South Dakota
Arts in the Park, Dr. Lucky’s block party special event permits receive council’s approval
MITCHELL — After a 17-year hiatus, Mitchell will play host to Arts in the Park in July.
The Mitchell City Council unanimously approved a special event permit on Monday that paved the way for Arts in the Park to be held on July 26-28 at Hitchcock Park.
“We now have 40 vendors who have already submitted applications. We’re looking to have over 100 art vendors,” said Jordan Hanson, who helped organize the event.
The event will bring artists from around the region to showcase their work and offer demonstrations.
For decades, Mitchell hosted Arts in the Park at Hitchcock Park. The event ended in 2007 after the death of a longtime organizer. Hanson said the three-day event was averaging total attendance numbers of around 9,000.
Nancy Conzemius played an instrumental role in past Arts in the Park, and she set out to revive it with the help of Hanson.
According to the map, the art vendors would be positioned along the road that stretches through the center of the park. The Hitchcock Park bandshell would serve as the music stage. A car show and kids events are also planned to be located along the north edge of the park.
Dr. Lucky’s Bar will be hosting a block party along Second Avenue on May 25.
The council approved the special event permit on Monday to allow the block party event.
Live music and food vendors are among the features of the block party.
Republic file photo
Sam Fosness joined the Mitchell Republic in May 2018. He was raised in Mitchell, S.D., and graduated from Mitchell High School. He continued his education at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in English. During his time in college, Fosness worked as a news and sports reporter for The Volante newspaper.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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