Pioneer Review

Kroetch named Coach of the Year

The South Dakota Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association announced the recipients of its coaches of the year awards during the organization’s July 2017 meeting. Karol Patterson is the head coach at Wall High School. Wall is a Class B school in Area 4. Patterson won the title of 2017...

Art Kroetch – 2006, 50 years of business

Fifty years of Scotchman ironworkers, Part 3 of 3

Part 3 – A Small Town Difference Today, Art’s son, Jerry Kroetch, is at the center Scotchman, carrying on a tradition of proudly producing American-made machines in our nation's heartland. "We are proud to say that our world-famous ironworkers are still made in small town Philip, South Dakota, USA...

50 years of Scotchman ironworkers, Part 2 of 3

Part 2 of 3 Business Sense Leading to Metal Fabricating (From Junk Business, to Metal Fabricating) (You choose a Title!) Prior to 1967, the heart and soul of the ironworking machine was the conventional flywheel-type design. During one of Art’s steel supply trips back and forth from Minnesota,...

50 years of Scotchman ironworkers, Part 1 of 3

Part 1 of 3 Firmly rooted in tradition, with an eye on the future, Scotchman Industries, Inc., is celebrating its hydraulic ironworker’s 50th birthday this year. It’s been half a century since Scotchman debuted its hydraulic-powered ironworker and we are honored to have served the manufacturing...

The big, bright box at the bank is beckoning to be filled with more school supplies to be given to Haakon School District students. From left are drive organizers Neville, Schulz and Reedy.

Back to school supply drive in Philip & Faith

First National Bank in Philip and Faith is sponsoring its month-long annual school supply drive that concludes Aug. 14. Drop-off locations are at each bank. Jennifer Neville, Val Schulz and Matt Reedy are helping organize the drive in Philip. “With our second annual back to school supply drive...

Elephant rides before the circus and during intermission were popular. See more photos inside.

Circus regales Philip

The Shrine Circus performed for the second consecutive year in Philip, Sunday, July 2, at the Philip roping arena. Hosted by the Four Rivers Shrine Club, a unit of NAJA Shriners, the single performance was purposefully planned for 6:00 p.m. to allow the heat of the day to start dissipating. The...

Workers and heavy equipment crowds do the continuing work involved in the Midland water project.

More potable water goal of Midland project

The purpose of the current water project in Midland is twofold: to provide a new water storage tank and to improve drinking water quality for the current water customers on the town’s distribution system. Several years ago, Banner Associates, Inc. was asked by town leaders to look into the...

Safety first. Members of the Philip Volunteer Fire Department quickly checked the driver, then were wary of sparks and the car falling the wrong way as they got these two cars down. Then, the demolition derby heat roared on.

PVFD's Demolition derby a smash

As predicted by Philip Volunteer Fire Department Chief Marty Hansen, this year’s demolition derby proved to be one of the largest and most exciting to-date. The June 17 derby was a smashing success. The crowd was huge, with some spectators not yet having experienced the built-to-order demolition...

Some volunteers scraped off old paint, while others applied primer where needed, then painted the house yellow with brown trim.

Paint South Dakota in Philip

Philip Charity volunteers joined with city personnel to paint Dorothy Stickler’s house at the corner of W. Pine Street and West Avenue, Thursday and Friday, June 8-9. Using hand scrapers, brushes, rollers and spray painters, the volunteers faced 100 degree weather to put on a coat of primer, then...

The Wests are a pole vaulting family, with all of them together during the 2017 state meet. From left, great uncle Pat West (13’1”), cousin Gavin West (Sturgis, 12’3” at state), great grandfather Mike West (11’6”), Cooper West (Philip and region record 14’6”), father Branden West (13’6”), and grandfather Doug West (11’0”).

Wests – a pole vaulting family

At the 2017 Region 7B Track and Field Meet, May 18, Philip’s Cooper West broke the school record as well as the region record in the pole vault event, clearing a height of 14’6”. Technically, he broke his own school record, which he had set late in the season. And, technically, he broke the...