South Dakota
Woster: A big brother deeply devoted to his family
In the ticket line at Universal Studios long ago, my wife, Nancy, argued with her big brother about why he insisted on paying admission for her whole family.
Terry Gust lived in Los Angeles then — summer of 1986, I think. We visited from South Dakota. Already, he had paid for Disneyland and Magic Mountain. It was our turn, Nancy said.
“But you’re my little sister,’’ Terry told her softly. “I see you so seldom. This is one small thing I can do for you.’’ Whether it was the words or the gentle voice, Nancy got tears in her eyes.
I recalled that moment one recent morning when Nancy answered the phone and learned her big brother was gone. He died overnight in a long-term care place in New Mexico. I haven’t seen the official cause of death, but it was a complication of Alzheimer’s. It had been taking him so painfully slowly for three or four years. The end came more quickly than expected. A blessing, perhaps, but it hurt. To have him gone is sad. To think of him continuing to slip away is unbearable.
He was Nancy’s hero, the big brother — in her world from first consciousness until the day of the phone call. He teased her, taught her and protected her.
He was a hero of mine, too. He and my big brother were high-school pals. Whenever Terry stopped to pick up my brother to go drag Main, he made a point of noticing me — a small gesture but unforgettable to a shy younger kid.
He was taking business classes at Creighton University when I enrolled there as a freshman. When we rode home together on breaks, he treated me as an equal. I felt like one of the gods had reached down and touched a mere mortal.
He offered to loan his car to my friend that year for a spring dance. We walked down California Street to get it. Terry’s roommate said he and the car were gone, headed for Hawaii. I was awestruck. What guy just up and hits the highway for the Coast? Was he James Dean?
He reached Los Angeles, saw the Pacific Ocean and stayed for 30 years or so. Eventually, he tired of the Coast and moved to Longmont, Colorado, where he griped about the “Californians moving in and ruining the place.’’ He also found Joyce there. From then on, they were together. Together they biked and hiked and camped. Together, they escaped the cold for a small town in New Mexico.
It fell to Joyce to care for him as his disease progressed. I can’t find the words to tell her how grateful we were and are to her for all she did. We got occasional reports of the disease’s progression. She saw it day after day, night after night. She lived it all and kept loving him.
That Universal Studios memory, I realize, was a snapshot of who Terry Gust was. Deeply devoted to his family, he nevertheless lived far from the home place in the middle of South Dakota. He would never live here, but he couldn’t keep from coming back just often enough to remember his roots and his kin. He could be a curmudgeon now and then, but he could also fight playfully with a child over a box of Cheez-Its.
Nancy always says he was the kindest, gentlest person she ever knew. In return, when Nancy received a thick, hand-made quilt after she finished treatment for breast cancer 20 years ago, Terry wrote on it, “You are my anchor to my past, and I would be adrift without your joy and love to call me back here.’’
We have been fortunate that for the last two years, weddings in the Rockies have allowed us to share a cabin or house with Terry and Joyce for a few days. The wedding festivities were noisy, but Nancy and Terry found quiet moments to talk, laugh and remember. She could tell he was slipping, but at the center, she still found her big brother.
Since that morning call, we have been feeling adrift ourselves. We will miss his joy and love.
South Dakota
Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources announces $48 million for statewide projects
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has the approval of over $48 million in loans and grants for statewide projects.
Together with the Board of Water and Natural Resources, a total of $36,958,000 in state loans, including $425,000 in principal forgiveness, was authorized for drinking water and wastewater improvements.
More funding was distributed to the following programs:
BDM Rural Water:
- Received an additional $233,450 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to construct a new water treatment plant, install a new water reservoir, install a pipe to expand the water system, and replace water meters
Clay Rural Water:
- Received $334,250 in ARPA grant funds to construct two ground storage reservoirs near the Greenfield reservoir and the Wakonda Water Treatment plant
Mid-Dakota Rural Water System:
- Received $917,357.85 in ARPA grant to update the existing water system
Mitchell:
- Received $3,930,000 in Clean Water State Revolving Funds to upgrade the clay sanitary and storm sewer
Rapid City:
- Received a $14,512,000 Drinking Water State Revolving loan to make improvements to an existing well and also construct two new wells
Shared Resources:
- Received $1,500,000 in ARPA grant funds for a treatment plant, well field, distribution pipeline, and two storage tanks
Sioux Falls:
- Received $7,648,000 to complete a third connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System
- Received $17,746,000 to construct a new Southeast Basin sanitary force main
South Lincoln Rural Water System:
- Received $328,250 in ARPA funds to install an elevated water tank, new pump station, and new water treatment plant
South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources:
- Received $1 million in ARPA funds for its statewide Riparian Buffer Initiative
Toronto:
- Received $770,000 Drinking Water Revolving Loan to accommodate the Department of Transportation installing new storm sewers and highway surfacing
These programs are funded through a combination of federal appropriations, loan repayments, and bonds.
The board approved the funding during a January 8 meeting in Pierre.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 8 drawing
05-12-13-39-48, Lucky Ball: 13
Check Lucky 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.
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.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A harrowing scene at Sheridan Lake ended without serious injury Tuesday after a man, a woman and their dog fell through thin ice near the swimming beach, authorities said.
Keep pets on a leash and never attempt a risky rescue if someone falls through the ice, officials said. Call 911 immediately.
The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks agency advises that ice three inches or less is unsafe. Four inches is generally considered the minimum for walking, ice fishing or skating.
Lt. Casey Kenrick of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said the incident is a reminder to take extra precautions this winter.
“Usually at this time the ice is significantly thick on the lakes around the area, well, some aren’t even frozen all the way at this point. The temperatures have been up and down so much that the ice isn’t solid even though it may look like it is, so make sure you know the ice depth that you’re getting onto,” Kenrick said.
Kenrick said those precautions could mean the difference between a close call and a tragedy.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
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