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Four coaching greats set to be inducted into the S.D. High School Coaches Association hall

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Four coaching greats set to be inducted into the S.D. High School Coaches Association hall


Note: The print edition of this story incorrectly lists these four as going into the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame this Friday. They are going into the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July.

MITCHELL — Four coaching greats will be inducted into the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July.

Bill Weber of Watertown, Kim Nelson of Sioux Falls, Jerome Garry of Madison and Jeff VanLeur of Emery are slated to be inducted during the 54th annual SDHSCA Awards Ceremony scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at 1 p.m. In the Mitchell MCTEA Performing Arts Center.

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Bill Weber

Weber spent 35 years as a teacher and football/track and field coach in Rosholt, Mitchell and Watertown.

He was a nine-man football head coach for Veblen-Rosholt and the state’s first three-school co-op (Tri-School with Rosholt, Veblen and New Effington) from 1986-2004 before serving as an assistant in the sport for Mitchell (2004-2006) and Watertown (2006-2021). He compiled a 97-67 record as a head coach with eight Eastern Coteau Conference titles, three Region 1 titles and a runner-up finish in Class 9A. Weber also was an assistant on Watertown’s state Class 11AA runner-up team in 2013.

In track, he coached five individual and two state relay champions along with two Veblen-Rosholt teams that placed fourth in the state meet.

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Weber served as president of the South Dakota Football Coaches Association from 2000-02 and was inducted into the SDFBCA Hall of Fame in 2018. He also received the SDFBCA Keeper of the Game Award in 2015. He was twice nominated for the South Dakota High School Football Coach of the Year award and twice earned Region 1 Coach of the Year honors.

His lengthy list of honors includes being named the NHSACA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022 and South Dakota Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021 and receiving a Max Hawk Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota High School Activities Association in 2014. He also served as president of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association in 2010-11.

Kim Nelson

Nelson’s 45-year football coaching career included stops at Milbank, Rapid City Central, Sioux Falls Washington and Roosevelt as well as Edina, Minn.

With career record of 314-154, Nelson is the winningest coach in South Dakota high school football history. He led his teams to numerous Northeast, Sioux Interstate and Greater Dakota Conference titles along with a state Class 11AA championship with Roosevelt in 2011 and state runner-up finishes in Class 11A at Milbank (1983), Class 11AA at Washington (2002) and Class 11AAA at Roosevelt (2013, 2014 and 2017).

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His list of honors includes numerous conference and region Coach of the Year awards, the South Dakota Football Coach of the Year Award in 2011 and the Dakota State University Alumni Coach of the Year in 2001.

Nelson has been a member of the South Dakota Football Coaches Association since its inception, served as the group’s president in 2012-13 and executive secretary from 2019-2023 and was inducted into the SDFBCA Hall of Fame in 2017.

In addition, he received the American Youth Character Builder Award from Character Counts and an Award of Gratitude from the Communication Services for the Deaf in 2000, was a national finalist for the Power of Influence Award in 2004 and a national finalist for the High School Football Coach of the Year in both 2015 and 2024.

Jerome Garry

The 1975 Garretson High School graduate played football, basketball, wrestling and track and field before continuing his football career as a tight end for South Dakota State University.

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His 40-year teaching and coaching career began in 1979 at O’Gorman High School, where he spent eight years. He later spent 20 years at Madison High School (1987-2007) before closing his career at Lourdes High School (2007-2019) in Rochester, Minn.

Garry enjoyed success as a coach in football, serving as an assistant on three state Class 11AA championship teams at O’Gorman before compiling a 74-66 record in 14 seasons as the head coach at Madison. He also served as an assistant at Lourdes where the teams went a combined 102-18 with three state Class AAA championships in 10 seasons.

He also coached Madison to a state powerlifting championship but really made his mark as a head boys and girls track and field coach. At Madison, he led the Bulldogs to five Class A boys and seven combined state titles. He also coached state champion athletes in the sport at both O’Gorman and Lourdes.

Garry spent three years as the Executive Director of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association and has received many honors, including the NFHS Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2001 and the South Dakota High School Activities Association Track and Field Coach of the Year in both 1993 and 1994. He was a finalist for the NHSACA Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2005. He also received the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence from South Dakota State in 2010 and the Max Hawk Award (SDHSAA Distinguished Service) in 2021.

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Jeff VanLeur

VanLeur has compiled an impressive 45-year coaching career in South Dakota that has included 45 years as head coach in football and boys and girls track and field, 25 years as an assistant boys basketball and four years as a head coach and 17 as an assistant in girls basketball.

At the completion of the 2024 season, VanLeur had a 300-137 career record in football that has included six state Class 9AA championships (2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013) and a state Class 11B championship in 2019. His teams also produced state Class 9AA runner-up finishes in 1993 and 2009 and Class 11B runner-up finishes in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

The run of success also has featured 12 Cornbelt Conference titles between 1989-2009 and Big East Conference titles in 2018-2020.

Other coaching highlights include being an assistant on four state-tournament teams (1987, 1990, 1994 and 1995) and top finishes as a head coach in girls track (third in 2006) and boys track (fourth in 1994).

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VanLeur served as a board member for South Dakota Football Coaches Association from 2000-2002 and the South Dakota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association from 2007-2022. His various honors include being named the South Dakota High School Football Coach of the Year in 2007-08 and Region 6 Football Coach of the Year six times as well as a nominee for the American Football Coaches Foundation Power of Influence Award in 2015. He was inducted into the SDFBCA Hall of Fame in 2014.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com



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SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 22, 2025

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

03-18-36-41-54, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

09-16-23-34-46, Lucky Ball: 07

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

01-09-18-19-44, Star Ball: 02, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America 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.

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.



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ICE in SD — from small towns to Operation: Prairie Thunder

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ICE in SD — from small towns to Operation: Prairie Thunder


Molly Wetsch

Reporter / Report for America corps member
605-531-7382
molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org

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Five months after Operation: Prairie Thunder officially began, the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s collaborative anti-crime and immigration enforcement effort will continue into the new year, the governor’s office has confirmed.  

The program was originally announced by Gov. Larry Rhoden to take place from July 28 through December.

One portion of Operation: Prairie Thunder involves the state’s entrance into multiple 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allow ICE to delegate some authority to state and local law enforcement agencies.

That happened as immigration enforcement operations ramped up after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who nominated former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the Department of Homeland Security secretary.

Under Trump and Noem, more than 500,000 people have been deported from the country, according to Homeland Security, which has not released state-by-state deportation numbers.

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ICE arrest data indicates focus on Hispanic, male individuals

In South Dakota, ICE and Homeland Security have been visible, especially in small towns in the eastern part of the state.

In July, ICE confirmed an active investigation at the Trail King Industries Inc. manufacturing plant in Mitchell, though no further information has been released about whether that investigation resulted in arrests, detainments or deportations.

In May, Manitou Equipment and Global Polymer Industries in Madison saw eight people arrested on immigration charges.

And in October, Drumgoon Dairy near Lake Norden confirmed that the company had been subjected to an immigration audit by Homeland Security, which is not the same as an immigration raid. But it resulted in the forced termination of 38 employees with citizenship information that was outdated, inaccurate or incomplete.

While nationwide ICE arrests and deportations have targeted a wide variety of individuals from multiple countries – including in neighboring Minnesota, where Somalian people have been the most recent target of ICE operations – South Dakota arrests have involved nearly all Hispanic people.

Most recent ICE arrestees in South Dakota are citizens of Mexico and Central America, with the majority coming from Mexico and Honduras, and 98% are male, according to government data obtained via a FOIA request from the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by South Dakota News Watch.

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chart visualization

The project currently retains accurate state-based data from July 1 to Oct. 15. The data cannot accurately reflect any arrests prior to July 1 but can help to understand general arrest trends in South Dakota. 

Hispanic people across the state have reported feeling less safe, said Ivan Romero, vice president of the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Latino Festival and Parade, which is hosted in Sioux Falls by the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was canceled this year due to safety concerns, Romero told News Watch in October.

Hispanic population thrives in one small SD town

Rural towns like Plankinton, population 768, are growing their community services to fill needs.

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“That was unfortunate, but people just don’t feel comfortable coming to Sioux Falls at this point,” he said.

The vast majority of detainer requests from July 1 to Oct. 15 went to the Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls, followed by the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City and the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. 

chart visualization

The Deportation Data Project defines detainer requests as “all requests to state, county, and municipal jails and prisons either for a person to be held on a detainer or for a notification of release date and time. A detainer is a request to a local jail to hold someone for 48 hours beyond when they otherwise would be released so that ICE can make an arrest in the jail while the individual remains detained.”

ICE said that detainer requests are most often lodged against an individual in an agency’s custody that poses a “public safety threat.” Other Homeland Security agencies can issue detainers, but most come from ICE, according to the agency’s website.

Operation: Prairie Thunder focuses on drug operations

To date, ICE has signed more than 1,200 287(g) agreements with agencies in 40 states, including five with various South Dakota agencies enabling parts of Operation: Prairie Thunder.

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Those agreements take three different forms:

  • Task Force Agreement: The “force multiplier” program that allows law enforcement officers to adopt limited immigration enforcement duties, with ICE oversight. The South Dakota Highway Patrol signed this agreement on May 22 and the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigations signed it on June 11.
  • Warrant Service Officer: Allows law enforcement officers to execute warrants on behalf of ICE on individuals in their agency’s jail. The South Dakota Department of Corrections signed this agreement on Aug. 28, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office signed it on March 17 and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office in Pierre signed it on March 7.
  • Jail Enforcement Model: Allows law enforcement officers to identify and process individuals who may be in violation of immigration laws while they are serving time in their agency’s jail. The DOC signed this agreement on July 25.

While Operation: Prairie Thunder’s immigration enforcement prong has been well-publicized in the state, the majority of the program’s activity comes from enhanced traffic monitoring and drug enforcement, according to data released from the governor’s office.

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According to a press release from Operation: Prairie Thunder, 260 of 406 – 64% – of individuals currently in custody as a result of Operation: Prairie Thunder have a drug charge and 156 have been cited with a drug charge and released. More than 2,000 traffic citations have been issued.

The “ICE Contacts” section of Operation: Prairie Thunder’s most recent dataset said that 89 people had been contacted in ICE-related situations since the program was announced. A representative from the Department of Public Safety told News Watch in a statement: “The intent of (Operation: Prairie Thunder) is to reduce crime in our communities.

“It is important to note that any ICE contacts are incidental contacts – we aren’t seeking out illegal aliens during the saturation patrols. However, the 287(g) agreement allows us to coordinate swiftly with ICE if a stop uncovers undocumented individuals. Those undocumented, non-citizens, are the people counted as ‘Individuals Contacted.’ Not all of those found to be undocumented are taken into custody, per ICE guidance, therefore the ‘Contacts’ and ‘Arrests’ sections differ.”

The program, which initially concentrated most of its efforts in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area, has started other efforts across the state.

Operation: Prairie Thunder most recently carried out operations in Belle Fourche, Huron and Yankton, where 75 individuals were taken into custody, 42 with a drug charge. Twenty-seven people were identified as ICE contacts.

The city of Brookings issued a statement on Dec. 12 that the operation would be coming to town Dec. 17-19 and that the city “would not be participating.”

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Josie Harms, Rhoden’s press secretary, said the ongoing arrest and citation statistics indicate successful crime-fighting efforts.

“Our results remain impressive, and it is clear that this operation is keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free — so we are going to keep it up,” Harms said in a statement.

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email for statewide stories. Investigative reporter Molly Wetsch is a Report for America corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.



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No. 2 Texas shakes up South Dakota State, 70-51

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No. 2 Texas shakes up South Dakota State, 70-51


Guard Jordan Lee knocked down three triples to pace Texas with 17 points in addition to four of the team’s 13 steals, while junior forward Madison Booker notched 14 points and nine rebounds and guard Rori Harmon added 11 points and seven assists.

Texas shot 45.5 percent from the field while holding South Dakota State to 36.6 percent, outscoring the Jackrabbits in the paint by 20 points, 44-22, and from the bench, 20-13.

The Longhorns jumped out to a quick start with a 12-0 lead as Lee hit an early three and the Texas defense held South Dakota State scoreless for the majority of the opening quarter until the Jackrabbits utilized a 10-3 run and closed out the first period trailing, 17-13. Texas outscored the Jackrabbits by five in the second quarter, hitting 47.1 percent from the field to keep a 33-24 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, South Dakota State cut the Texas lead to eight, but Harmon foundBooker for an elbow jumper to keep the Longhorns ahead by 10 points. Center Kyla Oldacre held the paint down with four points and a rebound to extend the Texas lead to 49-34.

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In the final period, Texas guard Bryanna Preston made tremendous effort with a strong move to the basket with a three-point play in her return from injury after missing five weeks to push the lead to 21 points. Later, Preston stole the ball and found Lee in the corner for her third three of the game to extend the Texas lead to 66-43. The Longhorns ended up shooting 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from the field in the final quarter.

Next up, Texas hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 1 p.m. Central on SEC Network.



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