Practices for teams competing through the Fall are set to begin soon. 

Volleyball will begin with a parents/rules meeting  on Tuesday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Janklow Room. Practice will be held on Thursday, August 14 and Friday, August 15 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Football practice for the high schoolers starts on Thursday, August 14. That day's session will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Practice on Friday begins at 8 a.m. and will end around noon.

Cross country practice for grades 6 though 12 will begin on Monday, August 18. 

Middle School practice for football and volleyball will begin on the first day of school, Tuesday, August 19.

White River High School and Middle School students planning to participate in extra-curricular activities must have a physical and parent/guardian consent form on file. Practice and participation in any physical extra-curricular activity is prohibited without the necessary forms.

The first cross country meet will be on Friday, August 29 at Winner beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The first football game will be  hosted by White River on Friday, August 29 against Wall starting at 8 p.m.

The Lady Tiger Volleyball team will travel to Presho and take on the Lyman Raiders for their first match of the year on September 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Go Tigers!

School is right around the corner for students of the White River School District, with classes set to begin Tuesday, August 19. In preparation for the start of a new year, several dates have been set aside for registration and finalization of schedules.

Finalization of schedules for high school students was held August 5 in Norris. August 11 and 12 (Monday and Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. has also been set aside for anyone yet to finalize their 2014/15 schedules. Finalization on the 11 and 12 will be held at WRHS.

Parents of all students who will attend Norris Elementary are asked to register their children on Monday, August 11 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

All new students, including those attending White River Elementary or White River Middle School, are asked to pre-register in their respective building prior to the August 19 start date. 

Those seeking information on the Alternative School can contact Principal Colberg at the High School.

Achievement Days is next week for 4-Hers and Open Class exhibitors of Mellette and Jones counties. It will be held in Murdo August 6-8. 

The activities begin Wednesday afternoon with the small animal show. Rabbits, poultry, cats, dogs and more are expected at the event. The judging there begins at 3:30. Check-in of large animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs) begins at 4:30. Also as part of the large animal show is an open class Pen of Three show which is open to all producers in the area. Small animal events are at the Jones County Sportsman’s Club. The large animal show is at the Murdo rodeo arena.

Thursday, 4-H and Open Class check-in is from 4-6 p.m. at the auditorium. The Fashion Review will be held at 6 p.m., followed by a scavenger hunt and other games.

Exhibits will be on display beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday. A number of activities will also take place throughout the day. Tractor driving at 9, geocaching at the city park from 10-12, the ever popular Veggie Derby, as well as Cupcake Wars, and a Hawaiian Luau Pool Party, beginning at 7 to wrap up the fun.

The Appreciation BBQ and 4-H Awards and auction, as ever, will also be part of the evening activities. 

Achievement Days is the culmination of a full year of activities, involvement, and preparation as the youth join with community members in celebration and recognition of the results that come with effort. The public is invited to  take part in this annual celebration.

The community of Wood is gearing up for their 2014 All-School Reunion. The reunion is set for Saturday, August 9, and a variety of activities are planned for all to enjoy.

A Mellette County Historical Society sponsored bus tour will leave from the Community Hall at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Various points of interest, including old school building and other sites, will be included, as well as a sack lunch. The bus is expected to arrive back in Wood around 1 p.m.

Throughout the day Saturday, Kirch Library and the school/gym will be open for visitors, and guests are welcome there at any time. The school will also be open Friday for visitors. In addition, there will be activities for the kids, notably a coin sand pile in the park on Saturday afternoon.

Also at the city park, the time capsule that was buried 25 years ago will be opened. That will take place at 3 o’clock. A 2014 capsule will also be buried and anyone that would like to contribute is invited to bring items for the new time capsule.

At 6 p.m., reunion attendees will enjoy a roast beef dinner (guests can bring salads and desserts if they’d like). During the festivities Saturday evening will be roll call, photo opportunities, entertainment and more. Lane Moore from Vivian will be playing music at the Community Hall starting at 8:00 p.m.

The reunion committee, having sent out between 350 and 400 invitations, expects somewhere around 200-250 for this year’s reunion. The reunion is held the second Saturday in August every three years, and the 2011 reunion, held in conjunction with the Mellette County Centennial, hosted close to 400.

Honored classes for this year’s reunion are the classes of 1965 through 1968.

Wood High School operated between the years of 1938 and 1988. The graduating class of 1988 consisted of six (Kim Dimond, Valedictorian, Stacie Walton, Salutatorian, Marie Jackson, Cleveland Jackson, Russell White Hawk, and Craig Derry), as did that first graduating class from 1938. Three of those first year graduates were in attendance in 1988 for the final graduation ceremony (Mildred Harrison, Arlene Vesely, Mildred Kemnitz).

The folks of Wood have been prepping for the reunion now for several months and a number of community projects have been completed in anticipation of the event. A new tin roof has been installed  at Kirch Library, as well as a new door. The Community Hall has seen improvements that include new concrete. In the auditorium updated scoreboard and curtain are expected. Most recently a cleanup crew has been working to spruce up the town, trimming trees, mowing, and clearing rubbish.

Everything points to a fun weekend of coming home, catching up, visiting, and remembering as plans are in place for the 2014 Wood High School All-School Reunion. 

In just a few weeks, the Mellette County Livestock Improvement Association will host the 20th annual Pen of 3 Heifer and Livestock Show in White River, S.D. Many changes and updates to the show have been made in the past 19 years, and this year, the 20th anniversary of the show, is expected to be the best.

The divisions will be as follows:

English: Early Spring (calves born in January or February);

English: Mid-Spring (calves born in March);

English: Late Spring (calves born in April or May);

Purebred: Early Spring (calves born in January or February);

Purebred: Mid-Spring (calves born in March);

Purebred: Late Spring (calves born in April or May).

There will be three places awarded in each of these divisions, for a total of 18 winning pens possible.

As usual, one Overall Champion Heifer from the Pen of 3 competitions will be chosen, with the owner receiving a Montana Silver belt buckle. This winning calf has become known as
the “Buckle Heifer.”

In an effort to encourage young cattle producers to become involved, an entirely new division was created last year and met with such enthusiasm that it is being included this year as well. It is called the Young Ranchers Heifer Calf Division.

This division is only open to producers under the age of 30. They must own the calf and have their own brand. 

Each young rancher will be allowed to enter a single heifer calf in this division. All of these calves will be penned together for judging  purposes. The owner of the Grand Champion heifer calf will receive a belt buckle, and the Reserve Champion will be awarded a trophy.

Knowing that some of these young ranchers might be in high school or college at the time of the livestock show, they may have a parent or other adult bring their calf to the show for them, but they will have to be able to show that the calf belongs to the young rancher, and not a parent or other producer.

A division of Feeder Steer Calves will also be included this year, as in the past three years. 

Any producer may enter one steer calf in this competition. All steers will be penned together for judging, and trophies will be awarded for the Champion and Reserve Champion Feeder Steer calf.

This livestock show, although held in White River, is open to producers from across the area. 

The date of the show this year is Wednesday, August 20, 2014. Cattle will be checked in from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. CT, with judging beginning promptly at 11 a.m.

A free beef lunch is provided to all attendees, as well as numerous door prizes, of which you have to be present to win.

There is no fee to enter cattle in this show. If you would like additional information, you may contact MCLIA President Dan Krogman at 605-259-3688.

Little League made its official return to White River with games at the ball diamond on Thursday evening, June 19. White River hosted Wall for a pair of games, minors and majors, and it was good entertainment for the many who stopped by to see the games.

The minors got started at 4 p.m. and Wall had the advantage in that one. They won 9-0. 

In the game that followed, it was White River with the advantage. Colbe Scott got the home team off to a good start when he belted an RBI double in the first inning that scored three. White River rolled from there taking a 10-0 win. Jaden Eagle Bear was the starting pitcher for the majors and led the way in the shutout victory.

After a couple scrimmage games earlier in the year, the teams got their first league games in June 12 when they travelled to Philip. Philip recorded two wins, taking the first game 7-0 and the second in a close one, 10-7.

White River played in Wall Tuesday night and will travel to Kadoka for games Thursday night beginning at 6 o’clock central. On Saturday the minors have their league tournament in Wall.

Also in the mix locally are the t-ballers. They have a game set for Wednesday evening, June 25, in White River beginning at 7 against Mission.