By Nevaeh Kee, 17, has been crowned Miss South Dakota Teen 2023. Kee will be a senior at Faulkton High School in fall. She received the title following the Friday, June 2 ceremony in Brookings.
Nevaeh Kee, 17, of Faulkton is Miss South Dakota’s Teen. She was crowned by 2022 Miss South Dakota’s Teen Olivia Odenbrett. Photo courtesy of Miss South Dakota Scholarship Foundation Photo courtesy of Miss South Dakota Scholarship Foundation
The Miss South Dakota Teen and Miss South Dakota contests were the same weekend. Madisen Vetter of Aberdeen, who competed as Miss Central States Fair, won the preliminary talent competition singing “For Good” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.”
Miranda O’Bryan of Martin was crowned Miss South Dakota.
Aberdeen Area Community Foundation grants support United Way, Aberdeen Hardball Association
The Aberdeen Area Community Foundation is pleased to support United Way of Northeastern South Dakota with a grant to assist in furnishing its new office space. The Aberdeen Area Community Foundation recently made the ceremonial check presentation at a United Way board meeting. Making the presentation were, from left, Aberdeen Area Community Foundation board member Hannah Walters, United Way Executive Director Aaron Schultz, Aberdeen Area Community Foundation board Chairman Heath Johnson, Aberdeen Area Community Foundation Executive Director Pat Gallagher and Aberdeen Area Community Foundation board member Bea Smith. Photo courtesy of Aberdeen Area Community Foundation
The Aberdeen Area Community Foundation recently provided a grant to the Aberdeen Hardball Association to support its new project to create a traveling team for its youth baseball program. The grant funds will help with equipment purchases and other needs of the program. Pictured for the ceremonial check presentation are, front from left, Aberdeen Area Community Foundation Vice President Megan Biegler, and Aberdeen Hardball Association board members Diane Soderlund and Kelly Ladner; back from left, Aberdeen Hardball Association board members Steve Stickelmyer, Joel Welke, Eric Borge and Troy Woehl. Photo courtesy of Aberdeen Area Community Foundation
Aberdeen Christian students earn Harold Salem awards
Harold E. Salem Character Award winners at Aberdeen Christian were, from left, Taylor Ingemansen, Sophia Eichler, Jaxson Bobby and Kaden Clark. Kiwanis member Roy Becker stands with the award recipients. Courtesy photo
Painting by Aberdeen artist selected for capital art collection
One of 14 new pieces of art purchased for the state’s public art collection was created by Aberdeen artist Daniel Parsons, according to a news release from the South Dakota Arts Council.
The pieces of art were selected by a five-member advisory committee to the council, which reviewed 65 purchase proposals and based its decisions on set review criteria including quality of the work; the artwork’s relevance to South Dakota environment, history, heritage, or culture; professional experience of the artist; permanence and safety, as required for public artworks.
Parsons’ piece is an acrylic painting called Hidden Images.
Pieces acquired this year will be installed for public display later this summer.
Elks recognize scholarship winners, DTOM Veterans Ranch
Elks scholarship winners who were recognized at a recent meeting are, from left, Webster students Addison Kuecker and Drew Reetz. Gregg Cramer, Exalted Ruler of the Aberdeen Lodge, is pictured on the right. Not pictured are Kenna Webb from Timber Lake and Aberdeen students Masyn Schutter and Dustin Hermansen. Courtesy photo
DTOM Veterans Ranch representatives, from left, Tracy Diefenbach and Chris Reder, accept a $9,000 donation from Aberdeen Elks Club Exalted Ruler Gregg Cramer. Elks member Jan Weismantel applied for the funds to help DTOM with its mission of preventing veteran suicide. Courtesy photo
Brown County Cloverbud 4-H’ers learned about horticulture and community service at the Brown County Fairgrounds recently. The kids then helped to beautify the Brown County 4-H and Fair Office by planting some flowers. Pictured from left are Jada Volk, left, Quinn Evans, Maci Volk, Raylinn Robinson, Hunter Hawkinson, Chase Hawkinson. Courtesy photo
Northern Electric member places third in Who Powers You electric cooperative contest
Northern Electric member Pearl Holt, left, is presented her third-place certificate by Northern Electric General Manager Char Hager. Holt placed third in a Who Powers You contest hosted by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in the region. The contest recognizes individuals for the work they do in their communities. Holt is involved in 4-H, the Aberdeen Area Horseman’s Association, Special Olympics and the Brown County Fair. She also volunteers at SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center. Courtesy photo
Northern baseball player named a SHAPE America Major of the Year
Northern State University student Andrew Wedwick has been named a SHAPE America Major of the Year.
Wedwick is a sophomore physical education major from Viroqua, Wis., and member of the Wolves baseball team.
Wedwick
After college, he intends to find a teaching job in the Midwest, according to a news release from Northern. Wedwick plans to teach physical education and also wants to get into coaching football, basketball or baseball.
“Northern has helped me a lot. I think the staff in particular has been great for me and my development,” Wedwick said in the release. “They are great teachers in the classroom to prepare me for my future. I also have built great relationships with my teachers and I feel that I can talk to them about anything, and they are always there for me for any questions I have.”
The major of the year, awarded annually by the Society of Health and Physical Educators America, honors outstanding undergraduate students in the fields of health, physical education recreation and dance.
Northern business students participate in data analytics competition
Three Northern State University students participated in a statewide data analytics competition this spring that was open to all South Dakota Board of Regents institutions.
Casanova
Dante Casanova, William Madler and Brandon Steinhauer competed in the event, which was administered by Dakota State University in Madison. The students were given a dataset of approximately 300,000 records and used predictive analytics techniques to create a model prediction of the probability of credit card default.
Madler
“I was excited to try and venture into this project not having much experience at all with doing statistical analysis,” said Steinhauer, of West Fargo, N.D., who graduated last month with a management information systems degree.
Madler, of Bismarck, N.D., said Northern faculty members Scott Peterson and Aaron Scholl of the School of Business invited the students to participate in the competition.
Steinhauer
Madler graduated last month with a finance degree.
“They each helped us greatly in getting started and prompting us with new ideas to include in our process,” Madler, who graduated last month with a finance degree, said in a release.
Casanova, of Aberdeen, said he’s grateful for the opportunity to participate in the competition, and he encourages other students with an interest in data analytics to participate next year.
“This experience benefited me because it exposed me to a wide array of analytic techniques that I had not explored in my prior business statistics course,” Casanova, a second-year finance major also pursuing minors in economics and accounting, said in the release.
Ramey publishes book
Peter Ramey has published a book, “The Word-Hoard Beowulf: A Translation with Commentary.” The book, published by Angelico Press, is the first translation and popular commentary to take seriously the religious dimension of the epic poem. “While generations of students know that ‘Beowulf’ represents a confluence of Christianity and paganism, this version — informed by J.R.R. Tolkien’s theory of language as the repository of myth — opens the hood to track the poem’s inner religious workings,” according to information from Angelico Press. Ramey, associate professor of English at Northern, teaches courses on medieval English literature, Latin and linguistics. He has published articles on Beowulf and Old and Middle English in “Modern Philology,” “Philological Quarterly” and other scholarly journals, and essays in “Public Discourse” and “Front Porch Republic.” Courtesy photo Ramey, Associate Professor of English at Northern, teaches courses on medieval English literature, Latin and linguistics. He has published articles on Beowulf and on Old and Middle English in Modern Philology, Philological Quarterly and other scholarly journals, and essays in Public Discourse and Front Porch Republic. Courtesy photo
Northern faculty co-author journal articles
Northern State University faculty members were among the co-authors of a recent blog piece and journal article based on their research surrounding mandatory reporting.
The article, “Mandatory reporting and the retaliation factor,” was published in the Children and Youth Services Review journal. The study was conducted by Franne Sippel of Aberdeen’s Northern Plains Psychological Associates and Northern faculty members Karyl Meister and Jeff Howard.
Sippel and Meister also co-authored the blog piece “Direct Reporting Prevents Child Abuse.” The piece appeared on Child USA, a national think tank for child protection.