…

Brookings’ Tetzlaff makes memories before heading to SDSU

South Dakota State announced on Thursday that its wrestling team will be moving from the Big 12 Conference to the Pac-12 Conference starting with the 2026-27 school year.

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium will have a new playing surface this upcoming season as new turf is being installed in the coming weeks.

Finally, a N.Y. style bagel in Brookings – for a cause

The Brookings Beacon hits over 15,000 mailboxes today – far ahead of schedule

The Brookings County Commissioners put in place a temporary burn ban for the county at their meeting Tuesday morning.

Imagine a yard sale stretching across an entire city, where no one haggles and no one pays. That’s the idea behind Brookings’ first annual FREE Share & Care Day

Brookings area residents can share useable items with neighbors via Buy Nothing Brookings on Facebook.

Holy Week is one of my favorite seasons in the church. It is a roller coaster of emotions. On Palm Sunday, we cheer in jubilation as Jesus enters Jerusalem. We wave our palms and shout ‘Hosanna in the highest!’

A community gathering that delves into more than 250 years of American civics and its relationship to news and information will be in Brookings in April.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act has passed the U.S. House, but faces the 60/100 vote challenge in the US Senate unless Senator Thune can succeed in inserting the bill’s provision in a reconciliation measure that will be advanced by Republicans to resolve the ICE and Border Patrol funding issue.

In the 1960s, Americans were seeing environmental photos that sent a mixed message.

Gregg Jongeling receives a Major Donor of the Paul Harris Society Foundation award from Brookings Rotary Club.

Workers waving pompoms greeted South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden during a recent celebration for a business expansion that benefited from $15 million in state tax rebates, two days after Republican primary candidates for governor debated the state’s role in economic development.

…

Local group to return radio stations to local ownership.

Fire Chief warns against burning in conditions.

Brookings County jury found Big Crow guilty on two counts at trial.

It’s the big kids turn at the Children’s Museum.

Electronics go straight to landfill this year.

The “No Kings” rally held last Saturday in Brookings and across the nation, serves as a modern cultural mirror to a pivotal shift in the Hebrew Bible.

One bill was from Brookings Rep. Heerman

Lorraine Evonne Costello, age 94, passed away at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, on Friday, March 27, 2026, surrounded by her family.

The Brookings Rotary Club recently featured member Dave Reynolds as the guest speaker at its March 24 meeting, where he presented an engaging program on the upcoming America 250 Sousa Symposium. The event, part of the nationwide celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, will honor the life, music, and enduring legacy of composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa.

Among the essential elements of modern-day liberal democracy is political equality, including the equal right to register to vote, to vote, to have your vote counted along with all others, to seek public office and to hold public office if elected.

Nichole Linehan photos/Brookings Beacon
More than 400 protesters showed up to Hillcrest Park on Saturday, March 28 as part of the nationwide No Kings rallies. The local event was organized by Indivisible Brookings, a non-partisan group dedicated to non-violent political action.

To accommodate the region’s growing needs for cardiac, vascular and obstetrics diagnostic testing, Brookings Health System has added both a cardiovascular and a general ultrasound system to its radiology department.

Hundreds of locals join nationwide No Kings protest

Pub Crawl arrests spike; Free apple trees for kids; Shop to support Dolly; Spring book sale planned; CHS earns accreditation

The Brookings baseball team was supposed to start their season this weekend with five games out West. However, all of those games were canceled due to upcoming inclement weather.

The Brookings softball team opened the 2026 season with a 7-4 win over Yankton on Monday afternoon at the Southbrook Softball Complex.

South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer has accepted an invitation to participate in the Women’s College All-Star Game presented by Lilly, which will be played Saturday,

Brookings senior Bergan Tetzlaff was named as a Class AA All-State Basketball honorable mention last week. He joins eight other Brookings area players that were honored in boys and girls basketball.

…

SDSU softball looks to turn things around against conference opponents

The South Dakota State baseball team played its first home series over the weekend and are hoping to gain some momentum after winning two of three games against North Dakota State at Erv Huether Field.

Meyer caps off SDSU career with strong performance in NCAA Tournament

Community mulls fate, future use of Dacotah Bank Center.

No suspect officially named in case yet

The city’s deputy chief of police resigned last week after just six months on the job, Brookings Police Chief Michael Drake confirmed Monday.

For years, communities like Brookings have faced a familiar challenge: how to responsibly fund major public projects without overburdening taxpayers or delaying needed investments.

Another 40 paraprofessionals could be accepted into South Dakota’s teacher apprenticeship program, which is meant to reduce the teaching shortage across the state.

Citizen science means non-scientist volunteers making observations and measurements of natural resources in their yard and garden, or in a nearby field, forest, lake or stream. The data are sent to real scientists to help with their research into the natural world.

This week in the lectionary we see Jesus’s raising of Lazarus.

Travis Craige Moad, 57, of Volga, SD, passed away Monday, March 16, 2026 after a long and courageous battle with early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Construction open house; B&G Club raffle underway; SDHC picks One Book; New health equipment

The third “No Kings” protest is being organized across our nation including here in Brookings from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 28 on the Sixth Street side of Hillcrest Park.

The Brookings Rotary Club welcomed Officer Seth Bonnema of the Brookings Police Department as the featured speaker at its March 17 meeting, where members were treated to an engaging and educational demonstration of the department’s K-9 unit and its dual-purpose police dog, Teddy.

Airport security workers missed work Monday at the highest rate since a partial government shutdown began in mid-February, the Department of Homeland Security said, and the Trump administration sent immigration officials to some airports in an attempt to keep lines moving.

Last week was Sunshine Week — a national observance highlighting the importance of openness and transparency in government at all levels.

Scot P. Miskimins, age 67, of Aurora, SD, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, after a hard-fought battle with lung cancer. No services will be held per Scot’s wishes.

South Dakota State’s season came to an end on Friday afternoon as the Jackrabbits lost to Washington 72-54 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

…

Jackrabbit women set to take on Washington in first round

Brookings falls to Aberdeen in third-place game

Amid a nationwide and statewide teacher shortage that tops crisis numbers, a recent program designed to expose older students to teaching — and give them valuable memories and life experiences — is booming in Brookings.

New employees help local newspaper startup expand after three months

Scott Miller arrives at Brookings High School long before the first bell rings in the morning.
His reason?
“I’m old, and I get up early,” he says.

The ICE-OFF date at Lake Campbell was March 6, 2026, which meant that the Lake was ice covered for 99 days since ICE-ON on November 27, 2025. This is the 5th shortest ice-cover time in the 37 years that the Lake Campbell Sportsmen’s Club have been collecting ice data

FB&T awards local grants; BankStar donates to group; Local blood drive planned

The main run of the South Dakota Legislature came to a close last week with lawmakers passing a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1. Here are 10 key storylines to come out of the 2026 session.

Jerald “Jerry” D. Keller, 88, of De Smet, SD, passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet, SD.

The Brookings Rotary Club welcomed estate planning attorney Dominic Smith of Marshall, Minn., as the featured speaker at its March 10 meeting. Smith delivered an informative presentation on estate planning concepts and strategies, offering Rotarians practical insights into protecting family assets and ensuring smooth transitions for future generations.

As soon as the NDSU post player shuffled her feet, and the official blew her whistle and announced traveling — to the delight of SDSU fans who promptly commented on the players miscue by yelling in unison, “You can’t do that”.

I have been thinking recently about the decline in church worship attendance which we have seen across denominations. This is of course, a phenomenon that has been advancing over the last few decades. So I started to reflect upon what I view as the three main causes.

A wildfire that’s grown to more than 11 square miles near the city of Custer in South Dakota’s Black Hills had not caused any injuries as of Saturday night but had damaged about 10 properties, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Rangers scored with their net empty, then won it in overtime.

…

Corn Exchange Bank — now BankStar — celebrates 100 years next week.

At 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, 1938, cashier Robert Petschow stood behind the counter at the first teller window of the Corn Exchange Bank. The bank, located at the corner of Elk Street and East 2nd Street, occupied the south half of the building with an angled entry door at the corner.

The Brookings Rotary Club hosted Mayor Ope Niemeyer and City Manager Paul Briseno as featured speakers at its March 3 meeting. City Councilor and Rotarian Lisa Hager assisted.

This tender encounter is a powerful narrative of grace, dignity and transformation. At its heart, it shows Jesus crossing social, cultural, and moral boundaries to extend compassion to a woman who had long been marginalized and misunderstood.

Voters in South Dakota will soon be able to challenge other voters’ citizenship.

South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden will decide if the state helps to pay for some school meals after the state Senate voted 20-14 on Monday to endorse the idea.

Dems plan St. Paddy’s meal; Elkton High plans blood drive; Volunteer of the month named

The final days of the 2026 South Dakota Legislative Session are winding down with mixed reviews.

Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.

The Brookings Ranger Junior Varsity 1 team captured a state championship over the weekend at the new rink in Watertown.

Amy Beth (Johnson) Pedersen, 59, of Brookings, South Dakota, passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She fought a courageous battle with cancer for nearly 14 years.

Edwin Allan Higgins, 75, of Brookings, SD passed away February 23, 2026 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

The Brookings Regional Growth Alliance now has a name and a leader.

Former South Dakota governor moving to new special envoy job

…

Local artist makes reality like paintings at Brookings Arts Council show

Heaton will be sentenced for felony in May

A structure fire left a machine shed and its contents a likely total loss on Monday afternoon, according to a release from the Brookings County Sheriff’s Department.

Brookings Health System has been recognized as a six-year champion to Newsweek’s list of World’s Best Hospitals.

Besides 120 acres of prime downtown real estate, Sioux Falls city leaders got something that has sometimes been elusive over the history of the Smithfield pork plant: An assurance that it’s not leaving.

Jackson a masterful public orator; Brookings a great place to live; Indivisible Brookings save the dates

May we as individuals and as a nation, recognize that (despite how the writers of the Old Testament usurp the voice of God) violence and war are not God’s desire for us. And may we give more than lip service to the concept of peace; but truly live it out the way Jesus emulated.

By a 6-3 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Learning Resources v Trump that President Trump acted beyond presidential authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act in ordering wide ranging tariffs on the imports of scores of nations. The majority of the Court rejected the Administration’s contention that the power to “regulate” trade during a time of a declared emergency includes the power to levy tariffs.

Jackhammer Spiel concludes; School phone ban fails; Police warn of scam emails; Cancer screening event; Crabtree ends U.S. House run

The Brookings Rangers Bantam A team capped off a hugely successful season in style over the weekend, winning a state title at the Bantam A tournament in Yankton. Not to be outdone, the Bantam B Rangers also followed up their league title with a state championship win in Aberdeen.

…

7-term Sheriff to retire from law enforcement at end of his term.

Nearly half of South Dakota children under the age of 5 are not on the right track to start school and find early success in the classroom, a rate that puts the state near the bottom in school readiness across the country.

Burglaries at Twin City Fan; Wreck near White injures pair; DUI checkpoints planned for March; Man treated for hypothermia; Museum elects boards

When we read the Bible, there are different ways of interpretation you can look at. Do you read it from the author’s perspective and how the events of the time affected them and others. Or you can read it more from your perspective. How does this affect me now in this moment. How is this speaking to me? You can do the same thing with music.

The Trump Administration’s assault on undocumented immigrants has sparked multiple legal challenges regarding what rights undocumented immigrants have to resist apprehension, detention and deportation.

Rick Volin, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away, surrounded by his wife and children, on January 22, 2026, of complications stemming from cardiac arrest. He was 68.

David M. Gullickson, age 84, passed away at his home in Brookings, SD, on Friday, February 20, 2026, surrounded by family.

The Brookings Rotary Club welcomed Corey Shelsta, Professor of Theatre at South Dakota State University, for a presentation titled “Design on a Smaller Scale – The Art of Cheese and Charcuterie Boards.”

For the eleventh consecutive year, Brookings Health System has been included by The Chartis Center for Rural Health on the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals list.

The South Dakota Senate voted Tuesday to approve legislation that would ban student cellphone use during the school day, unless the use is for a health or educational purpose.

The Brookings Rangers Pee Wee A team skated to a state championship on home ice over the weekend, dominating state competition by a combined 28-0.

…

Local curling club has spiel planned as Olympics heat up.

On looking back at where we were via newspaper

Brookings Beacon managing editor Josh Linehan invited me to write a companion piece to accompany his column on a July 24, 1941 issue of The Brookings Trade News, a weekly shopping circular, which arrived in my mailbox on Legeros Drive in late September 2025.

As the seasons shift and the light begins to linger, we find ourselves at the threshold of an annual journey that is centuries old.

The City of Brookings has launched a survey to gather community input on the Dacotah Bank Center’s future use.

Modern political theorists might quibble a bit about the essential elements of a modern liberal democracy, but there is universal agreement that adherence to the rule of law doctrine is fundamental.

George M. Gehant, III, age 80, died on February 11, 2026 at his home in Brookings, South Dakota after a brief illness.

Smithfield Foods plans to move its pork processing facility from downtown Sioux Falls to a new plant on the northern edge of the city that will be built by the end of 2028.

Dance event this weekend; Heiberger named honors college dean; Library hosts events

Bantam A, Bantam B and PeeWee A teams all capture league championships this weekend

…

Downtown gets a shakeup as two stores consolidate at old Cole’s building

New papers open, Lakota Times shifts

News Watch broke down the various proposals and spoke with tax policy watchers to get a sense of the challenges and opportunities of the ideas being floated.

A breath of fresh air is what we need right now.

How prevalent is voter fraud?

My wife and I recently watched a documentary program on SDPB that featured the role that Walter F. White played as the leader of NAACP from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Quiz Bowl; Johnson’s DC office seeking interns; Extension offers estate planning classes and more

A bill to require high school coaches to report abuse and neglect earned the full support of a South Dakota House of Representatives panel on Friday.

Ranger Roundup – February 11, 2026

Bill goes to Senate without guidance

There are only seven plots to a story, or so the cynical view goes. And the singular most popular of all, from the time of the ancient Greeks until now, remains the hero’s journey.

Council land gift kick starts process

Over the last few weeks, we have seen and heard a number of very disturbing interactions between the various agencies of our Department of Homeland Security and people who are protesting their actions.

Recently the South Dakota Legislature approved a Joint Resolution calling on one another and all South Dakotans to “seek the Lord Most High for his healing presence and mercy upon South Dakota.”

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has been getting some flak recently from his Republican primary election opponents for using his office to bolster his reelection campaign.

Derek Thomas Jensen, age 41, of Yankton, SD, passed away on January 31, 2026, at his residence in Yankton, SD. A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 am on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings, SD.

…

Two arrested for felony animal cruelty

Rangers Roundup – February 4, 2026

Donald D. Derdall 95, of Brookings, SD passed away Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at the United Living Community, Brookings, SD. 

…

Despite frigid temperatures, more than 200 people gathered — for the second time in a month — on the steps of the Brookings Post Office.

The proposed new police station in Brookings should be located near the Dacotah Bank Center and not between two city schools.

Sentenced for incident at local hotel in June

Brookings Rotary Club members recently heard a firsthand account of Rotary’s global impact from Scott Parsley, who shared highlights from an international wheelchair distribution mission to Eastern Europe conducted in October.

Those wishing to volunteer for a Brookings board or commission can now do so online.

Art Museum hosts free community art day

Lauren Dietz, education manager at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, was recognized by Gov. Larry Rhoden and Travel South Dakota with the Ruth Ziolkowski Outstanding Hospitality and Customer Service Award at the annual South Dakota Tourism Conference in Pierre.

January 28, 2026

Stuie Lewis is a first-year seminary student and the former mayor of Bruce.

Reckless and unhinged are adjectives that I and tens of millions of Americans are using to characterize last week’s bizarre behavior of pretend monarch Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland and the actions of ICE/ Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis as they killed VA ICU Nurse Alex Pretti.

Families of students who qualify for reduced-price school meals would no longer have to pay a portion of the cost if a bill advancing to its next step in the South Dakota Legislature becomes law.

The Brookings Arts Council seeks proposals for individual or group art shows for calendar year 2027.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday urged Senate Democrats to advance the government funding package that must become law before the weekend to avoid a partial shutdown, rejecting their proposal to remove the Homeland Security funding bill.

The Rangers held their fifth annual Puck Cancer fundraiser on Saturday, raising more than $8,000 this year.

…

Editor’s note: Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote this open letter to local clergy from a jail cell in Brimingham, Alabama in 1963. He began writing it in the margins of a newspaper — the only paper he had access to at the time. It is presented here slightly abridged from its’ original 7,000 words.

No one was injured in fire on Faculty Drive Saturday

BHS Principal named; Library book club offered; Former SDSU coach indicted and more

Socks help prevent numerous ailments

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings alongside that of the Apostle Paul

Established Constitutional doctrines recognize limitations on the power of the US president even when inherent powers are asserted in the area of foreign affairs

January 21, 2026

Event benefits Habitat for Humanity

Author V.J. Smith Introduces New Book Featuring “The Greatest Generation”

Also shows most diets lacking in fiber, vitamins

Governor pledges transparency in funding decisions that lawmakers might vote to take away
Legislators to debate bill that would remove governor’s sole authority over Future Fund

Ranger Roundup – January 21, 2026

…

BPD Chief Drake will do two jobs amid campus shakeup

On being a neighbor and sharing tea

Ranger Roundup – January 14, 2026

With a slate of hot-button policy issues on the table and limited funding to work with, state Sen. Jim Mehlhaff of Pierre said it is difficult to predict how the 2026 legislative session will play out in the Capitol this year.

Briefs from around the Brookings area

Contrary to popular belief, the upcoming South Dakota legislative session will be more than just a slugfest over property tax relief. Some of the bills that have already been filed show that in addition to deciding the fate of property taxes, lawmakers will also be revisiting some old topics.

Concern for our democracy, and Indivisible Rising Again

It is true that the text of our Constitution’s seven original articles and 27 amendments remain unchanged, but the Constitution is not self-executing.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what race you are running. What matters is that you are running your race.

More than 200 people showed up at the downtown post office on Friday night for a vigil for Renee Good, a woman killed in a confrontation with a masked Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis last week.

An ICE officer fatally shot a woman driving an SUV through her car window in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning.

Roger DeGroot briefed Brookings Rotary members on the upcoming session in Pierre.

People planning to testify at legislative committee hearings during the 2026 South Dakota legislative session must pre-register

Republican governor candidate Dusty Johnson wants to give first-time homebuyers two years without property taxes

Donna Powers, a longtime resident of Brookings, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026, at the age of 80. Funeral Services have been set for 10:30am Friday January 9, 2026 at St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Faulkton, SD.

…

Ranger Roundup for January 7, 2026

Three different programs to encourage improvements to downtown buildings and businesses will continue in 2026, the city of Brookings announced this week.

Dave Quam 77, of Brookings, SD passed away January 5, 2026, at the Dougherty Hospice House, Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by his family after a short battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

On resolutions in the new year

Brookings Area United Way’s annual campaign is making its final push through the month of January.

Small fire at Prairie AquaTech put out with no injuries

Timothy Heaton appears in court on animal cruelty charges

Noelle Ira Stangle is the first baby born in Brookings County in 2026.

…

Rangers have a strong showing across the board in league games

On being intentional in 2026

…

…

…

The need for more and better housing persists throughout the state

More than just houses, Branch Creek means to create a neighborhood. A place for people to live in community with each other, a place for people who want to work here but can’t currently find housing and a place for people who simply want to live in Brookings.

…

The Rangers girls swept three games in SDAHA play over the weekend.

…

1927-2025

Pastor Mark Johnsen wants to focus this clergy article on how our faith should inform our view of this broader subject of immigration.

City Councilors voted unanimously to reject all bids for a proposed water project at Edgebrook Golf Course after they came in over budget.

A fire on Sunday afternoon off South Main in Brookings led to the likely destruction of a mobile home.

County Commission restores library funding

Homegrown chef’s new spot hopping busy to start

…

First off, I need everyone to take several deep breaths.

Present company very much included.

BROOKINGS — The questions present themselves here in various orders, but circling back to: Who would write a piano piece that took 7.5 hours to play — and who would then, more than 80 years later, pick up that piece and not only record it, but insist on playing the entire thing live?

…

…

The annual event, which currently is celebrating its tenth anniversary, has gone from a twinkle of an idea to a shining star in the Brookings holiday calendar.

…

…

Howard James Sigaty passed away on Dec. 3, 2025 at the age of 78 after a long battle with leukemia and heart disease.

On being just and fearing not

…

Bantam A team wins pair at home

New Beginnings Birth Center at Brookings Health System is enhancing local maternity care by launching the TeamBirth program, becoming the first maternity unit in South Dakota to implement the nationally recognized initiative

Letters to the editor

…

Religion column

…

The initial proposed site for a new police station in Brookings, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Medary Avenue and Fifth Street.

Brookings service industry volunteers planning free community dinner for Dec. 20

On courage and wisdom in the face of heartache.

Sean Leary, a stand-up comic who was born and raised in Brookings and who organizes the comedy nights at Wooden Legs in town, will appear on a new showcase for comedians on CBS next week.

With SNAP benefits in limbo, local groups step up to feed the hungry.