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All-State times two
Brandon Grebner/PAW PRINT
For three weeks, senior Jeff Melhaff practiced for his All-State
band audition. He was hard at work for at least a half an hour
a day for three weeks learning the music to “Trumpet Concerto.”
Melhaff competed against 108 other trumpet players in the state
for one of the 16 trumpet positions in the All-State Band. The
auditions took place at O’Gorman high school in Sioux Falls
on Jan. 4. His hard work and determination has paid off; he earned
the fifth chair in the band out of the possible 16 chairs. This
is the second year that Melhaff has been a part of the event.
“It was a great experience that I worked hard for and it
paid off for me,” said Melhaff. The concert, which is open
to the public and is free of charge, will be held March 29, at
8:00 p.m. in Yankton at the new Summit Center.
Couple is ordained in Iowa service
Henry and Sherry Lippert both were ordained into Christian ministry
Feb. 23 at the First Baptist Church, Ottumwa, Iowa.
Henry Lippert formerly taught vocal music in Parkston and Tripp
Schools, while Sherry Lippert worked with Horace Mann Insurance.
Area people who attended the event were: Mr. and Mrs. Tim Kelly
and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Lon Lippert and children, all of
Yankton; Delmar and Carol Guthmiller, Tripp; and Pamela Lippert
and children, Sioux Falls. Her husband, Major Harrison Lippert,
is serving as chaplain in Qatar.
Orphan Grain Train clothing drive set
Anyone wishing to give clothes to the needy may bring them to
Emmaus Lutheran Church hall, Tripp, on Monday, April 7.
From there, they will be taken to Orphan Grain Train, Norfolk,
Neb., to be boxed and shipped to the needy in this country, as
well as other countries.
Let’s dance!
The Tripp-Delmont Dance Team performed during half-time of the
boys’ basketball game on Parents’ Night, Feb. 25. Nikki
Polreis, left, Brittany Friederich and Sara Permann are three
of the members of the team that entertained the crowd. The team
is led by advisor Sherry Hansen, who said it is made up of cheerleaders
from the basketball and football teams. The Dance Team was started
last summer, she said, and has performed a couple of times prior
to Tuesday’s performance. The girls enjoy the routines, Hansen
said, which includes some stunting, such as lifting and tossing.
(PHOTO: Scott E. Ehler)
Supreme Court denies zoning rehearing,
election set
ELIZABETH ‘SAM’ GROSZ/Managing
Editor
Hutchinson County voters will be going to the polls April 15 to
decide the fate of a proposed hog operation in Wolf Creek Township.
The County Commissioners set the date Feb. 18 in response to the
South Dakota Supreme Court turning down the county’s request
for a rehearing on the matter. The high court Jan. 8 unanimously
turned over an earlier decision by Circuit Court Judge Lee Anderson.
The matter has been mired in controversy since Tripp native David
Meyer, now living in Illinois, applied for a conditional use permit
from the county about a year ago. Meyer sought to build his second
3,200-unit hog operation in the county; this one about seven miles
northwest of Freeman off Highway 44. Construction has been on
hold while the plan has traveled through planning and zoning,
board of adjustment, county commissioners, and the two levels
of court.
Meyer’s other operation is located in Sharon Township near
Tripp and did not run into such problems in its construction,
nor in its operation. The “Starburst” facility has been
in operation over two years.
The Commissioners’ Feb. 18 decision regarding the election
was not a matter of “whether” anymore, but “when.”
County Auditor Jerome Hoff said the Supreme Court ordered the
election. The county has 60 days from the Supreme Court’s
denial of reconsideration in which to hold the election. Hoff
said April 15 worked the best for getting ballots approved, printed
and made available for absentee voters. Historically, county elections
have about 200 absentee voters, he added. While the county had
72 percent turnout for the general election, Hoff said he didn’t
expect quite that much for this one.
Certain areas would be high, but he didn’t foresee it being
a high turnout across the county.
“Some town people don’t think it pertains to them,”
Hoff said, “but it does.”
The election has the attention of the rest of the state, however.
“If people would turn it down,” Hoff said, “what’s
that going to say to anyone else that wants to build?”
“It’s not going to just affect Hutchinson County,”
said Commission Chairman Gillas Stern. He said he had talked with
Minnehaha County Commissioner Jim Zweep during a recent meeting
in Pierre, who told him there was concern in Minnehaha because
of the controversy experienced “when someone wants to put
up a machine shed and do body work or whatever in the rural area.”
“If they grant or deny the permit, all the petitioner has
to do to is bring it to an election,” said Stern, adding,
“zoning has no teeth whatsoever.”
Ron Kirschenmann and Larry Stern, both from Wolf Creek Township,
were the two who pursued this matter, bringing it to a vote. Larry
Stern was present at the Feb. 18 meeting, noting that he was concerned
with how the ballot would be worded. He added that he did not
like the way it had appeared during the June primary when county
voters were asked to vote on a change in distances livestock operations
would have to be from towns and other such operations.
“People were confused,” Larry Stern said.
The explanation to be written by State’s Attorney Glenn Roth
was not available by the time of the meeting. Hoff said, however,
that it will be straightforward this time, whether a voter agrees
with the County Commissioners’ and board of adjustment’s
decision to grant the conditional use permit, or the voter disagrees.
Larry Stern asked why there had been no notice of the day’s
meeting and that the decision would be made. He said he wouldn’t
have known about it except that a newspaper reporter called him
for a comment the day before.
Hoff said he was notified by the State’s Attorney, since
that was the county’s legal counsel. Gillas Stern noted that
it would be up to Kirschenmann and Stern’s attorney, Jim
Abourezk, Sioux Falls, to notify them, as well as deal with any
wording changes needed.
“It goes to an election now,” said Gillas Stern.
Goodwill truck to visit Tripp
The Goodwill’s Ambassador Trailer will be receiving donated
items in Tripp, beginning Tuesday, March 11.
The trailer will be located in the lot next to the Bridal Suite
on Main Street and will stay parked through Monday, March 17.
Donations of sellable clothing, usable, working small appliances,
household goods, sporting goods and toys will be accepted. Furniture
and large appliances cannot be taken at this time.
The items should be placed as far to the front of the trailer
as possible.
Goodwill Industries is a non-profit organization that processes
and sells the donated items in their stores to support the programs
and services Goodwill provides to people with disabilities and
disadvantaging conditions.
