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Relay for Life in Dell Rapids Cancelled for 2020

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One of the annual summer events in Dell Rapids will not be held this summer.   The Relay for Life event that was to be held on July 24th.  This could be the first of many summer events in Dell Rapids to see plans changed.

Due to the uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus, the Dell Rapid Relay for Life committee decided they will not be hosting the event this summer at city park.

The committee is thankful for the community support, and they look forward to continuing the tradition of Relay for Life in July of 2021.

Summer Baseball on Hold for Now

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In a time of year that typically sees the ball fields full of teams practicing for the upcoming season, this year tells a completely different story.  The ball fields currently sit empty and sounds of baseball are missing.  This is the second straight year the Dell Rapids Baseball Association has been faced with difficult baseball challenges, however, this year’s challenge with the virus could keep baseball from happening at all.

The DRBA has teams that participate in five different leagues.  The two amateur teams play in the Cornbelt League/SD Amateur baseball, the high school club baseball teams is part of the South Dakota High School Baseball Association, there is a legion team, the 15/16 and 13/14 teener teams play in the I-29 League, and the 6U, 8U, 10U, and 12U teams play in the MinnDak League.

The Covid-19 virus has already forced the cancellation of the entire high school club baseball season.  The team was only able to hold a handful of practices before being forced to stop, and the season was cancelled before one game was played.  The other teams are currently in a “wait and see” time frame right now.

Typically coaches of teams are getting their teams together for practices during this time of year, but this year no teams are practicing.  Along with the leagues waiting for more information, the city of Dell Rapids has also closed down the parks and ball fields for use, which adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

Currently the I29 League and MinnDak League are going to make a decision about the season in the first week of May.  Typically the leagues begin having games in May, but with the virus and needing to wait to see what that situation will be in a couple of weeks, the leagues will, at the very least, be implementing a different plan for the season if they can play.  The South Dakota VFW Baseball office posted on their Facebook page that they will be waiting until June to make a determination on the region and state tournaments.  Legion baseball for the state of South Dakota is going to wait until at least May 15th before making a decision on the season.  The South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association has indicated they are currently planning on having a season this summer.  Typically the amateur season doesn’t start until late May or early June, so no official decision has been made about changes to the season or state tournament, but changes are not off the table.

The DRBA has updates on all of the different age groups on the front page of their website, www.dellrapidsbaseball.com.

So like the DRBA, we wait and see, and hope there can be baseball this summer.

Dell Rapids and St Mary Schools Have Staff/Student Parades

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In a growing trend among communities across the state, the Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary schools both held parades for staff and students this past week.

The Dell Rapids staff drove through the community the evening of Monday, April 6th.

Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids High School Superintendent, said in a school update interview, “For students to see their teachers, to see Mr. Bunkers, and to see Rocky our mascot, I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback on that.  I think that was just so important for our students and on the flip side, our staff.  Staff needed that as much as our students did.  It just reminded me how passionate my staff is for the kids to see their excitement in doing it.”

Photo taken and submitted for use by Joni Smith

The Dell Rapids St Mary staff lined up in front of their elementary school as students were able to drive by the evening of Wednesday, April 8th.

“All the teachers and staff enjoyed waving to the students and parents as they drove by the school. It was great to see the signs that the students and parents made and to see all of their smiles. It was also fun to see the seniors drive by and notice that their senior banners had been hung in the windows of the grade school! We can’t wait until we can open the doors to the school again and see everyone’s face everyday!!!” said Dell Rapids St Mary music and band teacher Joni Smith.

Local Churches Move to Online Services

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Due to the guidelines given by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and Governor Kristi Noem, churches in Dell Rapids have moved to online services for their congregations during the social distancing time.

We’ve compiled the list of churches in Dell Rapids and where you can their online services.

Dell Rapids Chamber Easter Egg Hunt Moving to a Drive-thru Event

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The Chamber has adjusted it’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt to a Drive Thru!
 
The Chamber Easter Egg Drive Thru will be held on Saturday, Aprill 11th at 10:30 AM and will be located along City Park Avenue. Community Members are welcome to attend within their own vehicles to drive along the designated map route and wave to their favorite Guardians and Superheroes. No pedestrian traffic will be allowed during the event to ensure the safety of our community members and volunteers. The Easter Bunny will have one helper who will distribute prepackaged goodie bags to vehicles in lieu of the egg hunt.
 
The theme of the event was inspired by the movie Rise of the Guardians, as the Chamber will need the help of our local “Guardians” and “Superheroes” to make this event possible.
 
VOLUNTEER!
If you know of an ADULT who has their own suit/costume and would like to volunteer, please have them call/text 605-595-8731 to sign up.
 
These Guardians and Superhero’s will line the City Park using Social Distancing Guidelines and their spot locations are marked by the red dots on the map. Guardians & Superheroes should not have any contact with attendees as attendees are to remain in their vehicles at all times while in the drive thru.
 
Volunteers may park on 3rd St or 4th St and walk to their designated red spot on map.
 
Thank you to our Sponsors:
 
  • The Bargain Basement
  • Cricket’s Catering
  • Crocheted Goodness
  • Dells Materials
  • Neora Changing Lives
  • Minnehaha Funeral Home
  • PINZ LLC
 
Thank you to our current Volunteer list:
 
  • Big Sioux Media
  • Cricket’s Catering
  • Fit Lawn
  • PINZ LLC
  • Quest Church
  • River Community Church

Letter from Dr. Schultz – 4/4/20

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I hope this update finds you healthy and safe at home!  I worry that by press time, some of what I type will be irrelevant or substantially different.  Unpredictable is an understatement, and although a tremendous amount of thought and concern goes into every decision, I am simply up against an opponent that is volatile, unprecedented and deadly.

As I type this article, I am reminded that today is supposed to be DRHS prom. It’s easy to assume this is a small thing, and our students will adjust accordingly.  I know them, and they will, but I feel awful every time I take something away from them.  Tonight is supposed to be about dressing up, dancing, and making memories with friends.  For now, I’ve also taken away the state basketball tournament and possibly an entire spring activity and performance season.  Had I known the final day of the state wrestling tournament was possibly my last chance this year to look down and support Quarrier student-athletes, I would have stayed a little longer and taken it all in.

As our community adjusts to a new normal, DRPS teachers and the majority of staff will continue working from home. A limited number of individuals will report to work, although this may continuously decrease in the coming weeks.  We have prioritized specific duties to implement community service through our Grab & Go lunch sites, meal delivery, and Emergency Haven.  As you may have seen, we have filed for waivers, allowing us to feed any child 0-18 at our two distribution sites.  Weekly signups are posted every Sunday and I appreciate a headcount for planning purposes.

South Dakota’s “Veto Day” provided SB188 and 189. These bills waive requirements surrounding assessment and instructional minutes.  What these bills don’t do, is provide guidance surrounding credits, graduation requirements, or grades. The Department of Education reinforced that schools are still expected to keep students engaged in the educational process.  A state workgroup is being formed to provide guidance surrounding the specific items in flux, therefore we will continue to do the best job we can at educating students in what I now call “emergency remote instruction”.  I use this term because although my staff is tirelessly implementing virtual education opportunities, they haven’t been intentionally trained or provided appropriate planning time for this.  Parents too have been thrown into the roles of instructor and tutor which is adding another layer to an already stressful time. I have never been prouder of this team of teachers and staff.  They continue to surprise me every day with their courageous attempts to think outside the box.

At present time, school will resume May 4, however, I will continue to seek and take guidance from education, health, and governmental agencies.  As mentioned earlier, this situation is rapidly changing and may escalate quickly within our community.  I will do my best to keep stakeholders up to date with the most recent decisions and recommendations related to the Dell Rapids School District. I encourage you to visit our Website and Facebook page often.  These provide frequent updates and I also visit weekly with Matt Larson at Big Sioux Media.

Please continue to support our local businesses.  These individuals are always supportive of my students, and our sponsorship requests.  They need us now more than ever and I for one am taking advantage of the unique ways they have continued to serve our community.  Stay safe and I look forward to better days ahead!

~Dr. Schultz

Golden West Network Handles Increased Online Demand

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**Story from GoldenWest**

Think of internet traffic like air traffic.

Except instead of planes coming and going from an airport, packets of data continuously enter and leave the network. Engineers monitor and direct traffic by ensuring all data moves through the network quickly and accurately without backlogs or collisions.

“It’s a lot like air traffic control,” said Golden West Director of Engineering and Operations Nick Rogness. “The thing is, there’s usually a traditional pattern of planes (data) coming and leaving. That pattern is changing, and the traffic is increasing.”

In fact, internet usage on Golden West’s network has increased between 25 and 30% since COVID-19 arrived in the area. Golden West takes its responsibility of connecting its customers seriously, and its network is up for the challenge.

“The network has been fundamentally solid,” Rogness said. “We have enough capacity to support our customers through this.”

Quality Broadband Network & People

The investment Golden West has made in its quality broadband network over the last decade allowed the company to meet the sudden and significant increased demand, said Golden West CEO/General Manager Denny Law.

“Our customers are seeing the benefit of that investment today,” Law said. “I know that the quality of the service our customers are receiving stacks up to anywhere. Period.”

Beyond capacity, Golden West also has the right people in place to keep the network running.

That team recently quickly and successfully upgraded the network to handle the increase bandwidth (data) usage. The updates were the equivalent of opening additional runways to better accommodate needs by location.

Usage Continues to Increase

Golden West continues to track usage, which keeps rising as the number of people working and learning from home continues to grow.

“We are working today to ensure the network doesn’t become congested in the future,” explains Rogness. “We have seen traffic levels like this before, during Cyber Monday for example, but never sustained for a prolonged time like it has been over the last few weeks.”

If customers are experiencing slower internet speeds, other factors could be to blame.

Inside your home, for example, multiple users on multiple devices connecting at the same time may push the threshold of your subscribed speed. Consider a speed upgrade or spread out usage.

Internet Is Being Taxed Globally 

And just like planes that enter or leave an airport and airspace, Golden West has no control over the data before it arrives or after it leaves our network.

“The global state of the internet is being taxed,” Rogness emphasized. “You’re seeing this across the news.”

Streaming services like Netflix and YouTube have seen an increase in video consumption and have even turned down the resolution they deliver in the European Union and other countries to standard definition. Zoom usage was skyrocketing even before the pandemic.

“Without a doubt, the number one thing people are going to have an issue with is content availability on the global internet,” Rogness said. “If things seem slow, it’s likely because everybody is watching Netflix (or YouTube or using Zoom).”

The Golden West Internet Help Desk is ready to assist customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-855-888-7777.

Dell Rapids Chamber Banquet and Business Awards

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The Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce was able to hold their annual banquet before gatherings came to a halt.  The banquet was held at Papa’s Pub on Sunday, March 15th.

Those who attended the event had a meal prepared by Papa’s Pub and heard this year’s guest speaker Jason Freeman.

Prior to Freeman speaking, the Chamber handed out annual awards.

The first award that was given by the Chamber was the winner of the month-long “Battle of the Buns” burger competition between Papa’s Pub, Pinz, Norby’s, and County Fair.  A total of 692 votes were cast during the month of February, and the votes gave the award to Papa’s Pub.

The Chamber also gave away their three annual awards.  The Community Spirit Award was given to Fabulous Moments.  The Business of the Year was awarded to Corduroy and Pixie Dust.  The final recognition were the Volunteers of the Year, Stacy Franka and Tami Drew.

Community Updates on COVID-19

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The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

Big Sioux Media has had an opportunity to talk with a few people and groups on how the COVID-19 situation is having an impact on them and the community.  Below are the full interviews we’ve done to date:

April 9th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include updates to remaining school year calendar, locker cleanup, textbook drop off, graduation, summer Haven, and construction projects.
March 31st:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include lunch program update, building and grounds use update, and legislative bills update.
March 25th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include extended school and building closure, e-learning, activity, lunch program, and emergency Haven updates.
March 20th:
Justin Weiland, Dell Rapids City Administrator		 Justin shares information from the city during the COVID-19 situation.
March 19th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics for this update include lunches, prom, critical infrastructure employee child care, and internet access.
March 19th:
Brittany Moeller, Dell Rapids Carnegie Library		 The explains some of the changes happening at the library during the COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
March 16th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz tells us about what the school is currently doing during this COVID-19 situation.

If you are in need of assistance over the coming weeks, please read the information on the poster or call 211 or visit www.dellrapidsrelief.com.  If you’re able to volunteer to help those in need, please visit www.dellrapidsrelief.com

List of community updates:

  • Driver’s Ed Registration:  Registration will not occur on Wednesday, April 22nd.   Information will be released soon for upcoming plans for the class.
  • Dell Rapids St Mary School:  Closed through end of the school year.  Graduation postponed until June 12th.
  • Dell Rapids Schools:  Closed through end of the school year.  Graduation changes TBD.
  • Relay for Life:  The 2020 Relay for Life event in Dell Rapids for July 24th has been cancelled
  • City Playgrounds:  Effective immediately, all Dell Rapids playground equipment, ball fields, basketball/tennis courts are closed to the public.  The trails and open park spaces remain open.
  • County Fair:  The dining area will be closed, but will continue to offer food out of our hot case and our full grill menu to go.  County Fair also asks patrons not bring in their reusable bags into the store right now.
  • Lewis Drug:  Pharmacy access will be drive-thru only.  OTC products will still be available to purchase at the window or through grocery store check-out.
  • Pizza Ranch:  No dine-in, but still open for carryout and delivery
  • PINZ:  Bowling and dine-in closed, but will be open Wed-Sat 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. for carryout or delivery (11-1 pm, 5-7 pm) of meal orders
  • Norby’s:  Norby’s will have their menu items available “to go” and for curb side service.  Full menu is on their Facebook page
  • Papa’s Pub:  The main dining area will be closed.  The bar side will remain open for carryout and delivery.
  • LaDelle and Fourth:  Lobby is open for takeout and also offering curbside delivery
  • Dells Theater:  Closed until further notice, but the lobby is open for concessions on Friday and Saturday for popcorn and snacks
  • Chase the Ace Fundraiser:  It’s NOT canceled…it’s just PAUSED! When we fight this virus off these ladies WILL be back on Wednesdays and will pick up where they left off at Norbys’!
  • Dells Nursing and Rehab Center:  Due to the number of COVID-19 cases reported in South Dakota, we are NOT allowing visitors or volunteers at this time.
  • Dell Rapids City Offices:  Closed to the public, but email or call for questions.  Employees still working
  • Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library:  The library will be closed until further notice.  Still doing the Facebook live story times and chapter book readings.
  • Click here to read Dell Rapids St Mary School updated policy on building use
  • Click here to read Dell Rapids School updated policy on building use
  • Dell Rapids St Mary Carnival:  Postponed until June 9th
  • Dell Rapids St Mary Prom:  Postponed with a date TBD
  • HS Club Baseball:  Entire season is cancelled.
  • SDHSAA:  All spring sports seasons are cancelled as well as the postponed winter events.

Covid-19 Hits the Area

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Image from CDC website

The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

UPDATED (March 13th, 2020 – throughout day) – The following events in the area have had changes due to the virus:

  • Dell Rapids update for March 16th – 20th:
    • Upon recommendation from the Governor’s Office, and in conjunction with spring break, DRPS will be closed March 16-20.  At this time, we intend to open on March 23, however, the situation could change based on further recommendations. In the event our closure lasts longer than anticipated, students were sent home with district-issued devices.
    • Teachers will report next week, and we intend to provide basic, remote learning options for all grade levels on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The lessons and activities are not mandated, rather they will provide a valuable experience for staff, students and parents. Any feedback you can provide our staff will be helpful and this will be the first “test run” for most teachers.
    • I realize this type of closure makes it difficult for families who depend on the school lunch program.  We will be providing “grab and go” lunches in both the middle (south) and elementary school lobbies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Any student can come between 11:30-12:15 and utilize their traditional form of lunch payment.  If you would benefit from a delivered lunch, this will be an option as well.  A brief survey will be distributed this weekend, allowing us to get an estimated headcount and arrange deliveries.
    • We will continue to provide COVID-19 updates on the district web site and Facebook page. Our Brightarrow notification system is having technical issues, therefore, I may not be able to alert you to new notifications.
    • Thank you for your patience this afternoon.  I wanted to due diligence on the situation and felt all options needed to be explored.  I want nothing more than to see all my students back safe and healthy on March 23!   –Dr. Summer Schultz
  • Dell Rapids St. Mary School update for March 16th – 20th:
    • Following the recommendation of Governor Noem, St. Mary will be closed next week Monday-Wednesday in addition to Thursday and Friday’s planned Spring Break. No students shall report to buildings during this time. St. Mary staff will report at normal hours on Monday. These days will be treated the same as In-Service Days in that there will be no educational requirements during this time.
    • Due to next week’s closure, we are planning to have school on Monday, March 23. This was a scheduled off day but due to these changes we will be adding it as an educational day. We would encourage parents to not change plans that were already scheduled on this day off.
    • Our staff will be using next week to prepare for the potential for online learning in the event of a long-term closure. More information will be communicated with you next week as that plan starts to take shape.
    • A plan for Parent-Teacher Conferences will be made next week as well. We are hoping to keep them on Wednesday with teleconferencing, but need to do more research into what that can look like.
  • The Dell Rapids Medical Group and Hospital is requiring patients to call before going to the hospital. Please follow this request to keep our community and hospital staff safe.
  • At the request of Governor Noem, the remainder of the SDHSAA Class B Girls Basketball tournament is postponed. In addition, all SDHSAA state basketball tournaments for next weekend, along with the Visual Arts competition, are also postponed. The Student Council Convention, all Region music contests, and All-State Band scheduled for later this month are cancelled.This is a difficult decision and comes amid constant conversation and information sharing between the SDHSAA, the Governor’s Office, and the Department of Health. We will evaluate the future of the postponed events in concert with those same entities. The safety of everyone involved is our foremost concern, followed by exploring all options to provide the student-athlete with the opportunity to finish their season.We thank everyone for their patience and understanding in a very difficult time, and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.Dan Swartos, SDHSAA Executive Director
  • DSU is postponing, moving to virtual, or cancelling all events through April 13. This precautionary measure is to lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure to the university community. Updates are available on dsu.edu regarding specific events.


UPDATED (March 12th, 2020 – 10:00 p.m.) – Here is an updated announcement from the Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary Schools:

DRSM School Announcement

UPDATED (March 12th, 2020 – throughout day) – The following events in the area have had changes due to the virus:

  • The Dell Rapids Middle School choir’s National Anthem performance at the Sioux Falls Stampede game scheduled for March 27th has been cancelled due to the hockey league suspending games.
  • The Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library has posted this update to their Facebook Page:
    In effort to protect our patrons and staff from the continuing spread of influenza and the rapid spread of COVID-19, the library has been and will be implementing the following changes immediately:

    • ALL library programming is cancelled through the month of April. You can still join us online TUESDAY mornings at 9:00 AM for our Storytime Live on Facebook.
    • All stuffed animals and toys have been pulled from the children’s area, cleaned and stored until further notice.
    • All library surfaces and computers are being cleaned daily.We are so sad to have to cancel our library programs but the health and safety of our patrons and staff are the most important thing to us. We are looking forward to finding new and creative ways to reach out to everyone online via Facebook Live and other social media outlets.We are still OPEN to the public, but will NOT be having any programming events until further notice.Please stay tuned for any further updates.
  • The 2019-20 Big Sioux Youth Basketball League (Harrisburg) tournaments have been cancelled. This includes the 2nd Grade Boys and 2nd-6th Grade Girls Tournaments that were scheduled to be played on Mar 14 and the 3rd-6th Grade Boys Tournaments that were scheduled to be played on Mar 20-21. Tournament games will not be rescheduled.
  • The SDHSAA has implemented a limited ticket policy for the the girls State B Tournament in Spearfish starting with tonight’s session.
  • The South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association has officially canceled the AAU youth regional tourney on Saturday at the Corn Palace and the youth state tourney on March 28-29 in Rapid City
  • Mayor Paul Ten Haken of the City of Sioux Falls is declaring a state of emergency in Sioux Falls as a result of coronavirus outbreak.  This emergency limits all large gatherings of 250 people or more in Sioux Falls for the next 14 days at city-owned facilities.
  • All public universities in South Dakota will extend their spring break by one week to Friday, March 22nd and cancel non-essential travel
  • Dakota Wesleyan University will be extending spring break for students through Tuesday, March 17. All classes currently being delivered face-to-face will transition to an online format beginning on Wednesday, March 18. The anticipated date for resumption of face-to-face course delivery is Monday, March 30.
  • The NAIA has cancelled the men’s and women’s national basketball tournaments.  The men were playing at the Sanford Pentagon, and the women were playing in Sioux City.
  • The Indoor Football League (Sioux Falls Storm play in this league) will suspend its season following games Saturday
  • The NCAA has cancelled all winter and spring sports championships.


Original Story (March 11th, 2020) – As the Covid-19 virus spreads across the country and globe, the virus has now reached South Dakota and the area.  The South Dakota Department of Health confirmed five positive tests on Tuesday, March 10th and three more on Wednesday, March 11th.  The state has had 27 tests come back negative with 11 more pending tests.  There has also been one death in South Dakota from a positive test in Pennington County.

Minnehaha County has three of the eight positive tests as of Wednesday.  The West Central School District closed their schools on Wednesday and they will remain closed until Monday, March 16th for deep cleaning.  Augustana University in Sioux Falls is extending its spring break for students until Friday, March 20th.  Several events in Sioux Falls have also had change of plans.  The Men’s NAIA Division II National Basketball Tournament being held at the Sanford Pentagon will be limited to immediate family and essential personnel only.  No fans will be allowed to attend the games.  The same is true for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls as well as the Women’s NAIA Division II National Basketball Tournament being held in Sioux City.

Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary schools have not made any announcements of school closings as of now, but they are constantly monitoring the situation in the state.  Dr. Summer Schultz sent an email Wednesday evening, which is shown at the bottom of this page.

Also as of Wednesday afternoon, Executive Director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association Dan Swartos has said the state basketball tournaments will play as planned without restrictions.  The girls class B tournament will be held in Spearfish March 12th – 14th.  The boys class B, girls and boys class A, and girls and boys class AA tournaments will be held March 19th – 21st.   Swartos did mention in a release that they will continue work with the state agencies to monitor and continually reassess the situation.

Experts have said that people should be implementing social distancing/avoid large crowds, have good hygiene which includes washing hands for at least 20 seconds and wash them often, do cleaning of their surroundings, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and if you’re feeling sick to stay home.  The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

DRHS Covid-19 Email - 3-11-20

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