South Dakota
Beresford student wins second-straight state American Legion oratory contest
DEADWOOD, S.D. — A Beresford student is set to represent South Dakota on the national stage after winning her second-straight title in the American Legion’s oratory contest.
Elena Andrews earned first place this past weekend in the South Dakota American Legion’s High School Oratorical Scholarship Contest, hosted by Deadwood High School.
Held since 1938, the contest has encouraged the nation’s high school students to study the U.S. Constitution and to hone their public speaking skills. During the competition, students were tasked with delivering a prepared oration on the U.S. Constitution ranging from eight to 10 minutes.
Then, they’d be given a new topic related to the Constitution and given five minutes of prep time to deliver a three to five minute speech.
Students who competed at the state level had to first win local and district contests to compete at the state level.
Andrews placed first, capping off a back-to-back title run, and was rewarded with a trophy and a $1,500 scholarship from the American Legion. Beresford High School will also be given a plaque to display in their school’s trophy case.
Next, Andrews will head to the American Legion’s national competition, to be held in Hillsdale, Michigan on May 17-19. Scholarship prizes at the national level are $25,000 for first place, $22,500 for second place and $20,000 for third place.
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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