Connect with us

South Dakota

At the top: Hanson's Jim Bridge becomes South Dakota's all-time winningest girls basketball head coach

Published

on

At the top: Hanson's Jim Bridge becomes South Dakota's all-time winningest girls basketball head coach


ALEXANDRIA, S.D. — Hanson High School girls basketball head coach Jim Bridge has never been a person to make a big deal about celebrating a major accomplishment of his own.

He might have to make an exception Friday night.

Bridge became the all-time winningest head coach in South Dakota girls basketball history as the Beavers cruised to a 74-25 victory at Hanson High School over visiting Bridgewater-Emery.

The victory marked the 630th of his coaching career and, much like the selfless nature his team has played with all season long en route to an 11-1 start, he chose to focus on the players and the relationships he’s built over the years.

Advertisement

“The number is a number, it’s just a number,” Bridge said. “But the kids that you get to work with, the relationships (you form), you can’t beat that. That’s priceless.”

Bridge is one of only two head coaches in the history of South Dakota girls basketball to have amassed 600 or more victories. Legendary girls head coach Dawn Seiler won 629 games in her 36 years coaching McIntosh and Aberdeen Central, a mark Bridge tied with Hanson’s victory over Sanborn Central/Woonsocket on Jan. 23.

Jim Bridge (center) discusses with his team during a timeout at a Hanson High School girls basketball game Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, in Alexandria.

Blake Durham / Mitchell Republic

Advertisement

Reflecting on all the great coaches in girls basketball history, like Seiler and Rob Van Laecken of Parkston, Bridge thought he would have reached the all-time mark sooner than Friday night. During rough stretches, Bridge admits he is his biggest critic, which serves as motivation to keep going throughout his 38 seasons.

“If anybody’s going to be hard on me, it’s gonna be me,” he said. “I never felt I was good enough, I always thought I should’ve done better, and I knew I should do better.

“When I first started, we won four games my first year. Second year, we won five. Somebody told me we’ve been averaging 17 wins a year, so I’m proud of that.”

The record has changed hands between the state’s coaching greats in Van Laecken, Seiler and now Bridge. Ironically, Van Laecken’s Parkston squad beat Bridge’s Beavers in 2011 when Van Laecken hit career win No. 551, which matched former Sioux Falls Roosevelt coach Fred Tibbetts. Van Laecken won 593 games and retired in 2014 and Seiler set the new record in 2019 before retiring in 2021 at 629 wins.

Bridge’s coaching career began at the former Springfield High School a year after he graduated from Wagner. He served as an assistant coach under Burnell Glazer at Armour, where he taught while finishing his teaching degree at Northern State, honing his craft. He began coaching at Hanson in 1985. In addition to coaching the Hanson girls, Bridge also serves as the district’s superintendent and athletic director.

Advertisement

For the current Beavers players, they’re appreciative of his vast knowledge of what he brings to the court during practices and games days, as well as his love for the game of basketball.

Jim Bridge 1-26-24 2.jpg

Jim Bridge (left) observes his players on the floor during a Hanson high school girls basketball game Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, in Alexandria.

Blake Durham / Mitchell Republic

“He really cares about his team,” senior Cadence Jarding said. “He really knows the game. So it helps us be a better team because he really knows a lot about the sport.”

Advertisement

“It’s been really fun playing for him,” junior Kylie Haiar said. “He helps us work together and play as a team.”

Through it all, Bridge has remained focused on making a difference in all the kids’ lives, and will continue to beyond this season. But he did make a few admissions about his time as a coach.

“There were a lot of national anthems and bus rides,” he said. “A truck-load of practices and a lot of heartaches. The wins are great, the losses are what you remember. The losses are painful because, ultimately, you want (to win) for them.”

Blake Durham

Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.

Advertisement





Source link

South Dakota

SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 10, 2026

Published

on


The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Advertisement

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing

03-27-43-45-49, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

South Dakota

Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package

Published

on

Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package


PIERRE — Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.

The House of Representatives voted

42-27

in support of

Advertisement

Senate Bill 245

, which would pull future revenue from a scheduled sales tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% next year into a relief fund for homeowner property taxes, and use nearly $56 million in one-time money to seed the fund before the sales tax increase.

The Senate supported

House Bill 1323

, which would reduce the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on a local government’s decision to levy property taxes beyond limits set by the state. The Senate passed the bill 19-15.

Advertisement

Both bills have to return to the opposite chamber for consideration of amendments.

The Senate rejected

House Bill 1253

, which would cap annual assessment growth for owner-occupied homes and commercial properties at 5% annually and reset assessments back to market value every five years. The bill failed with a 9-24 vote.

The bills are part of a broader,

Advertisement

five-bill legislative package

targeted at property tax relief.

Another bill

in the package, which would allow counties to implement a half-percent sales tax with proceeds going to homeowner property tax credits, is awaiting the governor’s signature after he proposed it and it received both chambers’ approval.

The legislative budget committee is scheduled to consider a fifth piece of legislation in the package on Tuesday.

Advertisement

The bill

would reduce maximum property tax levies for school districts.

Sales tax bill overcomes concerns about future budget needs

SB 245 would capture revenue from the impending sales tax increase to deposit into a “homeowner property tax reduction fund” meant to reduce property taxes levied by school districts. The Legislature and then-Gov. Kristi Noem reduced the state sales tax rate three years ago but scheduled the reduction to sunset in 2027.

House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, told lawmakers on Monday that the bill would be an “investment in the people,” because it’ll give South Dakota homeowners more money to spend as they choose. Hansen, the bill’s sponsor and a candidate for governor, said that would lead to more spending and, therefore, more sales tax revenue. The state relies on sales taxes, while counties and schools rely on property taxes, and cities receive revenue from property taxes and sales taxes.

Advertisement

Some opponents said the legislation would favor wealthier, property-owning South Dakotans rather than lower-income renters.

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, speaks on the House floor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 9, 2026.

(Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, worried that automatically diverting future state revenue to reduce homeowner property taxes would come at the cost of other priorities, such as annual funding increases for state employees, Medicaid providers and public schools — which are known as the “big three” budget priorities. Lawmakers often

aim

Advertisement

to increase funding for the groups by 3% or inflation, whichever is less. An inflationary increase this legislative session would be 2.5%, according to the state Department of Education.

“We are just clawing to get 1.4% for the big three,” Weisgram said. “I don’t think any of us are proud of that.”

Hansen said the decision “is not an either-or” situation.

“We can help the property taxpayers in the state who desperately, desperately need it,” Hansen said, “and then I trust fully that this state is going to continue to grow and that we are going to be able to meet the needs of our core obligations of this state.”

The bill was introduced as an amendment to placeholder legislation last week, and it will head to the Senate for approval. The Senate narrowly rejected a

Advertisement

similar proposal

earlier this legislative session.

Senate approves lower signature threshold to force election on excess taxes

The version of House Bill 1323 that passed the Senate would set the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on an excess tax levy (often called an “opt-out”) for a local government at 2,500 or 5% of registered voters within its jurisdiction, whichever is less. The current threshold to refer decisions by a local government is 5% of registered voters in the district, without a 2,500 signature cap.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said it will still be difficult to refer decisions by a local government to voters.

Advertisement

“You’re talking dozens and dozens of volunteers, weeks of organized effort,” Howard said. “There’s not a lot of people that have been through that and can even organize that kind of effort. So it’s not a trivial bar.”

Because the bill was amended since it last appeared in the House, it’ll now go to the House for approval.

HB 1253 intended to provide South Dakota homeowners and commercial property owners predictable increases in their property assessments, which factor into property taxes they pay, over five year periods.

But opponents said the change would shift the property tax burden onto farmers and ranchers and surprise homeowners every five years when assessments would be re-based on market value, which could lead to double-digit increases in assessments.

This story was originally published on

Advertisement

SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.

______________________________________________________

This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

South Dakota

Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

Published

on

Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more


RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.

Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.

The interviewed was taped on Saturday.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Advertisement

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending