Looking back at 2018 - January to June

 

December 26, 2018

Courtesy photo

Miss Ipswich Abigail Noltner was crowned the first runner-up at the 2018 South Dakota Snow Queen Festival in Aberdeen. Abigail is second from right.

Politics featured its share of extreme polarization in 2018 and weather-wise it was somewhat of a dry year with its share of extremes, as well. Here is the first six months of 2018 in review.

JANUARY

Miss Ipswich Abby Noltner and Junior Miss Lindsey Grabowska competed in the State Snow Queen festivities in Aberdeen last January and Noltner was crowned the first runner-up, second only to Hannah Sumption of Frederick.

A newly formed agricultural cooperative was named Agtegra Cooperative just in time for its formal launch on February 1. The former Wheat Growers CEO Chris Pearson was named the CEO of the new venture formerly comprising two area coops, North Central Farmers Elevator and Wheat Growers.

A Soil Health Clinic sponsored by Edmunds and McPherson Counties was held on January 16 in the Ipswich School Theater.

The Ipswich Science Fair took place on January 25 at the school. Austin Russell and Orchid Wilcox teamed up for high school honors and Ty Kadlec won the middle-school division. They and several other placers would later attend the regions that were held in the NSU Barnett Center.

It was announced that A Thousand Horses band would perform a concert in Ipswich during Trail Days and the concert opener would be The Rude Band.

Gavin Wollman, an Ipswich seventh grader, won the local geography bee on January 25 and seventh grader Chase Ellis was second.

All kinds of local sports got underway in January ranging from Knights of Columbus Free Throw competition to an Ipswich Wrestling Booster kids mat tourney. Just to name a couple of the events!

FEBRUARY

The FEM hosted its annual Pancake Breakfast on February 9.

Lester Forkel of the Ipswich Lions Club was elected to a position on the South Dakota Lions Board for a three-year term.

Ipswich Science Students participated in STEM and STEAM science-related activities hosted by Webster High School. They placed in three events.

Ipswich musicians attended and did well in their various annual area competitions in Aberdeen and the Ipswich Jazz Band even participated in the South Dakota Jazz Festival there.

The Ipswich Marcus P. Beebe Library hosted hometown native author Gary Wietgrefe, who explained his book on February 21. The author of two books, he donated a signed copy of one of them to the library.

Ipswich merchants hosted Hatchet Days on February 22-23.

February marks the beginning of the post-season in high school winter sports, starting with wrestling. Carter Heinz, wrestling at 182, earned a trip to the State B in Sioux Falls. The Lady Tiger girls' basketball team won their bracket of the Region 2B and that advanced them to the elite group of 16 teams seeded statewide and Ipswich got to play a familiar opponent Warner before a huge crowd in Groton. Warner edged Ipswich for a trip to the State B, ending the Lady Tigers season record at 16-7. The Tiger boys meanwhile would later conclude their season at 10-11 with a regional loss.

There were also various 4-H Shooting Sports events and competitions.

MARCH

The AAU youth wrestlers competed at district, regional and state competition and several indeed qualified for the state meet during the March 10 regional at Huron.

Ipswich sixth-grader Sam Grabowska was selected for the Middle School All State Band concerts on March 2-3 as a Baritone player. They were in Pierre on March 2-3.

The Ipswich Fitness Center moved into its brand new building location in downtown Ipswich.

Dr. Barbara Johnson gave a talk on stained glass windows on March 10 at the Library.

Several Ipswich elementary students sang at the Annual Festival Choir on March 5 in Mobridge.

Despite a major winter storm, the Ipswich National Honor Society students were able to take their trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Ipswich art students painted three murals in the courtroom of the Edmunds County Courthouse.

Middle-school students were scheduled to sing selections from "Aladdin" at their Spring Music Concert on March 13 in the school theater. But due to a rash of bad weather, it was postponed until March 26.

The Richland Wesleyan Church hosted a Passover speaker Danielle Stavi of Jews for Jesus on March 29.

Ipswich earned its share of post-season all-league (and beyond) honorees for the IHS winter sports seasons and the highlight had to be that Kamryn Heinz earned all-state Class B girls basketball honors as a second-team honoree.

APRIL

April got started in fashionable style with the April 7 Prom Grand March.

The Edmunds County Conservation District was honored for 30 years as a member of the SDML Workers' Compensation Fund.

Ipswich High School presented its all-school play Inn-Cognito on April 20.

The Ipswich FBLA Chapter raked in its share awards and honors during the April 23-24 state convo in Sioux Falls.

The school also held its Elementary School Spring Concert on April 26.

An Ipswich landmark on the south end of Main Street, the old Thares Brothers Elevator building, was demolished in mid April.

Ipswich did well at the math contest in Aberdeen, led by Jordan Richardt's win of the geometry division.

Judy Koester retired after 37 years at the local Farm Service Agency.

The old Mina elevator building went up in flames on April 29.

The weather for outdoor sports in early April was less than desirable to say the least. Volunteers had to shovel off the track just to make the scheduled April 21 Tiger Relays a reality. And thinclads indeed came from all over to get their first taste of outdoor competition. (But the Barnett Center had been busy with its share of indoor meets in the meantime.) And IHS golfers could eventually get in some competition later in April.

MAY

On May 2, Holy Cross held its Rummage, Bake Sale and Luncheon to launch the summer

rummaging season.

Ipswich presented its Middle/High School Pops Concert on May 3 .

Ipswich School received a $2,500 Monsanto Fund grant on behalf of an area ag producer Justin Davis.

Cody Jorgenson was named as a new Edmunds County Sheriff's Deputy.

Ipswich School artists competed in the Junior Duck Stamp program, led by Olivia Gohl's first-place win in the 10-12 grade division. (The Ipswich Art program was also well represented at an art show hosted by Faulkton earlier in the spring.)

Gary Hahler retired after 30 years of service as an IHS custodian.

Awards Night for scholastics and athletics was held on May 10 in the IHS theater. The Senior Athlete of the Year is always a highlight of the evening and this year Dylan Northrop and Allison Severson were both named the Senior Athlete of the Year and Scholar Athletes as well.

Ipswich hosted commencement exercises on May 12 with 20 seniors receiving their diplomas. Shaunay Jones was the valedictorian.

A May 18 ceremony at Ipswich School honored fifth grader Kaylin Onken for winning a SDSU "Why I want to be a Nurse" essay contest.

Mark Schaffner was the guest speaker at this year's American Legion Memorial Day program.

Aslee Thorson and Kamryn Heinz headed to Girls State and Ben Kulesa to Boys State on May 28.

Our area Special Olympians did well in their various competitions and the high schoolers experienced several successes this spring as well. The Tiger boys and Lady Tiger girls both won their respective regional track and field competition. The girls went on to capture second place in the State Meet with 58.5 team points in Rapid City. The boys were 13th with 23 team points, featuring a first-place effort in their 3,200-meter relay event. The Tiger boys would later place fifth as a team in the State B boys' golf tourney in Watertown. Halie Feldman competed for the IHS girls.

JUNE

June was declared as Great Outdoors Month by the governor and you could certainly tell why around here. Trail Days is an annual highlight and this year was no exception with plenty of things to do both outdoors and indoors. Parade, concerts and rodeo events, just to name a few! And the local library kicked off its summer reading program for area youngsters and you can take that favorite book both outdoors and indoors, at your convenience.

And there was all sorts of area baseball and softball programs as well as swimming and golf opportunities for all ages. There was even a 4-H Outdoor Camp at Mina Lake on June 13 and we hear that the fish were even cooperating that day.

Larry Stafford took over as the new president of the Ipswich Lions Club.

FEM Electric held its annual meeting on June 21 and they have received a $6 million grant for improvements in their system.

Saturday, June 23 was the day for the Ipswich City-Wide Rummage Sale, sponsored by the Ipswich Commercial Club. Despite off and on rain showers there were nearly 30 different sales in progress around town.

The county 4-H horse show was held on June 26 here.

Verna Kay Boyd gave a talk on Monarch butterflies at the library.

 

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