BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension 4-H members won second place in the national Family and Consumer Sciences Skill-a-thon. The 4-H FCS National Championship and Conference was Jan. 14-17, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. The competition includes Skill-a-thon, Consumer Decision Making, Fashion Revue, educational presentations and quiz bowl competitions. To compete, 4-H youth must qualify at a state contest. Representing South Dakota on the Skill-a-thon tea

With prom season right around the corner, two local women are making sure every high school girl has the chance to shine — without the financial stress. When Kalie Hanisch realized she had a number of boutique dresses sitting in storage, she knew she wanted to put them to good use. “I run a small boutique and had a lot of dresses I have been just storing, so I was wanting to donate them,” Hanisch said. “There wasn’t anyone local doing the prom closet this year, so myself and

Riley Peters is a familiar face in both the Lennox and Tea area. Peters, who grew up in Lennox, currently serves as first grade teacher in the Tea Area School District. By pursuing her master’s degree, Peters has extended her classroom beyond the school walls, spearheading a Chuck-a-Duck fundraiser this Friday night, Feb. 27, as the Lennox High School boys’ basketball team faces off against the Dakota Valley Panthers. Born and raised into a close-knit family, Peters enjoys

This past weekend, Senior Emersen Lee qualified for the National Speech and Debate Tournament in International Extemporaneous Speaking. The team started competition on Friday, Feb. 20 in Brandon Valley and completed on Saturday night, Feb. 21 at Sioux Falls Jefferson. After four rounds of competition, Emersen finished in third place and was the first alternate. One of the competitors just in front of her qualified in a different event, making Emersen the official national q

The Lennox High School Choir students competed in Solo/Ensemble contest in Vermillion on Feb. 11. Prior to the event they held a Preview concert for friends and family. Photos from that event are pictured. At the competition, the students are evaluated in several categories by a judge, and then given an overall rating I (superior), II (excellent), III (average/good), IV (below average/poor), and V (unacceptable). Lennox earned 19 superior solos (1 perfect score), 1 excellen

Worthing, SD — The Worthing Community Fire Department (WCFD) received $61,169 from the 24FY FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant. This funding will be utilized to update fire hoses. The grant allows the WCFD to update every fire hose on every fire truck. “People don’t realize how expensive it is to buy even just one section of hose. We are a rural department, and this is a cost that we could not have afforded outright” Assistant Fire Chief, Jeremy Jacobson stated. The WCFD

The Lennox City Council met Monday, Feb. 9 in the Lennox Boardroom. Mayor Fergen and council members heard agenda items including updates to the Capital Improvement Plan and legislative discussions. The City of Lennox is due for an update of the community’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). “The only big changes from what most of the council has seen in the past is that we’re not including the funding mechanism for these projects on this version of the CIP. We certainly can do

History enthusiast and 30 year civil war reenactor, Dave Renli is looking for community support for a Lincoln County Historical Society. Dave Renli first began learning of the history of Lincoln County while listening to stories from loved ones. “My family is from Lincoln County, and I always heard stories of the olden days that fascinated me and have always stuck with me through my life,” Renli said. Renli’s passion for history grew as he began his professional career as a

This past weekend, the Lennox Speech and Debate team competed at Sioux Falls Roosevelt in the Sweetstakes tournament. The team had a strong showing, being the top “A” school at the meet in overall sweepstakes. Leading the team was Zach Boysen with his third place finish in JV Lincoln-Douglas debate. Also with a strong showing were Maddigan Van Sickle and Maddix Oltmanns with a 3-3 record. The Lennox Speech and Debate team competed at the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavalier Invite

The South Dakota State One Act Festival was held at Brandon Valley Feb. 5–7, and the Lennox High School One Act team capped off a strong season with a successful performance and multiple awards. Lennox qualified for the state competition after capturing first-place honors at the Region 2A Competition at the end of January. At State, the group had another strong performance bringing home several awards. Lennox earned a Superior Technical Award, recognizing the work of Chase H