Feature

1st grade Shown with Principal for the hour Will Arhart and Quinten Christensen, AR award recipients are: Harper Sealey, Leelin Polly, McCrae Nickels, Harvey Cashman, Lucy Cashman, Aurora Olson, Harlowe Harmdierks. Not pictured: August Getman.

1st grade Shown with Principal for the hour Will Arhart and Quinten Christensen, AR award recipients are: Harper Sealey, Leelin Polly, McCrae Nickels, Harvey Cashman, Lucy Cashman, Aurora Olson, Harlowe Harmdierks. Not pictured: August Getman.

Hometown Hero Returns to Encourage Young Readers

News Staff
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Quinten Christensen, a Wessington Springs High School graduate, hometown football standout and senior starting offensive lineman for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, surprised Wessington Springs Elementary School students during the school’s end-ofyear Accelerated Reading assembly earlier this...
Behind the Tables: Can You Match the Decorator?

Behind the Tables: Can You Match the Decorator?

Behind the Tables: Can You Match the Decorator?

News Staff
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
From heirloom china and treasured crystal to creative centerpieces and themed displays, the annual Festival of Tables has become about much more than table settings alone.
Members of the Wessington Springs Elementary School “WSES News” staff pose outside the True Dakotan office during a 2019 field trip to learn about local news. Several students pictured are now members of the graduating Class of 2026, a reminder of how quickly the years, and stories, have unfolded. (TRUE DAKOTAN FILE PHOTO)

Members of the Wessington Springs Elementary School “WSES News” staff pose outside the True Dakotan office during a 2019 field trip to learn about local news. Several students pictured are now members of the graduating Class of 2026, a reminder of how quickly the years, and stories, have unfolded. (TRUE DAKOTAN FILE PHOTO)

The Privilege of Watching You Grow

Kristi Hine / True Dakotan
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
There are moments in life when it is important to simply pause and take in the present; to be intentional enough to recognize that one day, the ordinary moments happening right now will become the memories we hold onto most tightly.
Wessington Springs High School journalism students Gavin Brandenburg, Zandon Beyer, Ethan Amick and Damien Knippling reflect on a semester of developing writing, interviewing and communication skills while covering local stories. (KRISTI HINE / TRUE DAKOTAN)

Wessington Springs High School journalism students Gavin Brandenburg, Zandon Beyer, Ethan Amick and Damien Knippling reflect on a semester of developing writing, interviewing and communication skills while covering local stories. (KRISTI HINE / TRUE DAKOTAN)

Students Reflect on Growth, Confidence in Journalism Class

News Staff
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
As the semester comes to a close, four Wessington Springs High School journalism students are walking away with more than just bylines, they’re taking with them real-world skills in communication, writing and confidence.
Students at Spring Valley Colony School display a completed mural illustrating how the colony supports itself, with each student contributing a drawing that was enlarged onto butcher paper with assistance from Mark Rosdail. (PHOTO COURTESY SPRING VALLEY COLONY K-8 TEACHER LORIE THOMAS)

Students at Spring Valley Colony School display a completed mural illustrating how the colony supports itself, with each student contributing a drawing that was enlarged onto butcher paper with assistance from Mark Rosdail. (PHOTO COURTESY SPRING VALLEY COLONY K-8 TEACHER LORIE THOMAS)

Student Mural Showcases Work and Life at Spring Valley Colony

News Staff
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
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