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SiouxperCon 2021: Heroes Homecoming brought to you by Black Hills Federal Credit Union will be held October 1st through 3rd at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Now in its fifth year, SiouxperCon has quickly grown into the most anticipated annual Siouxland event for lovers of all things in the “nerd” community.  SiouxperCon is your friendly, neighborhood fan convention where all are welcome in a family-friendly, inclusive environment!

SiouxperCon is more than just a celebration of comic books, cosplay, anime, board games, video games, science fiction and fantasy. SiouxperCon is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The mission is to not only provide an inclusive event for members of the nerd community, both young and old, but to support local charities that help others in Sioux Falls. During this year’s convention we will be honoring local heroes that served our communities

Featured guests this year include:

  • Comic Book Legends Ron Marz, Rick Leonardi, Doug Mahnke and Phil Hester.
  • The original voice of Charlie Brown, Peter Robbins
  • Actor from Shameless, 18 Again and Diagnosis Murder, Charlie Schlatter.
  • Celebrity Chef Justin Warner.
  • The Host of Mythbusters Junior Rachel Pizzolato.
  • Jacob and Caleb Schilling from the FOX TV Hit Series Lego Masters

Events kick off Friday October 1st at 3:00 p.m. with over 75 vendors, 32 guests and attractions, local charities, video games, tabletop gaming and more.

Friday Night will feature SiouxperMania III featuring the wrestlers of Midwest All Pro.  At 7:30 p.m. SiouxperCon After Dark, sponsored by Look’s Brewing and Common Sense, kicks off with Adult themed gaming, panels and entertainment.

Saturday October 2nd, events kick off at 10:00 a.m. with Opening Ceremonies followed by a full day of shopping the exhibition hall, attending educational panels, viewing locally made films during the Backlot 605 Film Festival and playing video games, board games, RPGs and tabletop games. The day culminates with SiouxperCosplay, the area’s largest Cosplay Competition featuring amazing craftsmanship and costuming for prizes.

That night SiouxperCon After Dark will feature national touring Burlesque performer  Hazel Honeysuckle performing on the main stage with local performers VeauxDevil Cabaret.

Sunday October 3rd is Schulte Subaru Siouxper Family Fun Day featuring live performances all day on the Black Hills Federal Credit Union Main Stage from Mythbusters Junior, First Lego League, The Magic of Travis Nye, Lego Masters Jacob and Caleb. There will be a kids cosplay parade and family friendly games featured in our Tabletop Room and Video Game Room!

Tickets are $10.00 per day and only $25.00 for a three day pass. Children 10 and under are free. All net proceeds go to local charities to further their work in the community.  They have donated over $25,000.00 to REACH Literacy and The JY6 Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.  Local Dell Rapids resident Shane Gerlach is one of the founders of SiouxperCon and current Staff Directory and Guest Service Coordinator.

Local Sponsors include: Black Hills Federal Credit Union, Schulte Subaru, Common Sense, Look’s Brewing, Allegra Printing, Firelink Digital Marketing, Game Chest, Last Stop CD Shop, Sioux Empire Travel, TNTax Business Services, Voices Against Cancer, VeauxDevil Cabaret, Brookings Books and Comics, JJ’s Comics and Art, JuLiana’s Boutique, Vishnu Bunny Tattoo, Cresten Properties, Wednesday Comics Podcast, Woods, Fuller, Schultz & Smith P.C., and US Bank.

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Dell Rapids Community Fund Awards Two Grants

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Photo submitted by Dan Ahlers. Pictured are Dan Ahlers, Pam Schmitt, Bryan Timperley along with Haven students

The Dell Rapids Community Fund awarded two grants on Wednesday, July 21st.  The two groups that received grant dollars are Dell Rapids Community Haven and Dell Rapids Society for Historic Preservation.

Dell Rapids Community Haven was awarded $300 to go towards the purchase of new games.

The Dell Rapids Society for Historic Preservation was awarded $1,300 to help with costs in replacing their furnace and air conditioning units.

The Dell Rapids Community Fund is an endowment. The gifts made to the fund provide grant money for innovative community projects both today and in the years to come. A committee of Dell Rapids residents recommends annual distributions from the fund. Because only a portion of the income is distributed each year, the endowment is never depleted.  This year the Dell Rapids Community Fund has granted $8,350 to local organizations. Donations can be made to the community fund by clicking this link.

Currenlty, Dan Ahlers is the president of the board.  Pam Schmitt, Bryan Timperley, Paige Krumm, Jill Anderson, Susan Kahler, and Melissa Van’t Hof are board members.

Photo submitted by Dan Ahlers. Pictured are Jean Rave, Alice Chamley, Megan Abbott, Evelyn Huntimer, Pat Sward, Judy Walters and Craig Kumerfield. Bryan Timperley, Pam Schmitt, and Dan Ahlers

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Breakfast and Lunch Free Again at Dell Rapids in 2021-2022 School Year

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The Dell Rapids School Board announced that breakfast and lunches will be free of cost again for the 2021-2022 school year during their regular meeting on Monday, July 12th.

The meals will be free under the federal SSO program.  Adult breakfast prices will be $1.95, and the adult lunch price will be $3.85.  Milk will be $.50.  A la carte items will be priced in accordance with federal regulations.

The school board also set other rates and prices for the school year.  Admission to activities at Dell Rapids will be $3.00 for students K-12 and $5.00 for adults.  Prices will be $4.00 and $6.00 respectively for double-headers.  Activity tickets are also available for purchase.  Resident senior citizens will receive a free permanent pass and can be obtained from the district office.  K-8 student pass is $15.00.  9-12 student pass is $20.00.  A 10-punch pass for adults is $30.00 and an all-season pass for adults is $50.00.  A family all-season pass for parents/guardians and school-age children living in the same home is $100.00.

Bus rates were also set for the year.  Resident in-town and open-enrollment (on designated route), St Mary non-resident rural transportation (on designated route), and Haven transportation (between elementary school and River Community Church) is $80.00/child or $200.00/family.  St Mary transportation off designated route will be $432.50 annually per mile added to the route.  Open-enrollment transportation off designated route (as determined by the school board on an individual basis) will also be $432.50 annually per mile added to the route.

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The Grooming Cottage Holds Grand Opening at New Location

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The Grooming Cottage held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on Saturday, July 10th.  They are located at 403 E 4th Street and have been open at that location since July 1st.

The grand opening celebration was open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  B-Squad Dog Rescue was at the store from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with adoptable dogs there for a meet and greet.  Donations made to B-Squad during the celebration registered people for a basket giveaway.  Pupcakes were also served during the celebration.

The Grooming Cottage is owned by Brenda Hyde and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from grooming and retail, and the retail section is open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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Slurry Seal Project Starting Soon in Dell Rapids

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The City of Dell Rapids has scheduled to have several city streets have a slurry seal applied.  Slurry seal is similar to chip sealing as it maintains and protects streets to extend the expected life of the street.  It’s a 1/2 inch layer applied on top of the existing asphalt surface by a paver and is a mixture of asphalt oil, small rock, and other additives.

During the slurry seal surfacing, there will be no vehicle traffic and no parking on the street until it has cured.  Curing time is approximately four-to-six hours.

The contractors are tentatively planning to begin the project on Thursday, July 8th.  The exact date(s) they will be working on the impacted streets will depend on the weather.  Residents of each street will be notified with a door hanger the day before the operation is scheduled to begin.

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Dell Rapids Community Blood Drive Scheduled July 8th

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Dell Rapids, SD – Community Blood Bank (sponsored by Avera Dells Area Hospital) will host a community blood drive on Thursday, July 8 between 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the CPA / Law Office (301 East 4th St.). Donors are encouraged to give blood to support the needs for local patients. Note change: To schedule an appointment log onto www.cbblifeblood.org, select “events”, then July 8 and Dell Rapids Community Blood Drive or call 605-331-3222. For information log onto www.cbblifeblood.org. All who donate receive an All American blood donor t-shirt.

“There have been times, throughout the last 6 weeks, where we have been extremely concerned about how we will meet the demands placed on the blood supply throughout the day,” states Ken Versteeg, Executive Director, Community Blood Bank. “We have been close to facing difficult decisions on how to disperse the limited inventory and the fine line to keep enough blood available to address emergency situations. We continue to see a large volume of elective surgeries, as the community seeks out medical treatment after the pandemic. At this point we are using anywhere from 18 – 30% more blood per week than before the pandemic began.”

Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with a signed parent consent form), weigh 110 lbs or more and be in good general health. It is recommended that a person eat and drink plenty of fluids prior to donating blood. Please bring an ID with you at the time of donation.
Community Blood Bank is not affiliated with other blood bank organizations and takes pride in being a self-sufficient organization, thanks to the generosity of our local blood donors.

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Dell Rapids Storehouse Holds Ribbon Cutting at New Location

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The Storehouse in Dell Rapids has moved to a new location.  After being in the Dell Rapids Methodist Church for the past several years, The Storehouse has moved to 301 1/2 E 4th St.  Staff celebrated the new location with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, June 16th.

The Storehouse has renovated the bottom alley entrance of the Dell Rapids professional building which will provide them with more space and a space without stairs.  Several businesses and volunteers helped make the move over to the the new location.

The new space was open for clients on June 16th.  The Storehouse is open Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

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A Dell Rapids Olympian?

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Written by Jody Schumaker

Photo used with permission

The question could simply be answered as hopeful.  Dell Rapids has one of its own attempting to make history in Eugene, Oregon next week. Perhaps the first resident of Dell Rapids to lay claim to such a feat. Through a limited investigation, it was discovered that only one other resident participated for a United States affiliated team. Virgil Riley played on the 1959 United States World Championship basketball team, although not during an Olympic year.

Perhaps you recall the 6’7 shot blocker from the 2015 runner-up basketball team, or perhaps the defensive end on three championship football teams, or the state discus champion, or the kid who accepted a spot on the Dakota Wesleyan University basketball squad, or just maybe the kid who decided basketball wasn’t for him so he would try track at DWU just for fun. The “just for fun” decision turned out okay.  He left his mark at DWU breaking the school discus record, which still stands today. Following his freshman year, he decided to move on to bigger challenges in his sport. He chose the University of South Dakota over other area Division I schools.

Yes, we are speaking of Ben Hammer ,son of Dean and Elaine Hammer, a 2015 graduate of Dell Rapids High School.  Since leaving he has made a name for himself in the track and field world. Hammer currently holds the University of South Dakota school record in the discus throw and second in the shot-put, as well as being the South Dakota Collegiate leader all-time in the discus. He has won several events across the country including the Dakota Relays at Howard Wood, Wildcat Classic, and SDSU Holiday invite. He has received and earned many more honors, too long to mention here.

The 6’7, 285 lb, gentle giant will give his best shot next week at the United States Olympic Trials being held at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, June 18-June 27. Hammer qualified in the discus throw and currently holds the 16th best throw in the nation at 198.6 feet. Mason Finley leads the country with a throw of 217.10. Twenty-four other men will be participating for a shot at the Olympics with Hammer next week. The discus preliminaries will begin on June 24, with the top 12 men making the finals the following day. From the finals, the top three will be representing the United States in the Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan on July 23 through August 8, 2021.

Hammer is being coached by A.G. Kruger, a three time Olympian thrower and current track coach at USD. Hammer is considered an unattached participant, thus he belongs to no track club, nor receives assistance from any sponsors. However, Hammer will not travel alone. Other members of the USD track team made the Olympic trials, including teammate throwers.

Hammer has shown with his hard work and determination a person can accomplish a dream, but it’s not yet over. We are wishing him the best of luck next week, that all those hours of perfecting his throwing technique and pushing weights can achieve yet a bigger dream.  Go for the Gold Ben.

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Open School Board Position Filled for One Year

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The Dell Rapids School Board filled its open position during their regular meeting on Monday, June 14th.

Paula Harvey was selected by the school board to fill the position.  She will assume the role starting in July for one year.

The position was not filled during the school board election held earlier in the year.  School board members Troy Randall and Jacque LeBrun had their terms come to an end this year, but only one petition was filed to fill the two spots for the election.  That petition was submitted by Randall, so he will serve another three-year term also starting in July.

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Dell Rapids Campground Reservations Fully Online

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Reservations the campground in Dell Rapids are now all done on-line.  During the Dell Rapids City Council regular meeting on Monday, June 7th, it was reported that Finance Officer Claire Baartman worked very hard to get the system completely running on-line prior to the Memorial Day weekend.

All bookings for the campground will now have to be done through the online system as self registration in the campground will no longer be an option.

The entire campground, including the 14 new full hook-up sites, are open to rent on the online platform.

The online booking system can be found at https://properties.camping.com/city-of-dell-rapids/reservations

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