News Archives - Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids and St Mary Compete in One-Act Play Regions, Dell Rapids Qualifies for State

January 28, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Both Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary performed at One-Act play regions recently.

Dell Rapids St Mary performed at the Region 3B competition on Tuesday, January 25th at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse in Madison. Danika Deuter, Rebecca Heinemann, Rachel Heinemann, Addison Van’t Hof, Sophie Schwebach, and Kade Lutt received Outstanding Acting Awards.

Dell Rapids performed at the Region 3A competition on Wednesday, January 26th also at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse in Madison. Dell Rapids earned a trip to the state competition for the first time in four years. Cariss Montgomery, Josie Geraets, Noah Larson, Kate Golden, Rylee Rinehart, and Charlie Prasek all earned Outstanding Acting Awards.

In order to win an Outstanding Acting Award, at least two of the three judges must vote on an actor giving an outstanding performance.

Dell Rapids will perform at Rapid City Central High School at 3:45 p.m. ct / 2:45 p.m. mt on Friday, February 4th for the 2022 South Dakota State One-Act Competition.

Changes Coming to Big Sioux Media

January 23, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Be on the lookout for changes coming to Big Sioux Media in the coming weeks. We are changing our focus and rebranding just a little to match our focus. We hope to have the changes completed in the next couple of weeks!

We’re excited about what’s coming as part of our 10th year!!

Email from Dell Rapids: Covid-19 Return to Safe Learning Changes

January 13, 2022 by Submitted

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance for isolation and quarantine for the general population. Beginning Tuesday, January 11th DRPS will adhere to the isolation guidance that has been created for K-12 schools. Parents may choose to keep their child home the full 10 days of isolation regardless of symptoms, however, if electing to send students back after the mandatory 5-day isolation, mask use is required through day 10. Each building will have breakfast and lunch protocols that students will adhere to if the 5-day mask option is taken.

As with our entire plan, we will monitor data and initiate amendment protocols when needed.

Isolation Guidance

Positive for COVID-19 and do not have symptoms:

Isolate for 5 days and then wear a mask through day 10.
If they develop symptoms after testing positive, the 5-day isolation period would start over. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.

Positive for COVID-19 and have or had symptoms:

Isolate for 5 days. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms (test date is no longer used).

Mask worn through day 10.
If they continue to have a fever or other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, they should wait to end isolation until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms have improved.

Please work with building administration to determine your child’s return date. The South Dakota Department of Health also has resources and calculators available on its website. https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/Calculator/

New Home Numbers Rise in 2021 in Dell Rapids

January 6, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The final numbers for new homes and total building permit values in Dell Rapids were reported during the latest regular city council meeting on Monday, January 3rd. Dell Rapids had 17 new homes built in 2021, which is up from 10 in 2020 and 12 in 2019. The city also had one new commercial building in the Industrial Park in 2021.

Even though new home numbers increased, the total building permit value total for 2021 was down just slightly in 2021 from 2020. The city had a total of $6,715.992.36 in building permit value in 2021 compared to $7,238,823 in 2020. The $6.7 million, however, is still higher than the values reported in 2018 ($6.2 million) and 2019 ($4.09 million).

The council has yet to hear to final sales tax total for 2021. The latest report included through the month of November, and numbers were trending to show have an increase in 2021.

Avera Dells Area Hospital to Host a Community Blood Drive

January 3, 2022 by Submitted

Dell Rapids, SD– Community Blood Bank (Avera McKennan Hospital & Sanford USD Medical Center) continues to struggle with a severe blood shortage as we move into the new year. Currently, the blood bank is most critical for all blood types, especially O positive and O negative, but all blood types are needed. Join us at Avera Dells Area Hospital on Thursday, January 13 between 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and give blood. You can schedule your donation by logging into www.cbblifeblood.org, selecting Jan 13 and Avera Dells Area Hospital or call 605-331-3222.

“The need for blood donors during National Blood Donor month is heightened as it become even more difficult to collect blood with the omicron strain of COVID beginning to spread. Do you know someone with cancer? Someone who is pregnant? Someone with sickle cell disease? Then you know someone who may need blood. Every day, someone in your community may need blood, don’t wait until a tragedy or shooting happens, donate today” states Ken Versteeg, Executive Director, Community Blood Bank. “It is our hope that we will see the community answer our pleas and come out to give blood through this challenging time. Donors can give blood at the Avera Dells Area Hospital on January 13. Please donate blood when the bloodmobile is in your community.”

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. For more information log onto www.cbblifeblood.org.

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.

Thank You! from CFOK

December 27, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Please accept our sincere “Thank You” on behalf of “OUR” kids and their families for your generous support this Christmas. Your help for families came in the form of child or family adoptions, cash donations, toys, clothing, homemade pillowcases, and gift cards – all representing your love for others in our community. We found a thankful home for each gift donated and used the financial contributions to buy toys and gift cards. You opened your hearts to spread Christmas joy to families currently experiencing difficult times and helped to ensure that all the children of Dell Rapids had a Merry Christmas. Thank you so very much!!!

Thank you on behalf of “OUR” kids and their families for your contributions to our 2021 Christmas drive. You have made the “Dell Rapids” difference!

Here are a few excerpts from the many thank you notes sent by the families we helped:

“I love this Town! Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for doing this! I know that my kids Christmas is going to be good because of what you guys do!”
“Beyond grateful for this. Thanks again.”
“Thank you for everything you have done to help our family.”
“Thank you all!!!”

City of Dell Rapids Enters Partnership with Sioux Metro Growth Alliance for Economic Development Management Service

December 23, 2021 by Submitted

DELL RAPIDS, SOUTH DAKOTA – The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance (SMGA) is excited to partner with the city of Dell Rapids for the SMGA Economic Development management Service (EDMS). Under the service, participating communities receive direct support from an economic development professional and the whole SMGA team. The EDMS is intended to help provide additional expertise to growing communities that have historically relied on volunteers or small municipal staffs to encourage growth. Each community receives between 16 and 20 hours per week of direct work from an SMGA economic development specialist as well as continued support and expertise from the whole SMGA staff.

City staff in Dell Rapids, including city administrator Justin Weiland, looks forward to future opportunities for economic development as the Sioux Metro continues to grow. “The community of Dell Rapids will continue to grow because of our proximity to the explosive growth of the Sioux Falls metro. SMGA’s EDMS program is an opportunity for our community to provide the direct focus towards economic development that we have been seeking. It allows our community to further professionalize our on going efforts towards improving our local economy. We also anticipate that having an individual dedicated to economic development will help to enhance and clarify a community conversation focused on what type of growth we want for our community.”

Jesse Fonkert

The Dell Rapids Economic Development Corporation currently helps to attract and support local businesses as well as creating and promoting the Fiegen Development Park. With an economic development group already in place and helping the community, the SMGA Economic Development Management Service will help further the agenda of the current economic development leaders in town in addition to bringing new ideas and insights to the table.

“Dell Rapids is ripe for further development” said SMGA President and CEO Jesse Fonkert. “The Dell Rapids Economic Development Corporation and the City of Dell Rapids have been proactive in their economic development efforts. We’re excited to start working there with the EDMS in January to complement their hard work and help as requested.”

Dell Rapids is the fourth community to utilize the EDMS; Lennox and Baltic began working with the SMGA in May and August 2021 respectively. Salem will also begin with the service in January. Ryan Solberg, Economic Development Specialist at SMGA, is the staff person currently working with Lennox and Baltic and Sheldon Jensen, the newest addition to the SMGA staff, will begin working in Salem and Dell Rapids in January 2022.

Sheldon Jensen

The SMGA welcomes the continued growth and trust in our organization and Jensen and is very excited to take a direct role in working with Dell Rapids to help the city achieve their economic development goals. “Dell Rapids is an exciting community to be a part of in the Sioux Metro. I am excited to work alongside passionate community and civic leaders to further grow the city in quality-of-life aspects to further attract residents and businesses.”

About Sioux Metro Growth Alliance

The SMGA is a non-profit economic development organization that improves the economy and advocates for business development and greater quality of life across the Sioux Falls area. Formed recently as a merger between the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations, the SMGA serves fifteen member communities, three counties, and a variety of investors from across the Sioux Falls MSA to help create vibrant communities which provide rewarding places to live and work.

Dell Rapids Elementary Students “Pie” Staff Members

December 16, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids school district held their annual holiday donation drive for local food pantries December 6th through December 10th. As part of the drive, the Dell Rapids Elementary School had a goal of collecting at least 1,000 items. The school not only met their goal, but far exceeded it with 1,349 items collected!

To celebrate reaching the goal, a student from each of the elementary classrooms was randomly selected to “pie” a staff member during a celebration on Tuesday, December 14th. The most important part of the celebration was recognizing the generosity shown by all the students and their families.

The district as a whole collected over 1,750 items for local food pantries during the donation drive.

Dell Rapids City Council Approves New Liquor License Ordinance

December 10, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids City Council approved the second reading of a new restaurant liquor license ordinance during their regular meeting on Monday, December 6th. The council approved the new ordinance, Ordinance 903, unanimously.

This ordinance is a specific license that will allow new restaurants in Dell Rapids to be able to serve alcohol, provided they are approved for the license, as long as the total gross sales of alcohol does not exceed 40% of total revenue. The ordinance requires that all holders of this new license submit an annual financial report to the city proving they meet the 40% criteria.

This ordinance only includes “full-service restaurants”. The ordinance defines such a business as one in which a waiter or waitress delivers food and drink offered from a printed food menu to patrons at a table, booth, or bar area. The business shall have a dining room(s), a kitchen, and the number and kinds of employees necessary for preparing, cooking, and serving of meals. Any restaurant that only serves fry food orders or foods such as sandwiches, hamburgers, or salads would not be considered as “full-service”.

The reason this ordinance was proposed and approved is because the city is limited to the number of liquor licenses according to state statute based on the population of Dell Rapids. All available licenses the city has are currently issued. This ordinance will allow the city flexibility offer this new type of liquor license to a new restaurant.

Two Local Performers Receive Superior Ratings from State Oral Interp

December 6, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Two local students, one from St Mary and one from Dell Rapids, received superior ratings for their pieces at the 2021 South Dakota State Oral Interpretation Festival in Huron on Friday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 4th.

Kade Lutt of Dell Rapids St Mary received a superior rating for his humorous piece “Any Junior’s Nightmare”. Madisyn Kistler of Dell Rapids High School also received a superior rating for her serious reading piece “Through a Window”.

Two other Dell Rapids High School students took part in the state festival. Cariss Montgomery performed “To This Day” in the non-original oratory category, and Rylee Rinehart performed “Lessons We Learn as Women” in the poetry category.

About Sioux Metro Growth Alliance

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