South Dakota
Miss South Dakota joins figure skaters at Black Hills clinic
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Dozens of skaters were in Rapid City this weekend for the 18th annual Black Hills Gold Rush competition and Sunday clinic. They were joined by this year’s Miss South Dakota, Joelle Simpson. Simpson is the only U.S. Figure Skating Quadruple Gold Medalist born in the Mount Rushmore State.
Club coach Debbie Minter led the clinic and helped teach a variety of skills and techniques, including the importance of building confidence.
”Some people are naturally confident and fearless and that’s awesome if they are, most of us are not and we have to learn it,” Minter said. “It 100% can be learned so we do work on that. One thing I think builds confidence is being prepared. Working hard enough that all the elements you are required to do are correct, good technique, many many repetitions, so that comes out when you perform.”
As Miss South Dakota, Simpson has taken a gap year from college at the University of Minnesota and has found herself wanting to give back to the Black Hills Figure Skating Club.
”I always knew that when I became a high level skater that I wanted to make sure that I could inspire others,” Simpson said. “And that’s one of the most important things that I try to instill every time that I skate but also as a coach now.”
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KOTA. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
The Salvation Army of Aberdeen, South Dakota, starts Red Bucket campaign in mid-November
The Salvation Army’s relationship to Christmastime goes back more than a century. This holiday season, the charitable organization will be out in Hub City beginning on Nov. 14, where residents can see the familiar red kettle street campaign around the area.
Last year, the Salvation Army of Aberdeen raised nearly $129,000 during several hundred hours of volunteer work. Captain Joseph Hixenbaugh says the group has new goals for 2025 and is aiming to raise more than $121,000 and hopes for about 1,400 cumulative hours of volunteering.
These funds help the Salvation Army continue to provide essential services to families and individuals in need across the local community during the season of giving, as well as beyond.
Some of the important items the Salvation Army provides with the money received include food boxes, backpacks, lodging, prescriptions, transportation, rent and utility assistance. This year, its leadership told the Aberdeen News the local Salvation Army seeks “food and volunteers to fill the many hours of time this Christmas.”
Hixenbaugh and his wife, Kendra, are new administrators for the Salvation Army of Aberdeen. They began here this autumn after previously working in Indiana.
Hixenbaugh says it is simple to become a volunteer. Interested parties can go to registertoring.com and type in the zip code 57401.
As a whole, the Salvation Army plans to bring hope and joy to those who may be struggling during the upcoming holiday season. The bell ringing around Hub City concludes on Christmas Eve.
South Dakota
Obituary for Ronda Egge at Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory
South Dakota
Here’s where to find hunger relief in Sioux Falls as SNAP benefits lapse
What are SNAP benefits and what happens during a shutdown?
SNAP helps 41.7M Americans afford food, but a shutdown could halt benefits starting November 1.
With the status of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in flux, food banks in the Sioux Falls area are gearing up for the possibility that they may be more crucial than ever.
On the afternoon of Oct. 31, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue providing the benefits using contingency funds and asked them to report on Nov. 3 about the progress made toward distribution.
Here’s a look at some local options for hunger relief.
Feeding South Dakota
The statewide nonprofit allows you to enter your location and find hunger relief, ranging from mobile food distribution or programs aimed specifically at children or seniors. The organization is also urgently seeking donations as the effects of the government shutdown continue. Call 605-335-0364 for assistance or email info@feedingsouthdakota.org.
Helpline Center
The organization maintains “food calendars” that list where food giveaways can be found.
The Salvation Army
The organization’s emergency food pantry is open on weekdays 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.
Faith Temple Food Giveaway
The organization gives away food on most Fridays between 4-6 p.m. at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds.
Food to You
Charis Ministry Partners distributes food on Thursdays at a rotating list of locations. Doors open at 5 p.m. and food is distributed 6-7 p.m.
- First Thursday: East Side Lutheran Church, 1300 E. 10th St.
- Second Thursday: Messiah New Hope Church, 5001 E. Madison St.
- Third Thursday: Augustana Lutheran Church, 235 North Prairie Avenue
- Fourth Thursday: St. John Lutheran Church, 1912 W. 13th St.
-
Milwaukee, WI6 days agoLongtime anchor Shannon Sims is leaving Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV (Channel 4)
-
News6 days agoWith food stamps set to dry up Nov. 1, SNAP recipients say they fear what’s next
-
Alabama1 week agoHow did former Alabama basketball star Mark Sears do in NBA debut with Milwaukee Bucks?
-
News1 week ago1 dead, 6 injured in shooting at Lincoln University homecoming festivities
-
Austin, TX1 week agoDia De Los Muertos Austin: Parades, Altars & Events
-
Politics1 week agoTrump to jet off to Asia as North Korea fires ballistic missiles and China trade questions loom
-
Seattle, WA6 days agoFOX 13’s Aaron Levine wins back-to-back Jeopardy! episodes
-
Culture5 days agoVideo: Dissecting Three Stephen King Adaptations