## Infrastructure & Public Transit
SDDOT 2026 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
Program Scope: The South Dakota Department of Transportation is officially accepting letters of intent for its 2026 TAP cycle. The initiative funds localized, smaller-scale projects that safely expand non-motorized public transit infrastructure across the state.
Eligible Projects: Funding applies to pedestrian and bike paths, community recreational trails, safe-routes-to-school setups, historic preservation sites, public vegetation management, and environmental storm-water/habitat connectivity mitigation.
Funding Parameters: Approximately $8 million in total capital is available for this cycle. Individual infrastructure projects are capped at a maximum of $600,000 with a mandatory $50,000 minimum. Non-infrastructure projects carry no minimum funding cap, but all applicants must provide an 18.05% local financial match.
Deadlines: Letters of intent must be submitted by July 15th. Mandatory on-site programmatic review meetings will be coordinated before April 15th, and full programmatic applications are officially due on October 1st.
## Community Events & Outreach
Codington Connects "Splash into Summer" Kickoff
Event Details: Codington Connects is inviting regional families to downtown Watertown for its second annual "Splash into Summer" seasonal kickoff. The event will take place on Thursday, May 28th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Foundation Plaza.
Activities: The free public gathering features children's coloring projects, a bean bag toss, yard games, flower planting, public chalk art, and a community dunk tank.
Food & Entertainment: A complimentary public supper will be served at 5:30 PM following a financial donation from Reliabank, with additional refreshments supplied by Visit Watertown. Live music will be provided by Velocity Entertainment.
Nonprofit Presence: More than 55 local nonprofit organizations will host interactive booths where families can play games, win prizes, and learn about available summer civic resources. Organizers are currently seeking local door prize donations; interested parties can contact Shannon Markel at 605-882-7908.
## Business & Economic Development
South Dakota Board of Economic Development Loans
The state board has formally approved two new SD Works commercial loans intended to support local workforce expansion and small-business ownership transitions.
Desco Architectural (De Smet): Awarded a $400,000 expansion loan to establish an entirely new manufacturing product line, cut baseline factory production costs, and boost market competitiveness. The expansion expects to add 6 new full-time jobs.
Lemmon IGA (Lemmon): Approved a $550,000 transition loan allowing long-time general manager Stephanie Darwin to formally purchase the local grocery store, securing a vital food supply resource for the community. The transition is projected to create 10 new full-time positions.
Executive Response: GOED Commissioner Bill Even publicly noted that these strategic loans directly fortify rural workforces and preserve baseline consumer services across the state.
## Regional Traffic & Closures
County Road 75 / 460th Avenue Bridge Repairs
Traffic Advisory: The Codington County Highway Department will implement a temporary closure on a section of County Road 75 (460th Avenue) beginning Monday, May 18th, to clear the way for major bridge repairs. The closure is expected to last roughly one month.
Scope of Work: Structural crews will rebuild the eastern boundary of the bridge, which sustained heavy structural damage during a previous spring freeze-and-thaw cycle.
Impacted Routes: The active work zone spans between 169th Street and 170th Street. According to Highway Superintendent Randy Falvey, the construction will directly restrict transit access to several regional gravel pits. The roadway will remain open exclusively to local resident traffic; through-traffic is strictly prohibited.
## Education & Civics
"250+ Years of American Civics and News" Series
Seminar Launch: A free, non-partisan media literacy and civics workshop is arriving in Watertown next month. The hour-long interactive session will be held on Monday, June 8th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the Watertown Regional Library.
Curriculum Focus: The course explores the historical timeline of how citizens have received public journalism and conceptualized civic duties from the Revolutionary War to the present era. Topics include defining checks and balances, the importance of voting, and identifying trustworthy online reporting.
## Sports Management
Watertown Shamrocks Front-Office Promotions
The Watertown Shamrocks franchise has officially locked in two high-level executive leadership changes:
Ann Hansen (Team President): Hansen, a Watertown native who has served the sports organization since its inaugural season, has been named Team President. She officially takes over for outgoing president Ryan Bisgard. Franchise Chairman Vince Foley called Hansen the "natural choice" to lead the front office.
Blake Theisen (Vice President): Theisen, who originally joined the management group in 2024, has been promoted to Vice President. He will absorb expanded corporate administrative duties while continuing his active roles as the on-air "Voice of the Shamrocks."
Effective Date: Both front-office management transitions will take effect on June 1st.
## Radio & Media Mergers
Connoisseur Media Sells Watertown Radio Cluster
Market Buyout: Another major corporate shift is hitting local airwaves as Connoisseur Media has formally agreed to sell its six-station Watertown broadcast cluster to Yankton-based Riverfront Broadcasting.
Frequencies Transferred: The asset sale covers FM legacy signals 92.9 KSDR, 96.1 KIXX, 96.9 KDLO, and 104.3 KKSD, along with AM mainstays KWAT and KSDR.
Corporate Justification: Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw stated that the corporation simply did not feel it could continue to make a "material difference" in the local Watertown market. He emphasized that the stations would be better positioned under a closer, regional operator.
Purchasing Entity: Riverfront Broadcasting is a family-owned media group helmed by Carolyn and Doyle Becker that operates 21 radio signals across Minnesota and South Dakota. The deal was brokered by Kalil and Company and is scheduled to close in late summer pending standard FCC approval.
## Legal & Criminal Justice
High School Shooting Sentencing
Prison Term Issued: A Watertown man wounded during an officer-involved shooting outside a Yankton High School athletic event in December 2024 has been sentenced to active prison time.
Court Ruling: 41-year-old Andrew John Dall received a four-and-a-half-year active prison sentence on Wednesday. The judge handed down a total 30-year term but suspended more than 26 years of the sentence.
Case History: Dall was traveling in Yankton for a wrestling meet when police responded to a disturbance in the high school parking lot. Dall exited his truck carrying two shotguns, prompting two responding officers to fire their weapons, striking him multiple times. A Yankton County jury convicted Dall in January on two counts of aggravated assault against law enforcement and possession of a firearm on school grounds. Post-incident toxicology reports showed Dall had a blood alcohol content of .152. He will remain held at the Yankton County Jail.
