By Kristan Krogman

March 25 was the last day to file Primary Election nominating petitions. Partisan candidates are required to file by that date and are listed on the June 3 Primary Election ballot. Those running as an Independent can still file and are directly eligible for the General Election in November. The filing deadline for Independent candidates is April 29. 

The following are candidates who have thus far submitted their petitions.

Karen A. O’Brien has filed to extend her term as Register of Deeds.

Eva L. Iyotte is alone in filing for the District 3 County Commissioner seat. The seat is currently held by Cecil Brandis, Jr.

Four candidates will appear on the Primary Election ballot for the race for Mellette County Sheriff: Delta Emmett Anderson, Derris Dean Waukazoo, Jason L. Erwin, and Dennis L. Youngman. Mike Blom  is also in the running. He has filed as an Independent and will appear on the General Election ballot.

There were no partisan petitions turned in for the position of Mellette County Auditor, though current Auditor Jerry Schwarting has filed as an Independent and will be on the General Election ballot.

Troy E. Heinert is seeking re-election as District 26 State Senator. He will face John Koskan of Wood.

There will be a new Representative for District 26A as Larry Lucas’s term is up and he has moved out of the District. Candidates include Joshua Wilson and Shawn L. Bordeaux, both of Mission.

The race for South Dakota Governor includes three candidates up against incumbent Dennis M. Daugaard. They are Lora Hubbel, Susan Wismer, and Joe Lowe.

A new U.S. Senator will be elected to represent South Dakota as Sen. Tim Johnson has announced his retirement. Candidates include: Larry Pressler, Rick Weiland, Stace Nelson, Mike Rounds, Dr. Annette Bosworth, Jason Ravnsborg, and Larry Rhoden.

Rep. Kristi Noem’s two year term is coming to an end. She will face challenger Corinna Robinson.

Absentee voting for the June 3 Primary Election may begin in just a couple of weeks, on April 18.

The last day for new voters to register to vote and still be eligible to vote on June 3 is Monday, May 19.

By Kristan Krogman

The White River Tigers have returned from the 2014 State B Boys Basketball Tournament, this year placing 7th in a field comprised of strong contenders from top to bottom. 2014 marked the Tigers ninth straight trip to the State Tournament and here we take a look at how that stacks up historically.

There are two teams that clearly outdistance the competition when it comes to consecutive State Tournament appearances. 

Number one is Mitchell who put together an amazing run that spanned thirty years, 1983-2012. They qualified for the State A/AA (South Dakota went to a three class system in 1987) Tournament for nineteen straight years before missing the 2002 Tourney. They returned to State in 2003 and again every year after until 2013 when they did not qualify. Their thirty year run saw them qualifying for 29 of 30 State Tourneys.  

Sioux Falls Washington is  number two. They qualified for 14 of 15 State A Tournaments from 1940-1965, missing only in 1950.

Other schools with double digit runs, also both currently class AA schools, are Aberdeen (1952-’61 and 1987-’96) and Yankton (1928-’38).

Mitchell had a run of eight straight trips to the State Tourney in the 1920s, while SF Washington has a pair of runs spanning seven Tournaments (1920s, ‘40s) and string of eight in the ‘80s.

Schools with runs of six or greater and not already mentioned include: Brookings (6), Castlewood (6, 1998-’03, 2 titles during the run), Custer (6), Elkton (6, 1915-’20, 3 state titles), Huron (8, 9), Lead (6), Pine Ridge (6), Rapid City Central (6, 8, 8), Sturgis (7), Sully Buttes (8, 2005-’12, 1 state title), Watertown (6), and White River (9).

With the trip to this year’s State B, White River surpassed the class B record of eight, previously held by Sully Buttes, and now stands alone with the most consecutive trips to the State B Tourney. Sully Buttes won one state title in their run. White River, the only with an active streak from the list, has attained four titles during their run.

Among those listed earlier with Tournament appearance runs of six or more, Elkton (now Elkton-Lake Benton) and Castlewood are the only other teams, besides White River and Sully Buttes, currently listed in the Class B ranks. 

Other notables looking back at Class B Tournaments of the past are Northwestern (Mellette) who went to five straight Tournaments from 1986-1992 (two state titles) and Viborg-Hurley who were Runners-Up in three straight Tourneys (2011-’13).

(Tournament appearance information was compiled and listed in the 2014 State Tournament Program.)

The date for the Senior All-Star games has just been released. The 8th Annual Western Great Plains All-Star Basketball Games will be held Tuesday, April 8, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with the girls game. The boys game will follow, beginning at approximately 8 o’clock. 

Added events include three point shooting contests for both the boys and girls. They will be held at halftime of each respective game. Between games there will be a dunk contest.

The best boys/girls senior basketball players from the surrounding area will be participating and all are encouraged to come out and support them.

By Kristan Krogman

The South Dakota School Height and Weight Report has been released for the 2012-13 school year. The Height and Weight Report is a summary of height and weight data submitted by schools voluntarily, with this year’s data taken from just over thirty five percent of the state’s school children (190 participating schools). This data has now been collected and analyzed for close to fifteen years.

Through data submitted by participating schools, analysis is offered in regards to short stature, underweight, overweight, and obesity as compared to national standards. The main focus leans toward overweight and obesity as “South Dakota students  as a whole are neither short nor underweight.” An overweight classification results when BMI-for-age is listed between the 85th and 94th percentile; obese when the percentile exceeds 95.

The White River School District was among the schools participating in the most recent survey. They were ranked as follows in each category: 3% short stature (less than the 5th percentile); 2% underweight (less than the 5th percentile; 21% overweight; and 32.3% obese.  

These numbers compared with the overall numbers throughout the state of: 3.2 % short stature; 2.8% underweight; 16.6% overweight; and 16.0% obese.

The state is grouped into six regions for the study with students of region seven (west central and southwest corner) ranking the lowest overall with a combined overweight/obese percentage of 28.5. The largest overall percentage of overweight and obese combined came from region number five (north central and northwest) with a total of 45.1%.

Other breakdowns of combined overweight/obese ranged between thirty and thirty nine percent save for those age 5/8 (28.7%; White students (29.8%); and American Indian (48.6%). It was noted that though American Indians make up 15.4% of the state’s students, only 9.8% of the students surveyed were American Indian. 

Interestingly, gender seemed to be a non-factor in determining the prevalence of overweight/obese cases. Females saw a combined total of 32.1% of students recorded in the overweight/obese category, while males were only slightly higher at 3.1%.

The national Healthy People 2020 is central in the collection of data such as that presented in the School Height and Weight Report. The initiative is meant to “reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are considered obese”. The goal range is to have the percentages of obese between fourteen and seventeen percent (various numbers for different ages).

Obesity in children comes with a number of possible associated problems that could include psychological/psychiatric/cardiovascular problems, inflammation, diabetes, and asthma and usually carries on into adulthood. The focus of the 2020 initiative is to reduce these effects by zeroing in on the most common causes of obesity -- poor nutritional habits and physical inactivity.

Part of that focus has resulted in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that resulted in the USDA having established various nutrition standards for all food sold in schools, including vending and snacks. Starting in 2013-14 a number of factors will limited food and beverages sold in schools. Beverages are basically limited to water, unflavored milk or fat free, 100% juice; and among the choices for food are whole-grain rich, contain first ingredient of one of the main food groups, contain 10% daily value of calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or fiber). These regulations do not necessarily affect holiday/birthday celebrations, concession stands, or fundraisers.

Also part of the focus on reducing obesity is a guide for bringing more activity into the schools. The Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) is meant to help students get sixty minutes of physical activity every day. The Center for Disease Control released the guide in hopes that schools would use the CSPAP to help their students become more active. The five branches of the program include getting students moving through staff involvement, physical activity during school, physical education, physical activity before and after school, and family and community engagement.

You can find more on the Height and Weight Report at http:doh.sd.gov/statistics or other information on www.healthysd.gov

By Kristan Krogman

Eldon Marshall, White River, was inducted into the South Dakota State Amateur Basketball Association’s Hall of Fame over the weekend during the State tournament in Presho. 

Marshall was introduced Saturday during his induction ceremony as one of the greatest competitors in South Dakota amateur basketball over the past twenty years.

Playing on teams from Rapid City, Presho, and this year Pierre, Marshall has five State Amateur titles to his credit. This year’s Pierre All Around Graphix team picked up the A division title Sunday with a 101-98 win over Sioux Falls, giving Marshall his most recent title.

Earlier titles came in 1997 and 2001 with the Rapid City Kelly’s team (division A) and in 2008 and 2009 when he won with the team from Presho. Marshall was named Tournament MVP of the 2001 amateur championships. He is also South Dakota’s state amateur record holder for most three pointers with 117.

Looking back at his amateur career, Marshall’s favorite memories include his first title, won in Mobridge in 1997, and the State title won in 2001 in a game that went to three overtimes. A broken wrist that came at the end of the championship game in 2008 is another memory that stands out.

Marshall is thankful for the opportunities and memories he’s enjoyed through his many years of amateur basketball. 

“The tournament wouldn’t be what it is without all the people that make it happen,” he said in a statement during the induction ceremony. “I’m really thankful for all the relationships, all the friendships I’ve been able to gain with all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to play with over the years, that’s what make this tournament and being a part of this Hall of Fame so special for me.”

Earlier in his career, Marshall played his high school ball in Todd County, and then played for Black Hills State University through his college years. 

He’s gone on to a coaching career that began in St. Francis and continues in White River. The Tigers are two time defending Class B Champions and have been to the State Tournament the past eight years, including six straight championship game appearances. Marshall also serves as the athletic director at White River High School. He and wife Marc live in White River, along with children John, Dylan, Nicolas, and Maddox.

Four others, Scott Morgan (Mitchell), Donny Godell (Aberdeen) and Owen Garnos (Presho), were inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Basketball Association’s Hall of Fame this year. 

By Kristan Krogman

The White River Tigers entered post season play as the number one seed and clear favorite to win their ninth straight District 13B title. The Tigers didn’t disappoint, travelling a smooth path to the championship. They beat both Stanley County and Lyman County en route to the title.

The 2-18 Buffaloes of Stanley Co. were no match for White River in the semi-final game Thursday in Murdo. White River was led in scoring by Tavis Burbank with 20 points. Justice Morrison had five threes in the contest, totalling 15 points and Link Tucker played a well rounded game with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 9 steals. Three others also scored in double figures for the Tigers.

  WR   27  53  81  101

  SC     4   14  21   26

Tiger stats: Justin Prue 14 pts, 8 assists, 2 steals; Tré Iyotte 3 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assists, 2 steals; Link Tucker 14 pts, 4 rebs, 7 assists, 9 steals, 1 block; Tavis Burbank 20 pts, 8 rebs, 1 assists, 2 steals; Justin Folkers 10 pts, 1 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; Christian Bartlett 6 pts, 6 rebs, 1 assist, 3 steals; Bubba Young 6 pts, 7 rebs, 2 assists, 3 steals; Justice Morrison 15 pts, 1 reb, 2 assists, 2 steals; Tanner Larvie 1 reb, 2 assists; Gunner Piper 2 pts, 2 rebs, 3 steals; Bill Chauncey 5 pts, 5 rebs; Mat Beardt 1 rebound; Chris Eagle Bear 4 pts, 7 rebs, 1 steal, 1 block; and Cain Fairbanks 2 pts, 1 steal

The District Championship was held Friday night and pitted the Tigers against Lyman who upset Jones County in an exciting game the night previous.

Lyman came out with a lot of fire and kept things close through much of the first quarter. Trailing 7-8 with around three minutes remaining in the period, however, the Tigers went on an 11-0 run to end the period. The run gave White River the momentum they needed and they cruised to an 86-30 win.

  WR     18  41  66  86

  LY        8  14  22  30

Tiger stats: Prue 13 pts, 2 rebs, 2 assists, 4 steals;  Iyotte 17 pts, 1 reb, 4 assists, 4 steals; Tucker 3 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks; Burbank 18 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assists, 5 steals; Folkers 11 pts, 7 rebs, 1 block; Bartlett 7 pts, 6 rebs, 2 steals; Young 5 pts, 6 rebs, 1 assist; Morrison 1 pt, 4 steals; Piper 3 rebs, 1 steal; Chauncey 6 pts, 5 rebs;  Beardt 2 pts, 1 steal; Fairbanks 1 rebound

White River wasn’t alone in number one seeds who came out on top through district play. Of the sixteen Class B districts, all but four were won by the top seeded team. Upsets were virtually non-existent as the other four district winners were number two seeds. 

What set White River apart was the margin of victory in their semi-final and final round wins. The Tigers outscored their two opponents 187-56, a total margin of 131 points. Other district winners averaged a winning margin of just over 36 points (two game totals) with McLaughlin the closest to the Tigers, winning by a total of 69 points. Rosholt, the two seed in District one, had the lowest total, just a four point spread in their two wins.

The Tigers faced Oelrichs Tuesday evening in the Region  7B final, though results were unavailable for this week’s edition.