Former Emery resident training for law enforcement career
LEITHEISER PURSUES LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER Former Emery resident Zach Leitheiser holds his son, Hudson, while pictured with family members (from left) fiancé Emma, mother-in-law Sherie, grandmother Delores, and father Brian. Leitheiser is currently training to become a Dickinson County Deputy Sheriff in Iowa. (Submitted photo) Owen Reitzel | Editor...
Touchstone Energy Honor by Mitchell Technical College Foundation
Touchstone Energy Cooperatives were recently named Industry of the Year by the Mitchell Technical College Foundation during its annual Donor Appreciation Reception, recognizing...
Annual Snow Check Shows Just a Dusting
As part of an annual January tradition, a photo of the McCook Country Club sign in Salem is taken to document winter snowfall. The 2026 photo, snapped in the morning of Tuesday,...
Current News
Current News
Rails of Progress: How the railroad shaped McCook and Hanson Counties
Looking Back The arrival of the railroad played a defining role in shaping both McCook County and...
Mahjong comes to Salem
Carla Snyders | Writer snyderscarla@gmail.com Mahjong has found a devoted following in Salem,...
Save lives during National Blood Donor Month
Freeman Blood Drive Kick off the new year by observing National Blood Donor Month and saving...
Bingo Saturday at Salem Legion
Frank J. Brune American Legion Post 140 in Salem will be hosting Bingo this Saturday night,...
Stiefvater is SD CattleWomen scholarship recipient
South Dakota CattleWomen (SDCW) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Next Generation...
Nathan and Sydney Krempges’ baby shower
Nathan and Sydney Krempges of Salem are celebrating the upcoming arrival of their little baby girl...
Feterl 50th anniversary card shower request
Lee and Mary Ann Feterl will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on January 23, 2026. Their...
Huls honored with core value award
NAI Sioux Falls recently honored their team with 2025 awards of excellence during a breakfast at...
No-Till Association to host 2026 Soil Health Event
The South Dakota No-Till Association will be hosting their annual soil health/no-till educational...
It’s wild how we change without realizing it
Healing, learning, becoming… one version at a time Carla Snyders | NCP Writer...
How great is our God
You, Me & Jesus Sue Schmidt | Correspondent God has held the oceans in the hollow of His hand...
Return to sender: Common sense
Rep.Dusty Johnson The United States Postal Service (USPS) is not meeting the needs of South...
Obituaries
James Osterloo
Age 78 Hartford, SD January 15, 2026 James “Jim” Robert Osterloo, 78, of Hartford and formerly of Emery and Freeman passed away at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls on January 15. A Celebration of Life will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23 at St....
Dean Ahrendt
Age 75 Hartford, SD January 4, 2026 Dean Charles Ahrendt, 75, of Hartford passed away surrounded by his family on January 4, 2026, at his home under hospice care. Funeral mass was held on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at St. George Catholic Church in Hartford. Dean...
Thomas Gordon
Age 80 Scotland, SD January 6, 2026 Thomas Gordon, 80, of Scotland, SD passed away on January 6, 2026, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD. Funeral mass was held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Montrose. Thomas F. Gordon was...
Phyllis Johnson
Age 85 Newell, SD December 15, 2025 Phyllis “Rosie” Johnson, 85, of Newell, SD, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Monday, December 15, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be conducted by the family at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of...
Barbara Sidoriak Hanlon
Age 86 Bridgewater, SD January 1, 2026 Barbara Hanlon, 86, returned to God’s care peacefully on the morning of January 1, 2026 while residing at the Diamond Care Nursing facility in Bridgewater, South Dakota. Born Barbara Sidoriak on June 28, 1939 in New York City,...
Juliann Haiar
Age 94 Marion, SD December 26, 2025 Juliann Marie Haiar, age 94, of Marion, SD (formerly of Alexandria, SD), died Friday, December 26, 2025 at the Tieszen Memorial Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 3, 2026 at St. Mary of Mercy...
Richard Bellin
Age 81 Montrose, SD December 22, 2025 Richard Bellin, 81, of Montrose, SD, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, December 22, 2025 surrounded by his family. Rich was born on February 15, 1944 at home by a mid-wife in O’Neill, NE to Charles and DeEtta (Henry)...
Shelli Kirby
Age 62 Salem, SD December 27, 2025 Shelli Kirby, 62, of Salem, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2025, in the comfort of her home surrounded by loved ones. She fought a hard battle over the last year suffering from cancer (leukemia). Shelli successfully battled...
Sports
Pirates take down Hawks at home
KRINKE FOR TWO! Canistota junior Dayne Krinke puts up two of his six points against Avon on Tuesday, January 13 in Canistota. The Hawks lost to the Pirates, 28-58. The Canistota Hawks boys basketball team suffered a 60-28 home loss to the Avon Pirates on Tuesday,...
Avon hands Canistota loss in home action
CANISTOTA GIRLS ON DEFENSE Canistota’s Gabbie Eichmann (#21 at right) and Roo Acheson (#2 at left) close off the lane and try to stop Avon’s Breanna Hento (#12) from scoring on January 13 at home in Canistota. The Pirates defeated the Hawks 22-53. The Canistota Hawks...
Cossacks top Fighting Cougars in Salem
DORR PREPARES TO PLAY DEFENSE McCook Central/Montrose senior Dawson Dorr prepares to play defense in an MCM boys basketball game earlier this month in Salem. Dorr and his teammates faced Colman-Egan in Montrose on Tuesday and will host Flandreau in a boys/girls...
Bridgewater-Emery and Hanson girls basketball roundup
MCM’S LUETH LOOKS FOR OPEN TEAMMATE McCook Central/Montrose senior Natalie Lueth (#2) looks to pass against Hanson senior Dana Degen (#22) during the Fighting Cougar’s victory in Hanson last week. (Photo/Owen Reitzel) HANSON’S DOYLE LOOKS FOR OPEN SHOT Hanson’s Ava...
Fighting Cougars Head to Parkston for “Little B” Wrestling Tournament
The McCook Central/Montrose Fighting Cougars boys wrestling team will be on the road Saturday, January 24, as they travel to Parkston to compete in the annual “Little B” Wrestling Tournament. The Little B Tournament traditionally draws a strong and diverse field, and...
MCM girl wrestlers compete in Salem quad, Harrisburg tourney
Last week the McCook Central/Montrose girls wrestlers competed in Salem at their own quad (MCM, Tri-Valley, Kingsbury Co. and Canton) on Thursday. MCM’s Kara Kocmich went 1-1, Charlee Koch went 0-2, and Ellie Stofferahn went 3-0 in exhibition matches that did not...
Sioux Valley pulls away late to defeat MCM
The McCook Central/Montrose Fighting Cougars girls basketball team dropped a 59-43 decision to the Sioux Valley Cossacks on Thursday, January 15, in Montrose, as Sioux Valley used a strong second half to pull away. MCM came out sharp in the opening quarter, building...
MCM hosts quad in Salem
This past Thursday, January 15, the McCook Central/Montrose boys wrestling team hosted a quad in Salem. MCM took on three of the top-ten ranked teams in Class B. They dropped all three duals. They lost to Canton, Tri-Valley, and Kingsbury County in non-conference...