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*** Fall Day and Welcome to Winner

The grass in front of the welcome sign is watered.  The trees are turning color.  The wind was calm.  September 25, 2012 in Winner, SD was a good day for a photograph.

Click on image for a larger view.  Scroll down for latest posts.

---- Doug Wiken

Noble Seed making a business of Quality Seed

Good year for grass and grain in Tripp County.  Chuck Noble has his Noble Seed ready to sell bagged Wheat Grass seed.  He has plans for the future with other crops as well.  If you need good quality tested and bagged seed, check his blog and call or e-mail him. Link is below.

Noble Seed rural Tripp County North of Winner, SD

Many areas may still have moisture for planting grass or should have ground ready for it next spring.  Of course, the weather is more than a little strange this year and no telling what will come this winter or next spring.  Good Luck in any case.

** Doug Wiken

New Runnings Store almost ready

Runnings has had a relatively small store on the west side of Winner for several years.  This spring construction was started on a new store on the east side of Winner near the Shopko store which was once the Pamida Store.   Apparently the new store will be opening in a week or two.  The signs are up on the building and it has doors now.  The sign was lit last night. 

This store is apparently about 60,000 square feet.  The nearly adjacent Shopko store is around 40,000 square feet.  So, within a block or so, Winner, SD will now have around 100,000 square feet of retail space.  I heard the store currently occupied by Runnings on the west side of Winner may have a buyer or new tenant soon, but I am not sure about that.  Anyway, below is a photo taken today of the new Runnings store.

Click on image for a larger view.  This is only about half the front of the building.   It will be interesting to see what this new store does to the retail environment and business in the Winner area considering the reduced local and regional population.

-----  Doug Wiken

Upcoming Winner, SD Meeting on Hands-On Tech Education

Check Education Priorities blog for information on the Sunday, October 2, 2016 meeting planned for Winner, SD on Technical and adult education proposals and related information.  Details here: Winner Meeting Information at Education Priorities.

The Tech School idea for Winner has gradually gained more supporters.  This meeting is an opportunity to hear more information and also express your opinions on the possible educational, social, and economic benefits for the future of a growing Winner rather than a future of continuing decline of Winner society and economy.  This may be the key to building a better future for Winner and surrounding area in south-central South Dakota.

--- Doug Wiken

*** What one town did with an abandoned Walmart Store

The link below discusses conversion of an abandoned store into a regional best library.  The abandoned Winner Middle School is not quite like a store, but there could be similar uses.  Take a look at the link below and think about the possibilities.  A regional reference and computing center might be an asset.

Walmart building turned into a superior library

Winner city could use what is now the Grossenburg library as a new city office.  It would be better suited for that than its current use as a library.

----- Doug Wiken

***Tripp County Democrats October 2014 ad

Tripp County Democrats did not have candidates to fill every slot this election year, but the candidates the party has are all very able and head and shoulders better than retrograde GOP alternatives.

Not a very good copy, but I'm sure you will all get the idea.  Only about 4 days to the election which will mean a blessed relief from the deceptive TV and radio ads polluting the air waves.

----- Doug Wiken

*** News at Dakota Today-- The One-Dollar School building proposed sale

The Winner School District is apparently willing to give the City of Winner a school building with a value somewhere between $2 million and $5 million depending on how one values such buildings.  Chuck Noble wrote a letter to the Winner Advocate which appears in the Wednesday September 24, 2014 issue which has a more businesslike approach to the issue with facts and figures.  I have it copied at Dakota Today.  Read it at Dakota Today-- Give Away a Building for $1? ***Or** Download Letter to Editor Winner Advocate 9.24.2014.

And this from the Wall Street Journal which is evident around the Winner area where officials view sales tax revenue from non-residents and from farmers with no voice in local issues as manna from heaven that can be wasted on boondoggles benefiting only local influentials.

Education expenditures may become a local issue if the school board wants to raise local taxes. But, on average, only 45% of school costs come from local revenues, with states (45%) and the federal government (10%) supplying the remainder. Money coming from state and federal governments is usually treated by local politicians as "free" to the local community, and thus attention given to costs target only that 45% of the total borne by the local community.   Source:  Wall Street Journal--Paul Peterson.

---- Doug Wiken

Related articles

*** Give a building worth over $2 Million to Winner City for $1 ?

Winner---Tree City or Stump City?

My wife planted trees with her father when she was about 4 years old.  The locust trees grew and are now around 45 feet tall.  Three of them are on our lot.  Unfortunately, the City of Winner has a municipal power line on the same street.   I don't know which came first, the tree planting or the powerline, but Winner has decided they want $300 per tree trimmed under the powerline.

Much as we regret having to do it, we are cutting down these trees.  We are not going to pay the city or their contractors over $900 every two or three years.  My wife views the tree cutting something like a funeral.   Soon all three will be stumps...how long it takes will depend on this stifling humid weather.

Of course, nobody seems to ever guess well on how large a tree will become when they plant that puny little plant with only a few leaves.  These would have had to be nearly in the middle of the lot to avoid the powerline.  And then they would have been edging into the territory of being just a mite too close to the house.   Plan ahead and be optimistic about tree growth and lifespan.  And never assume anything optimistic or good about future city policies.

--- By Doug Wiken with some posing by my very patient wife

** Big Hoe, Little Hoe at Nagel Construction

Nagel Construction shows a bit of humor when they park a big mama backhoe and then tuck a little baby backhoe in under its "wing".  I finally got a photo of the pair this morning.

Click on a image for a larger version.

I finally squinted enough to read the phonebook fine print.  The Nagel Construction shop is at 201 NORTH 316TH AVE. WINNER, SD.  Their shop phone is 842-3842.  Another number for Nagel Construction is 842-1364.  My guess is that sooner or later at one or the other you may get hold of Larry Nagel or Thayne Nagel.  They can probably tell you more about the machinery in the photo and the other construction work they do.

---- Doug Wiken

*** House explodes in Winner, SD at 6:30AM

At about 6:30 this morning my wife was getting ready for work.  We heard a thump as if something had slammed the side of the house like a sonic boom.  My wife thought perhaps a dying tree had collapsed on the house.  She ran outside around the house and saw nothing, but then heard a chorus of sirens.

At 8:30AM police cars and fire trucks with flashing lights were near the intersection of Lamro Street and First Street.  I came out to the farm and headed back to town and met an ambulance on way to Winner Regional Airport.  I drove near that intersection.  Police tape strung all over.  A house had exploded.  The whole second floor and roof were gone. 

People in house near there were out in their yards.  I talked to a few of them since Firemen and Police refused to say anything and my wife works at Hospital so she can't say anything. The neighbors  had windows in their house blown out and a lamp blown off the side of the house.  Their daughter in another house had a window blow in and a dresser in her bedroom tipped over on her.

I am a bit put off by all the TV car crash, crime, violence, and destruction that seems to be more and more a part of KELO and CBS "News", but here I am reporting some of it myself.  Another small town sized so that everybody thinks they know everything, but just large enough that most of us don't.  Makes for some interesting tales now and then.

The neighbors said there was a gas water heater in the house, but others said propane sinks instead of rises.   The roof and second floor were blown off, but it appears the actual first floor ceiling/second floor is still intact. [[[ PLEASE NOTE:  Info at end from KWYR indicating SD Fire Marshall has said it was an accident occuring because of propane.  And KELO says it was Audrey Ferguson's house.]]]

Another woman said a bunch of Facebook posts were reporting several people burned and possibly being moved to Sioux Falls by Air Ambulance.  I have no other confirmation of that other then seeing an ambulance coming or going from the airport.

Below are some photos.  I assume that after an investigation, names of residents may be released.  I have driven past this house a few hundred times, but have no real recollection of how it looked before it exploded.

Looking north at intersection of Lamro Street and First Street.

Click on image for a larger view.

This was a two- story house with a relatively steeply pitched roof.  It appears the roof and walls were blasted 50 to 100 feet off to the sides.  Front was blown completely off. Shattered glass was in grass  cross street from house.  I think house was stucco, but not sure.  Neighbors said a woman staggered out of the front of the house soon after the explosion.  Looking at the devastation, it was hard to believe anybody survived the blast and fire.  So far the six residents are still alive.  One dog survived.  Another dog died in blast or crash.

There were at least two police cars that weren't chasing speeders this morning.

If any "official information" escapes, I will follow up with that later.

As of 3:05PM, July 19, 2013, Winner Police Routine Information says there is no official information on the house explosion since it is an "ungoing investigation".

However, local radio station KWYR has this on its web page:

As you heard earlier this morning, a fire occured in Winner and was confirmed by the Winner Police Department. Winner Fire Chief Darin Nelson told us that a fire was reported at 422 West 1st street. Nelson said five people were inside the home and suffered injuries, and were sent to the local hospital. Four of the five people in the home were transported to hospitals outside of Winner. Also, the State Fire Marshall arrived on the scene at 10:45AM and determined that it was an accidental propane explosion. You can listen to the full interview with Winner Fire Chief Darin Nelson on our photos-videos page, as well as a couple of photos that you can view.

 KELO-TV at 6PM today  had a video of house demolition and said that home belonged to Audrey Ferguson.  KELO has said the Audrey Ferguson Fire Fund was set up at Wells Fargo Bank.

[[[ Note of  Saturday July 20,2013:  The Mitchell Daily Republic has a photo and stories in the Saturday-Sunday July 20-21, 21-3 issue.  Today, I talked to April Al-Salihi, a Winner Police officer and daughter of Audrey Ferguson.  She said her mother is still in Winner Regional Hospital, but the other four people in the house are at a Minnesota Burn Center.  Burns ranged from something like 45% to 90%.  April's coworkers and other city workers were cleaning up the home site trying to save momentos and undamaged furniture, etc.  The City trucks in photo below were helping clean up.

Click on image for a slightly larger version

April Al-Salihi said she thought any contibution checks could be mailed or dropped at  the local Wells Fargo Bank or deposits could be made to the account at any Wells Fargo Bank.]]]]

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Wells Fargo Bank

The Audrey Ferguson Fire Fund

425 S Main ST

Winner SD 57580

605-842-1313

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 People with more history in Winner than I  have told me that the house years ago was  originally a laundry run by a Mrs. Rose Jordt?.  Another bit of Winner history gone in a flash..well nearly.

--- Doug Wiken

 

*** Miscreant Mystery---Who vandalized the Winner East Welcome Sign?

Above this post is an image of the "Welcome to Winner" sign on the west side of Winner, SD.  Another sign just like it is on the east side of Winner on Highway 44.  I received e-mail saying the east Welcome sign had been vandalized.  The writer was upset that the mess had not been cleaned up, and people visiting for Memorial Day were greeted to a mess,  and that the Winner Chamber of Commerce was asked to remove a photo from their page.  My wife and I had driven past the sign and not noticed anything.  So much for our power of observation while driving.

Above this post is a photo of how the sign should look.  The photo below in this post shows the vandalized east sign.  I guess I don't quite understand what joy vandals get out of smashing and trashing.  Rumor has it that the local cops have some ideas of who did it.  Perhaps if the local cops spent less time checking for people going 5 mph over the speed limit, they might notice other things.   On the other hand I was driving and noticed nothing myself.

Apparently the white lettering was smashed with hammers. 

If you know who did this mindless destruction, give the Winner Police a call-- 605-842-3939.  [[[ Note: Winner Advocate of June 5, 2013 notes in a story on the sign that police have suspects--- A five-year old and a seven-year old.  And, that, parents should be reminded that they may be financially liable for the actions of their children-- June 6, 2013 ]]]]

In the meantime, Welcome to Winner,  even if you don't see the sign on the east side of town.  These signs might be a good place for  highway weather cameras which might also deter vandalism around the signs.

------------ Doug Wiken