🎉 40 YEARS of building our community! 🏗️

LIVE w/ Angie Collignon - Substance Use and Justice Programs Coordinator for Codington County - 6/10/26 Codington Connects

LIVE w/ Jerod Jordan at Joy Ranch of SD

🚀 Turning Frustrations into Fortune: Insights from Dr. Melissa Meidinger! 💡

Have you ever been frustrated by a bad customer experience and thought, "I could do this better"? We had an absolutely brilliant conversation on Northeast Radio SD with Dr. Melissa Meidinger, Regional Director of the Watertown Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and she says that exact frustration might be your next big business idea!

We are currently in the middle of what experts are calling the "Great American Small Business Surge." Driven by post-pandemic shifts, inflation, and a desire for independence, more people than ever are looking for side hustles and entrepreneurial paths.

Here is Dr. Meidinger’s ultimate advice on how to find your edge in the market:

Successful businesses rarely start with a random "brilliant idea"—they start by solving a simple problem. Dr. Meidinger challenges all future entrepreneurs to grab a journal. Every time you experience a frustration, hear a customer complaint, or read a negative online review, write it down. It trains your brain to recognize unmet needs. Remember: A problem is simply an opportunity waiting for a solution.

To build a sustainable business, look at the long-term trends shaping our world. Dr. Meidinger highlights a few massive opportunities right now:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Everyone wants to know how to implement it effectively.

The Aging Population: A huge generation is retiring, creating massive demand for specific services and care.

Remote & Hybrid Work: Solving the unique frustrations and disconnects of the modern digital workplace.

Mental Health & Wellbeing: A growing priority across all demographics.

Lifelong Learning & Workplace Development: Upskilling the current workforce.

Social media gets a bad rap, but it is an incredible tool if used correctly. Consumers are craving authenticity. They want real human connections. Use social platforms to look directly into the minds of your consumers—read their reviews, listen to their desires, and respond to their complaints with factual, helpful, and unemotional solutions.

Entrepreneurship is not an island! If you have an idea, want to know if it's viable in the marketplace, or need help finding funding, the SBDC is here to help. Reach out to Dr. Meidinger to start turning your problem-solving skills into profits.

P.S. Tune in next time when we welcome Maddie from the Brookings SBDC and the Brookings Growth Alliance to the studio! 🎙️

LIVE w/ Tim Sheehan of Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce

🎓 LATC Breaks Records: Lake Area Technical College celebrates a record-breaking graduating class of 883 students and an incredible 99.8% job placement rate for the class of 2025. Graduates are seeing excellent financial returns, with an average starting wage over $57,000 a year!

⭐ Presidential Scholar: Watertown High School graduate Whitney Martinsen is recognized by the school board as a 2026 US Presidential Scholar Semifinalist.

📜 Free History Series: Two locals are teaming up to offer a free three-part educational series on America’s founding documents starting June 16th at Element.

⚖️ Crime & Courts: Federal updates include a 6+ year prison sentence for a Peever man involved in a 2021 assault, and a federal conviction for a Sioux Falls man caught attempting to entice a minor online in an undercover sting.

🚧 AirStay Hotel Delays: The Watertown City Council has approved extended street closures for the delayed AirStay Hotel project on the former City Hall site, adding strict conditions for neighborhood traffic communication.

⛸️ Historic Skating Season: The Watertown Figure Skate Club celebrates a monumental year at their end-of-season banquet, honoring their Skaters of the Year and recognizing four athletes who achieved prestigious US Figure Skating Gold Medalist status.

Drainage Pond Approval: The Watertown Planning Commission unanimously approved vacating a 14,430-square-foot strip of unimproved right-of-way. This allows Jeffrey and Sandra Stoddam to construct a private detention pond between an abandoned rail corridor and the Watertown Development Company addition to address local drainage issues.

Prairie Haven Phase II TIF District: The Planning Commission voted 7-0 to support a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for Phase II of the Prairie Haven project. The development will introduce 75 single-family homes priced around $310,000 each, representing a $22–$24 million investment. High Five Development is requesting just over $4.4 million in TIF reimbursements to cover infrastructure gaps of roughly $30,000 per lot. The measure now advances to the City Council.

UTV and Pickup Crash: Three people were hospitalized early Sunday after a collision between a northbound Chevy Silverado and a southbound Can-Am UTV northwest of White. The UTV was sent into the ditch, and its occupants were taken to Brookings Hospital. The pickup occupants were uninjured. The State Highway Patrol is investigating.

Rollover Accident: One person was injured Friday night in a single-vehicle rollover at 455th Avenue and 164th Street. Watertown Fire Rescue found a half-ton pickup in the west ditch and transported the patient to Prairie Lakes Hospital.

Vehicle Fire: A van was completely destroyed after catching fire in the parking lot of the Cowboy Country Store gas station (Highways 81 and 212) on Saturday afternoon. Fire Rescue quickly extinguished the fully engulfed vehicle.

Stolen Motorcycles: Watertown Police are seeking the public's help recovering a stolen silver 8x22-foot aluminum trailer containing nine state training motorcycles. The theft occurred on May 13, and surveillance shows a black Dodge crew cab pickup towing the trailer westbound out of Watertown. The stolen bikes include six black Suzuki GZ250s and three white and copper Suzuki TU250Xs.

Codington County Commission Updates: The Commission scheduled interviews for a new pretrial case manager. They also approved hiring two new Memorial Park custodians at $18.68/hour and added an emergency management on-call employee at $30/hour. Additionally, several jail-related claims were approved for architecture, construction, and engineering groups.

Veteran Services Gains: Codington County Veteran Service Officer Jay Roberts reported major financial gains for local veterans in May. The county secured $137,078 in retro payments (bringing the year-to-date total to nearly $465,000) and saw monthly compensation increase by over $22,000.

Watertown Post 17 Baseball: The team went 1-3 at the Lewis and Clark Tournament over the weekend. They opened with a 9-5 win over Blair but subsequently fell to West Fargo, SMFC, and Yankton. Coach Ryan Neale noted the tournament provided valuable rest for some players and expanded roles for others. The team next plays at Brandon Valley on Wednesday.

Tourism Director Retiring: Rosie Smith announced her retirement, effective August 1, after more than 25 years of leading Glacial Lakes and Prairies Tourism. Smith has been a key advocate for outdoor recreation and community events, signing off her announcement with the message, "Safe travels ahead."

Are you ready to let your creativity flow? 🎙️ We had a blast sitting down with Ralph Wamsher and Lawrence Diggs to talk all things Northern Prairie Arts!

From upcoming barn quilt classes to their massive "Arts Night at the Pub" (with Lawrence himself presenting!), NPA is on a mission to bring more artistic expression to the Watertown area. They are breaking down the barriers to entry, showing that art isn’t just for "professionals"—it’s for everyone.

Listen to the interview to find out how you can get involved, attend their next event, or even become a board member!

#NorthernPrairieArts #WatertownSD #SouthDakotaArt #CommunityCreativity #ArtsNight

How well do you really know the history of Codington County? 🎙️ Christy Lickei, Executive Director of the Codington County Heritage Museum, joins the show to share the exciting updates happening right in our own backyard!

From the massive success of their new online photo archives to their upcoming historic walking tours, the Heritage Museum is making our local history more accessible than ever. Christy also gives us a sneak peek into their new exhibits and how you can support their mission through volunteer work or an affordable yearly membership.

Discover the stories that built our community—listen to the full interview today!

#WatertownSD #CodingtonCounty #HeritageMuseum #SouthDakotaHistory #PreserveThePast

EVENT OUTDATES on JUNE 11, 2026-

Did you know that a staggering 65% of businesses still experience check fraud? From AI impersonations to compromised emails and fake invoices, the financial threats to local businesses are getting more sophisticated every single day.

Join us as Andrea Spilde, Senior Cash Management Officer at Minnwest Bank, and local detectives host a FREE Fraud Prevention Seminar! They will break down actionable steps to protect your accounts, train your employees, and spot the red flags before it's too late.

📅 When: Thursday, June 11th, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

📍 Where: Downtown Watertown (Downtown Donuts provided!)

RSVP is requested to ensure enough seating and food. See you there!

#FraudPrevention #MinnwestBank #WatertownSD #SmallBusinessProtection #CyberSecurity