News briefs - August 5, 2026

Hospital named to Forbes list
BROOKINGS —Brookings Hospital was recently named to Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026, one of five listed South Dakota hospitals. It is the highest rated South Dakota hospital across all five quality measures.

“Every patient matters at Brookings Health System,” said Brookings Health System’s President and CEO Jason Merkley. “Our team implements best practices and focuses on service to deliver the top outcomes and experiences for patients at the best possible value. That dedication consistently earns our team unsolicited accolades like these.”

The new Top Hospitals by State 2026 list is a subset of Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 national list and rating system, which Brookings Hospital was named to last December. Forbes assessed acute care hospitals across the nation based on healthcare quality measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Forbes’ methodology focused on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. It also adjusted for the demographics and socioeconomics of the communities surrounding the hospitals.

Earlier this year Brookings Health System was named a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital for the ninth time by the National Rural Health Association as well as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The health system was also recognized with a ninth consecutive Performance Leadership Award. To learn more about Brookings Health System’s high-quality care, please visit brookingshealth.org/Quality.

Rotary hears about Tanzania school
BROOKINGS — The Brookings Rotary Club weekly meeting welcomed members, guests, and a visiting Rotarian from Canada. The meeting featured a presentation on the School of St. Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, delivered by club members Deb DeBates and Larry Janssen who recently traveled to the school as part of a Rotary-sponsored group.

DeBates and Janssen shared that the School of St. Jude was founded in 2002 by a woman named Gemma with just three students, one teacher, and one classroom. It has grown to serve 1,800 students across three campuses. Named after the patron saint of lost causes, the school was established to fight poverty through education. The school is composed of three campuses: the Sisia Campus (primary and girls’ secondary), the Smith Campus (boys’ facilities and girls’ Form A), and the Moivaro Campus (a 10-acre boarding school for secondary girls).

DeBates and Janssen noted that while 84% of Tanzanian children are enrolled in primary school, only 28% reach secondary school — a gap the School of St. Jude works directly to address.

The presenters visited a local government school where class sizes reach 100 students per teacher, resources are extremely limited, and many students fail to advance due to insufficient English instruction.

Several Brookings Rotary members currently co-sponsor students at the school. The annual cost to co-sponsor one student is $2,640 for two semesters, covering boarding, education, and related expenses.

DeBates and Janssen conducted home visits to sponsored students, witnessing firsthand the positive impact that education has had on students’ families — including improved housing, employment opportunities, and quality of life.

The club announced that Malik, a student at St. Jude’s whose father is currently unemployed, needs a sponsor. Members interested in co-sponsoring Malik or another student were encouraged to contact the club for more information.

The Brookings Rotary continued its international outreach by announcing a Rotary Friendship Exchange with Northern Thailand (District 3360). The exchange is planned for January or February 2027. Approximately ten to twelve Rotarians and their spouses will be selected to participate.

FB&T scholarships awarded to locals
BROOKINGS – First Bank & Trust is passionate about education and aims to empower future leaders by providing financial assistance through the First Bank & Trust Community Scholarship program.

We are pleased to announce that the following students have been selected as 2026 Community Scholarship recipients, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship for college tuition expenses:

— Amelia Wendell – South Dakota State University for Nursing
— Brielle Smetana – University of Northern Iowa for English
— Brendan Lindberg – University of St. Thomas
— Taylor Kroger – South Dakota State University for Pharmacy
— Brooklyn Trudeau – Grand Canyon University for Government (Pre-Law)
— Conner Endorf – South Dakota State University for Exercise Science
— Joseph Prorok – Northwestern College for Criminal Justice
— Kendra Endorf – South Dakota State University for Accounting
— Anna Neugebauer – North Dakota State University for Biological Sciences (Pre-Med)
— Lilly Torgerson – University of North Dakota for Biology (Pre-Med)
— Alyvia Caskey – Minnesota State University, Mankato, for Communication Sciences and Disorders
— Mylee Weber – University of Nebraska Omaha for Psychology
— Zander Carbonneau – Drake University for Political Science/Secondary Education
— Kelsy Siercks – Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota for Sports Management
— Jessica Hadrick – South Dakota State University for Human Biology
— Morgan Sehr – Augustana University for Exercise Science (Pre-Occupational Therapy Track)
— Lydia Anderson – Creighton University for Interdisciplinary Health Studies (Pre-Occupational Therapy Path)
— Devon Snyder – Texas Christian University for Finance
— Emma Peterson – South Dakota State University for Ag Business and Entrepreneurial Studies
— Kennedy Bryant – South Dakota State University for Nursing

“This year’s scholarship recipients are dedicated to both their academics and extracurricular pursuits,” said Kevin Tetzlaff, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Bank & Trust. “We’re proud to support these outstanding students as they continue to grow and achieve.”

The recipients will start or continue their postsecondary education at the institutions listed above this fall.

Man hurt in one bike accident
On Aug 1, Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, Brookings Fire Department, Brookings Ambulance, White Fire Department, Brookings Police Department and South Dakota Highway Patrol were requested to a single motorcycle accident on Interstate 29 near mile marker 138.

Responding units rendered aid to the operator of the motorcycle, John Dahlsted 55 of North Dakota, who had left the roadway on his motorcycle.

Dahlsted was transported to the Brookings Hospital with unknown injuries.