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Garretson School Board talks about struggles with state bureaucracy

Garrick A. Moritz, Garretson Gazette

            The Garretson School Board met in regular session on Oct 10, with accreditation being the main item of focus, along with 2022-23 final student numbers, which are down overall.

            Board Member Kari Flanagan was absent for this meeting, but all other members were in attendance, along with Business Manager Jacob Schweitzer and Principals Chris McGregor and Katie Hoekman.

            The first item of business was the review and approval of the annual report for fiscal year 2022. Schweitzer said this was the smoothest the process has gotten since he’s taken the job.

            The board approved the report, then chose Shannon Nordstrom to be the board’s delegate to the Associated School Boards of South Dakota assembly this year. The board will discuss their standing positions on the ASBSD’s legislative and policy agenda for the year at their next regular meeting.

            Two policies were up for review on the agenda, re-aligning trust & agency accounts, and Student Safety Patrol.

            The Trust and Agency accounts will all be reclassified as custodial accounts under new state and federal regulations. Board member Tana Clark asked Schweitzer about how many such accounts exist, and he said the number was more than twenty, with each class having their own fund and various activities/association each having their own fund. This did not include Blue Dragon Boosters, which keeps its own finances.

            Next, the policy committee will bring either a revision for or recommendation to abolish the Student Safety Patrol policies.

            Superintendent Guy Johnson said there hasn’t been a Student Safety Patrol in at least nine years, if not longer, and people in attendance were hard pressed to remember when the last time there was one. Board member Clark said that in her experience, such programs only work with direct adult supervision. The board will discuss it at the next regular meeting and decide then whether the program policy is worth revising, tabling, or simply eliminating the policy.

            They had two first readings of student recruitment access to information, and notification to parents to release said information, and a second reading and approval of student records, which is a total rewrite of the policy to conform with ASBSD recommendations. The second reading was approved.

            Next, Supt. Johnson talked about the Results Drive Accountability and Targeted School Improvement. This report and assessment was given to the school for accountability reasons due to absenteeism.

            “Admittedly, a lot of this is hard to swallow,” he said. “The main criteria they use for identifying one of these schools is absentee rate. Well, our school has a 94 percent attendance rate and the average for schools in other districts is 86 percent.”

            However, a few students in the economically-disadvantaged and special needs categories had large absence periods that the state took note of. Currently, only two of those six students still attend the Garretson School.

            However, Supt. Johnson said that generally this could be a positive thing for the district as the state will help teachers and administrators develop targeted plans and allocate funding to students who likely need it the most. This brought up several discussion points about the school’s accreditation that the principals, superintendent, and board members would talk about later in the meeting.

            Supt. Johnson then gave the board an update on the final student count that happened on Sept. 30th. In total, K-12 has 444 students this year. In all, 38 students left the district since last year. This is a mix of families moving, open-enrolling out to other districts, and in one case, of a student family choosing to home-school. Though 9 students applied to open enroll in, only 7 were approved. Two were not accepted because the school could not accommodate the particular needs of said students.

            Elementary Principal Katie Hoekman gave her report, speaking about the accreditation process that had begun and the teacher in-service that was held last Friday.

            Board member Clark asked Hoekman if what she’d heard was true, that it was taking more of the teacher’s time than ever to file the proper paper work with their lesson plans for the state accreditation.

            Hoekman agreed that the process is more time consuming, but that their new system is efficient, and once everybody is using the same standards and system, it should be easier in the future.

            “That’s only if the standards don’t change again,” said Clark.

            Hoekman agreed that was a fair point.

            High School/Middle School Principal Chris McGregor then took the floor.

            “Homecoming was wild, and a pretty big success this year from everything I’ve seen,” said McGregor. “It’s not my first rodeo, but it is my first rodeo here in Garretson.”

            McGregor was extremely complementary of everybody who volunteered their time and effort into making it a great day and a great week. Now that he’s learned the ropes, he said he’ll be able to make tweaks to make it even better for next year.

            He also gave a report on the Challenge Day, in which about 40 students participated.

            “Somehow, it’s coming up on the end of the first quarter already and I feel like I just walked in the door,” he said.

            McGregor also made special note of the FFA students, whose sales team will be sending 8 students to the State contest.

            Supt. Johnson then switched to the topic that already had been talked about some, the accreditation. Clark asked him if it seemed that the process was different and more complicated than it used to be. Supt. Johnson said it most certainly is.

            “From my own experience over in Baltic, it’s seems like there is an awful lot more paperwork than there has been previously,” Clark said. “Some of the new teachers especially are expressing frustration that they simply don’t have the time do all of this plus their regular tasks. The report I just read said that statewide, South Dakota is already 300 teachers short of where we need to be. If we burn out new teachers, where are we going to end up? Not that I’m criticizing the Department of Education, but it does makes me ask, what are they doing?”

            “Well, I can tell you that if they don’t realize that’s how we feel, then they’re not getting the message,” said Johnson. “I know the superintendent in Baltic has been one of the most vocal critics. The department used to send a team of people, dispatching them to the districts, they came in, checking documents and sat in on classes. Now it seems, we have to have all this documentation in hand to send them, and it’s simply a matter of ‘this is what we require of you.’ It feels like extra hoop jumping. I don’t know if there were budget cuts to the department, but there is definitely more work to the process on our end this time. At the same time, we obviously need accreditation and so we have to do whatever is required of us to make it happen.”

            The Prairie Lakes Coop report was brief, as board member Jodi Gloe said the meeting lasted only about 5 minutes. The only item of note was that one of the councilors for the coop had been honored as school counselor of the year.

            There were no further motions or any executive sessions and the meeting adjourned.

2022 Harvest Pumpkin Fest a blast

            The 2022 Pumpkin Fest in Garretson was bigger than it has ever been this past Saturday, Oct. 8th with live music from Dan Haygood and Boston Steve.

News for 10-13-2022

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10-13-22 front page

This past weekend's Harvest Pumpkin Festival was a big hit, as was Nordstrom's Auto Ewe-Pullit's 40-40-40 event. Also, the Garretson School Board talked about state bureaucracy issues and enrollment numbers, Craig "Roller" Rollag was inducted into the SD Softball Hall of Fame, and Cross Country had some success at the Big East Conference, plus more!


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This past weekend's Harvest Pumpkin Festival was a big hit, as was Nordstrom's Auto Ewe-Pullit's 40-40-40 event. Also, the Garretson School Board talked about state bureaucracy issues and enrollment numbers, Craig "Roller" Rollag was inducted into the SD Softball Hall of Fame, and Cross Country had some success at the Big East Conference, plus more!

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Pumpkin Fest this Saturday!

Pumpkin fest
In 2021, Jordan Doane and his daughter, Landree, examined all pumpkins closely before picking out the best one. (Gazette file photo)

            For the past few years, the Pumpkin Festival in Garretson has been a hit with families, with kids of all ages coming to the Garretson School parking lot to pick out pumpkins from the selection available from a local pumpkin patch.

            This year, the festival is growing, and in partnership with Annie's, the Harvest Festival has been added to the Pumpkin Fest and renamed to Harvest Pumpkin Festival.

            From 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, several vendors will be set up in both the school parking lot and in Depot Square down the block along Depot, such as Two Little Bees, Reker Farms, Just Fudge It, The Glassmith, Mommas Mercantile, Downtown Style & Boutique, The Exercise Place, local knitters and crafters, and of course, Annie's coffee.

            The event will have live music by Boston Steve, Oktoberfest foods and beer, and bloody Mary’s, and hay rides to tour Garretson parks will be offered.

            For examples of craft and vendor items that will be available at the event, look for Harvest Pumpkin Festival on Facebook.

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DANR Announces More Than $167.2 Million for South Dakota Environmental Projects

 
PIERRE, S.D. – Last week, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) announced the Board of Water and Natural Resources has approved $167,247,512 in grants and loans for drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste projects in South Dakota.


The $167,247,512 total includes $9,126,504 in grants and $158,121,008 in low-interest loans with $16,547,898 in principal forgiveness to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“I am pleased to announce this financial assistance is available,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “This funding will result in upgraded drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and support recycling projects which benefits system users and the environment.”

The grants and loans were awarded from DANR’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program, Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program, Consolidated Water Facilities Construction Program, Solid Waste Management Program, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the following:

Garretson received a $92,900 ARPA grant to install approximately 700 feet of water main on Dows Street to complete water main looping in the southwest portion of the city and provide more isolation valves to address water main breaks in the future. These funds and local funds will cover the project costs.


Belle Fourche received a $1,760,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to drill a new well to increase water supply to the city. The new well will provide a secondary water source in the southern part of the city. A chlorination system and connection piping will be included. The terms of the loan are 1.625 percent for 30 years.

Bison received a $1,666,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $548,000 Consolidated Water Facilities Construction Program grant to clean and televise the entire collection system. This effort will determine the condition of aging pipe infrastructure to prioritize replacement activity. The existing wastewater treatment facility will be refurbished to fix the pond berms and install riprap/geotextile. Lastly, a storm sewer diversion will reroute stormwater away from the wastewater lagoon. Terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years.

Brandon received a $478,837 ARPA grant to reconstruct the sanitary sewer north of Bethany Lift Station. The project includes installation of a new PVC sanitary trunk sewer main that will provide service to a new elementary school along with service to promote future residential development on the east side of town. These funds and local ARPA funds will cover project costs.
 

Box Elder received a $6,261,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan with $3,284,000 in principal forgiveness to support future expansion in multiple areas of the city and improve current services. The project includes installation of various sized piping and upsizing a portion of the already existing trunk main. The terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 

Box Elder also received a $6,630,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan for various improvements including replacing system mains that are beyond useful life, new equipment including pump house controls and chlorination units for Well #7, replacement and upgrading mains to address leakage issues, and replacing water storage tank liners. The terms of the loan are 1.625 percent for 30 years.
 

Buffalo Gap received a $1,147,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $846,000 of principal forgiveness to replace cast iron and 4-inch water lines throughout the town. The project will address all known system deficiencies related to existing distribution system and boost the water system flows for future integrity of the system. The terms of the loan are 0 percent for 30 years.
 

Butte-Meade Sanitary District received a $3,325,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to make water system improvements to address peak water demands. The project consists of a new supply well and well house, a new water storage reservoir, new pressure reducing valve facility, and piping to connect the new well and reservoir to the existing water system. The terms of the loan are 1.875% for 30 years.
 

Canton received a $2,021,378 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $318,311 ARPA grant to replace the sewer main on 11th Street between Pleasant Street and the main lift station. The terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years. These funds and local ARPA funds will cover the project costs.
 
Canton also received a $1,770,378 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $318,311 ARPA grant to replace cast iron water main, install service lines, replace fire hydrants, and replace valves throughout the system. The terms of the loan are 1.875 percent for 30 years. These funds and local ARPA funds will cover the project costs.
 

Deer Mountain Sanitary District received a $3,001,552 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $428,502 in principal forgiveness and a $45,798 ARPA grant for a water treatment building and equipment, a storage tank, water meters, distribution system replacement, and a booster station. The terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years. Funding for the project was previously awarded in June 2020.
 

Faith received a $1,391,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $941,000 principal forgiveness in additional funding to supplement a previous award due to increased costs. The project will construct a new elevated water storage tower and make improvements to adjacent watermains to connect to the system. The terms of the loan are 1.875 percent for 30 years. Funding for the project was previously awarded in March 2021.
 

Fort Pierre received a $398,697 ARPA grant and $4,230,684 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan for an above ground water storage tank. This tank will allow the city to meet needed peak day storage capacity for its users. Terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 

Garretson received a $92,900 ARPA grant to install approximately 700 feet of water main on Dows Street to complete water main looping in the southwest portion of the city and provide more isolation valves to address water main breaks in the future. These funds and local funds will cover the project costs.
 

High Meadows Water Association received a $488,000 ARPA grant and a $652,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to replace existing water mains and install meter pits to address water loss throughout the system. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 
McLaughlin received a $962,396 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $557,396 in principal forgiveness to replace approximately 95 percent of existing cast iron watermain. The project will also include new gate valves, service lines, curb stops, fire hydrants, and water meters. This loan and other local funds will cover project costs. The loan terms are 0 percent for 30 years.
 
Millennium Recycling, Inc. received a $2,000,000 Solid Waste Management Program loan to replace and upgrade specific pieces of its sorting system that have been in service since the original installation in 2007. Millennium will also take advantage of the latest technology by introducing robotics to its sorting system for the first time. Loan terms are 1.875 percent for 10 years. These funds and local funds will cover the project costs.
 
Pickerel Lake Sanitary District received a $1,300,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan in additional funding to replace or rehabilitate 13 lift stations within the collection system and expand the system to provide service to 56 existing homes that are not currently connected. Terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years. Funding for the project was previously awarded in April 2022.
 
Pleasant Valley Homeowners Association received a $149,000 ARPA grant and a $249,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to address water loss due to old and degraded curb stops and install new mainline valves. The project will reduce water loss and make the system operation more efficient. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 
Randall Community Water District received a $45,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to provide additional water capacity to Mitchell for current users and to allow for future growth by upgrading waterlines, booster stations, and water storage facilities from south of Stickney, north to I90, and east to Mitchell. The loan terms are 1.875 percent for 30 years.
 
Randall Community Water District also received a $1,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $500,000 in principal forgiveness to finish the previously funded Geddes Consolidation Project, as construction costs have increased. Loan terms are 1.875 percent for 30 years. Funding for this project was previously awarded in April 2022.
 
Rapid Valley Sanitary District received a $5,000,000 ARPA grant and a $1,679,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to expand its distribution system by installing new watermain and building a new concrete storage tank. In addition, a new well will be drilled to address source needs. This project will facilitate regionalization with Box Elder and the surrounding area and accommodate recent and expected growth. The terms of the loan are 1.625% for 30 years. These funds and local ARPA funds will cover the project costs.
 
Sioux Falls received a $12,500,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to loop a 1.5-mile water transmission main gap to readily move water throughout the city. The project will also replace an existing well with a new higher capacity horizontal collector well. This new well will increase source water capacity due to the inability to use several existing well near the airport due to PFAS contamination. The PFAS contaminated wells were taken out of service several years ago after contamination was detected, and the new well is needed to replace that lost capacity. Terms of the loan are 1.875 percent for 10 years.
 
South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority received a $250,000 ARPA grant in additional funding to supplement a previous award. The original award was for a $300,000 ARPA grant to undertake a study to determine the critical water supply needs of the regional area served by multiple entities. The additional funds will allow the scope of the study to be expanded to include wastewater needs and expand the study area to align more closely with other planning studies as requested by  the region. The total ARPA grant funding provided is $550,000 which will fund the full cost of the proposed regional water and wastewater study.
 
South Lincoln Rural Water System received a $11,502,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan for an elevated tank, a pump station, new control and data equipment, and a new water treatment plant to serve increasing demands in its service area. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years. These funds and local funds will cover the project costs. Funding for this project was previously awarded in April 2022.
 
Stratford received a $128,220 Consolidated Water Facilities Construction Program loan to clean and televise its wastewater collection system to prioritize for future improvements and to build perimeter fencing and construct an access road at the wastewater treatment facility. The terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 
Stratford also received a $1,846,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan with 100 percent principal forgiveness and a $326,000 Consolidated Water Facilities Construction Program loan to replace existing watermains throughout the community and install water meters. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 
Sturgis received a $750,000 ARPA grant and a $4,188,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to construct two new water supply wells, new well house, new storage tank, new water transmission main, and loop existing water mains. The loan terms are 1.625 percent for 30 years. These funds and local ARPA funds will cover the project costs.
 
Terry Trojan Water Project District received a $757,400 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to replace a concrete water storage tank with a new bolted steel storage tank to address leaking and loss of treated water. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.
 
WEB Water Development Association received a $39,650,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to construct parallel transmission mains. The project includes installation 50 miles of 42- to 54-inch pipe to assist in the increased transmission of water. This project is part of the Water Investment in Northern South Dakota regionalization project with WEB Water Development Association, the city of Aberdeen and BDM Rural Water System. The loan terms are 1.875 percent for 30 years.
 
Westberry Trails Water Users Association received a $288,650 ARPA grant and a $1,177,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $250,000 in principal forgiveness to make improvements to the water system The project includes water meters and pits, a new well for redundancy, and a chemical feed system to treat the groundwater. The terms of the loan are 2.125% for 30 years.
 
The American Rescue Plan Act provides grants for eligible water, wastewater, storm water, and nonpoint source projects. The state of South Dakota is making a historic investment in infrastructure by dedicating $600 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding for local water and wastewater infrastructure grants.
 
The Solid Waste Management Program provides grants and loans for solid waste disposal, recycling, and waste tire projects. The Legislature annually appropriates dedicated funding for the Solid Waste Management Program through the Governor’s Omnibus Water Funding Bill.
 
The State of South Dakota and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fund the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program, which provides low-interest loans for public drinking water system projects. The program is funded through a combination of federal appropriations, loan repayments, and bonds.
 
The State of South Dakota and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fund the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program, which provides low-interest loans for wastewater, storm water, water conservation, and nonpoint source projects. The program is funded through a combination of federal appropriations, loan repayments, and bonds.
 
The Consolidated Water Facilities Construction Program, funded in part by revenues from the Petroleum Release Compensation Tank Inspection fee and the sale of lotto tickets, provides grants and loans for water, wastewater, and watershed projects.
 
The board approved the funding at last week's meeting in Pierre.
 
 

GHS Homecoming Hopes dashed by Hanson

            Our GHS Homecoming hopes were dashed facing Hanson on Sept. 30th as the Blue Dragons were unable to score, the game ending in the third quarter 0-51.

            The first quarter gave fans some hope, with some good plays.

            Hanson recovered a GHS fumble and scored their first touchdown with 7 minutes on the clock.

            After Hanson’s first touchdown, and initially losing control of the ball again, Garretson had a great interception and moved up the field significantly.

             “The team played well in the first quarter against a team that is highly ranked as one of the best in the division!” said Head Coach Jerry Weiland.

            The Dragons did play some great defense in that first quarter, stopping Hanson’s advance until just 2:36 was left on the clock. Meanwhile, some good turnovers and advances on the Blue Dragon’s side gave fans something to cheer about. However, the Dragons just couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities that came their way and Hanson scored their second touchdown with an extra point, making it 0-16 for the Dragons at the end of the first quarter.

            Hanson played hard and continued to grind down the Blue Dragon defense by attrition. It was very much a rushing game, a game that Hanson continued to outperform. Hanson made 20 rushing attempts for a gain of 327 yards, at 16.4 yards per rush, whereas GHS only gained 46 yards rushing with 31 attempts, gaining only 1.5 yards per rush. GHS actually had a better passing game, two successful passes gaining 6.5 yards per pass, whereas Hanson only gained 6 yards with the same amount thrown.

            Hanson’s relentless assault scored them 29 more points and the Blue Dragons had no lights on the scoreboard to close the half at 0-45.

            After the halftime show, GHS dueled with Hanson again, doing their very best to slow and stymie the assault. They were pretty successful in that, and kept Hanson from scoring until only 1:39 was left on the clock. This brought the score to 0-51 for the Dragons, and the officials called the game at the end of the third quarter.

            “We have to stay with the fundamentals of football for the sake of the season and seasons to come,” said Coach Weiland.

            Next game for GHS Football is this Friday, Oct. 7 at Irene/Wakonda.

            The last home game is Oct. 14 against Centerville.

GHS XC Goes the Distance!

            The Garretson Cross Country team showed up for Homecoming and represented the Blue Dragons by participating in two meets at Sioux Valley (Volga) and Lennox.

            In Volga on Tuesday, September 27, Garretson ran one male and one female in Varsity, sophomore Noah Schotzko and 7th grader Emma Hanson. Schotzko placed 36th overall with a run time of 21:11.47 on the 5,000-meter course, and Hanson placed 44th with a time of 24:36.11. In JV, Sebastian Deyoung medaled in 8th place with a run time of 16:25.39. Nate Roberts was 15th with a personal best of 17:02.59, Eliza Potter was 19th with a season record of 21:09.2, and Talon Miller was 21st overall with a personal best of 17:38.3.

            Next, the team headed south on Thursday for the Lennox Invite. All members of the team ran junior varsity, with Schotzko, Deyong, and Hanson placing in the top twenty. Schotzko received 16th place with a run time of 15:57.56, Deyong ran a personal best and was awarded 18th with a run time of 15:59.77, and Hanson was 19th with a personal best time of 18:59.50.

Blue Dragon Soccer ends its season on a loss

            On Saturday, the Blue Dragon Soccer team played its final game of the regular season against Groton Area.

            While the team did put one ball into the back of the net, Groton Area found the net five times, for a final score of 1-5.

            The team is ending its regular season with a seed point average of 37.167 and a win-loss record of 2-10. Unfortunately, these scores were not high enough to enter the team into the State finals, which means the Blue Dragon Soccer season has officially ended.

            Good job to the Blue Dragon soccer team and its coaches Amber Williamson, Riley Altman, and Jill Whalen, and a fond farewell to soccer seniors Raegen Altman, Morgan Damman, and Jenna VanHolland! Go big blue!

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Volleyball celebrates Homecoming with two wins

    Last week Tuesday, September 27, and Thursday, September 29, the Blue Dragon Volleyball team celebrated homecoming week by taking on Alcester-Hudson and Parker and coming away with wins.

            In the game hosted in the Dragon's Lair on Tuesday, the athletes overpowered the Cubs and took them down in three sets, 25-20, 25-21, and 25-17.

            Logan Bly was on full attack mode, acquiring a massive 20 attacks to add to her season score. Sydney Olson and Bly each got two aces, and Tayler Benson and Aleah Wagner each put one ace in the hole. Benson and Olson were on the game with 12 and 11 digs each, as Wagner grabbed 9 and senior Kaylin Koch took care of 8 digs. Koch got the only solo block of the game, and Grace Hove again lit up the board with assists, adding 29 more to her scorecard.

            On Thursday, the fiery Dragons traveled to Parker to match up with the Pheasants, and served them up on a platter. They took their opponents in three sets, 25-15, 25-10, and 25-23.

            Bly, Koch, Wagner, and Anna Jones put 10, 9, 8, & 7 kills on their scorecards, while Koch led in aces with 6. Bly followed with 4, and Benson and Olson each put one ace in the hole. Bly acquired the only solo block and assisted with 3, while Hove assisted with 2 blocks. Olson and Bly both saved with 10 digs each while Koch had 9. Hove and Olson each put 16 and 14 assists on their cards.

            On Tuesday, the Lady Dragons again hosted in the Lair, this time against Dell Rapids St. Mary's (results not available at press time). Prior to that game, the team win-loss stats so far this season were 11-5. Tonight, they play in Canton, and will be on the home court again this coming Monday to take on Lennox. JV starts at 6:00 and Varsity will be at 7:15 p.m.”

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