News Briefs - June 4, 2026

Busy night for first responders
Brookings first responders were involved in a pursuit that began in Sioux Falls and ended north of Watertown early Monday morning.

According to a release from the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, the Moody County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance with a pursuit traveling northbound on I29 into Brookings County around 3:30 a.m.
Brookings County Sheriff’s Deputies and Brookings Police Officers were able to locate the vehicle, a stolen F-550 with dump bed from the Sioux Falls area, and pursue it north on the interstate.

Spike strips were eventually successfully deployed on the vehicle by a Deuel County Sheriff’s Deputy, and both front tires were damaged and eventually came off the rims.
Codington County Sheriff’s Deputies, Watertown Police and Tribal Police all joined the pursuit. The vehicle continued north until the driver lost control and the vehicle entered the ditch at exit 180 — one exit north of the 212 Watertown exit — where it became stuck.Two occupants, both juveniles, were taken into custody.

This incident remains under investigation by the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office and Codington County Sheriff’s Office.

Also around 3 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to a report that a motorcycle struck a deer.

The wreck happened on U.S. HWY 14 near the intersection with 461st Ave — just west of Volga.

The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, Volga Fire Department and Brookings Ambulance were dispatched and found the driver of the motorcycle, Josue Vargas, 24 of Hayti.

Vargas was treated at the scene and released. The bike was destroyed in the collision causing an estimated $4,500 damage.

The incident remains under investigation by the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 5 a.m. Monday, the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, Volga Fire Department and Brookings Ambulance also responded to tHWY 14 in Volga for a vehicle that rolled over.

The driver, Shannon Schut, 62 of Brookings, reported swerving to miss a deer, entering the median and rolling.

The driver was taken to the Brookings ER for unknown injuries. The vehicle was destroyed during the collision and received an estimated $4,600 damage.

Semi burns on 29

BROOKINGS COUNTY — Emergency responders were dispatched at approximately 12:45 a.m. Saturday morning to a reported semi-tractor fire on the southbound I-29 on-ramp at mile marker 140 north of Brookings.

Upon arrival, first responders found the tractor fully engulfed in flames approximately halfway down the exit ramp. The ramp was temporarily closed to traffic to ensure public safety and allow fire crews to extinguish the blaze.

The driver reported was traveling near mile marker 142 in a 2016 Peterbilt semi tractor when he noticed a burning odor. After exiting the interstate to investigate, he observed the front end of the tractor glowing. The driver was able to safely retrieve personal belongings from the cab and exit the vehicle before the tractor became fully involved.

Firefighters from the White and Brookings Fire Departments responded to the scene and successfully extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported.

The tractor and its contents were estimated to have a combined value of approximately $60,000. The cause of the fire is believed to be mechanical in nature, and no foul play is suspected at this time.

Aurora Auto Body and Towing responded to the scene and removed the damaged tractor. Following debris removal and roadway cleanup, the fire department completed final suppression efforts, and the area was returned to normal operations.

Motorists experienced minor delays during the incident while emergency crews worked to safely manage the scene. he southbound on-ramp was closed for about 2-1/2 hours.

The Brookings Fire Department, White Fire Department and the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the call.

Arrest made in jewlery heist

BROOKINGS — As a result of a lengthy investigation, the Brookings Police Department arrested Larry Black, a 52, of Brookings, and charged him with third-degree burglary, aggravated grand theft and intentional damage to property. All of the charges are felonies.

According to a release from the BPD, Black allegedly burglarized Riddle’s Jewelry sometime before midnight on March 3.

The investigation indicated that the glass entrance had been broken and several diamond rings had been stolen.

The BPD recovered all of the diamond rings stolen during the burglary. The rings have an estimated value of more than $78,000. Black is in custody at the Brookings County Detention Facility awaiting further court proceedings.

Brookings Health sponsors students

BROOKINGS — Brookings Health System is sponsoring four Brookings High School students who have earned the privilege to compete at HOSA’s International Leadership Conference, June 17-20 in Indianapolis.

Seniors Lauren Bortnem and Amelia Wendell took first place at the state competition in the Community Awareness category. The Community Awareness competition requires teams of 2 to 6 members to educate their own community with a campaign focused on one health or safety-related issue that will impact their whole community. Bortnem and Wendell focused on hygiene insecurity for children. They hosted a hygiene drive and were able to donate over 2,500 hygiene items and had 30,000 local interactions about hygiene insecurity for children.

Senior Maddie Jongeling took second place in the Home Health Aide state competition. The Home Health Aide event allows HOSA members to gain the knowledge and skills required for supporting patients in their homes. This competitive event consists of two rounds. Round one is a written, multiple-choice test.

The top-scoring competitors advance to round two for the skills assessment. The event aims to inspire members to be proactive future health professionals and equip them to serve patients in a home health setting.

Senior Lia Olson took third place at the state competition in the Extemporaneous Writing – Health Policy event. The competition allows HOSA members to gain knowledge and skill to write an effective letter to a policymaker. Competitors receive a secret topic that outlines a relevant health policy or issue with supporting details. Competitors draft their letters in 60 minutes to submit to judges.

The event aims to inspire HOSA members to learn more about current health policy and feel empowered to make a difference by voicing their opinions on important health topics to applicable decision-makers to effect change.

Over 1,500 students from across South Dakota competed in 82 different categories this spring to qualify for the International

Leadership Conference. The students prepare the entire school year for the state HOSA competition with the hope of qualifying for nationals.

Mural unveiling
BROOKINGS — Brookings will celebrate the culmination of months of collaborative artistry at the official unveiling of the Community Mural celebrating America’s 250th on June 4, at 7 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the corner of 6th St. and Main Ave., on the side of the VFW building.

In a special tribute to the upcoming national milestone, a massive 20-by-30-foot “South Dakota 250th” flag will cover the artwork for several days leading up to the event. This traveling flag features the Badlands and a bison in a design specifically created to depict the spirit and heritage of South Dakota. While the flag has been displayed in other communities, Brookings is hosting a unique reveal where the flag will be ceremoniously dropped on June 4 to officially debut the final mosaic mural.

The mural project has been a significant community effort. It involved 950 individual tiles painted by Brookings residents and groups during public and private painting parties held over the last few months.

Each participant followed a specific color palette to ensure their tile contributed to the overall design.

The mural is a project of the Brookings Regional Growth Alliance and funded by a grant from the Brookings Public Arts Commission.
Immediately following the reveal, the public is invited inside the VFW for refreshments and socializing to celebrate the artists and volunteers who brought this vision to life.

Hy-Vee honors Schleicher
BROOKINGS — The helpful smile of a Brookings Hy-Vee employee is now featured on the side of a Hy-Vee semi-trailer to recognize the exemplary level of service he provides to customers.

Darin Schleicher’s picture was unveiled Wednesday during a celebration outside Brookings Hy-Vee. Schleicher serves as the produce manager at the Brookings Hy-Vee, where he has worked since 1991.

Schleicher is often the first person customers see when they enter the store and uses that as an opportunity to create lasting connections. He knows many customers’ names, the names of their children, and their school activities. Schleicher is a 2025 recipient of the Hy-Vee Legendary Customer Service Award, which recognizes exemplary achievement in providing service that exceeds customers’ expectations.

Hy-Vee first started featuring long-serving employees on semi-truck wraps in 1997, and it has since become a cherished tradition at the company.

— From staff reports