Pioneer Review

Haakon BOE chooses plan for school building

A special Haakon School District Board of Education, Wednesday, Nov. 2, was held to approve two major steps in the process of building a new school building in Philip. The board formally agreed to hire Scull Construction Service, Rapid City, in the capacity of construction manager. The...

Even in the world of competitive barbecue, this is a masterpiece. Bob Stanfiel, left, organized the six various volunteer chefs to prepare two donated hogs and 560 pounds of beef brisket.

Fire relief fundraiser goes “whole hog”

The idea of a community barbecue to help raise funds for the Cottonwood Fire Ranchers Relief was conceived by Bob Stanfiel, a competition barbecue chef from Hill City. The idea grew almost as fast as did the destructive fire. A free-will offering fundraiser, Saturday, Nov. 5, was held at the...

41,360 acres – over 64 square miles – were burned in the Cottonwood Fire, Sunday, Oct. 16.

Cottonwood Fire disaster declaration

Governor Dennis Daugaard has signed an emergency disaster declaration for Jackson County, in response to damage caused by the Oct. 16, Cottonwood wildfire. The state will cover 90 percent of nonfederal fire apparatus fuel costs, all aircraft expenses and South Dakota Wildland Fire’s...

Long stacks of round hay bales across the countryside smolder in the aftermath of the Cottonwood Fire.

Neighbors fight, survive Cottonwood Fire

Horizon to horizon is scorched earth. Stench hangs in the air for miles. Long mounds of smoking ash used to be stored-up hay. Outbuildings are charred stubs of walls clawing up from black fields. Hanging from barbed wire between metal posts are wooden posts, their bottom thirds burned away....

Jeremy Schultes is the new chief executive officer of Philip Health Services, Inc. He and his wife, Holly, come to Philip from Spearfish.

Philip Health Services welcomes new CEO

The new Philip Health Services, Inc., chief executive officer was introduced during the PHSI 35-year celebration, Sept. 23. Don Burns, PHSI board president, publically welcomed Jeremy Schultes, who comes from a similar position in Spearfish. Burns stated, “We spent over three months looking...

Grain bins to the west, houses to the east, and football field lights to the south were not damaged, yet the Fitzgerald house took the brunt of the wind storm late Monday afternoon. The house and garage roof were gone. A camper was tossed onto its side. Within minutes well over 30 people were helping patch up the roof and move furniture inside the house.

Friends help when wind storm hits

Around 5:00 p.m., Monday, Oct. 3, Jake Fitzgerald and his youngest daughter, Camden, were at home. He was aware of the storm brewing. He put the vehicles in the garage, and never thought much more of it. Then it hit. “About a quarter after, there was a roar and the house started vibrating...

Philip’s Lane Kroetch performs a solo tackle against this Lyman Raider ball carrier. Photo by Barb Hockenbary

Scotties give mercy to Raiders

The Philip Scotties traveled to Presho, Friday, Sept. 30, to scrimmage with the Lyman Raiders. What could be called a live-action practice session by the Scotties was cut short at halftime, when the game was called according to the mercy rule. The Scotties passed the 50-point lead mark, and...

The Philip High School coronation, Tuesday, Sept. 13, saw Kreid Amiotte crowned king and Peyton Kuchenbecker crowned queen. Kuchenbecker’s first duties were to bless the school’s cross country shoes, football and volleyball. Outside, Amiotte lit the Philip Scotties’ huge “P.”

Philip Homecoming Royalty

Philip chosen as Philanthropic Community for 2016

The South Dakota chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has chosen Philip as South Dakota’s Outstanding Philanthropic Community for 2016. The award will be officially presented during a National Philanthropy Day banquet Monday, Oct. 3, in Sioux Falls. Nominations came from...

The visitor center building was completed in late 2014, though the interior exhibits were just completed and installed this past spring. The park is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The 7,000 square-foot center is on the north side of exit 131 of Interstate 90, and incorporates interpretive space as well as administrative offices. Visitation numbers are marketedly up.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site visitor center grand opening

The National Park Service will dedicate a new visitor center and exhibits at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site during a public ceremony Sept. 24. The staff and volunteers of Minuteman Missile National Historic Site invite the public to a grand opening ceremony for park’s visitor...