Wilmot School announced that it has received community support for a new outdoor learning classroom, with a $2,000 Community Impact Grant from POET Bioprocessing — Big Stone and an additional donation from Valley Queen to help fund the project. POET representatives presented a ceremonial check for $2,000 to Wilmot School on September 17, marking the company’s contribution to the hands-on outdoor learning space planned just outside the school’s classrooms.

The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will host a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony to honor U.S.M.C. Sergeant Dirk R. Abbas on Friday, October 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. CT at the Britton Area Event Center, 1203 3rd Street, Britton. The SD HWY-27 bridge over Crow Creek, south of Britton, will be officially designated the SGT Dirk R. Abbas Bridge.

Theresa Hillis, superintendent of the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center, has announced she will retire from her role effective December 5, 2025. Hillis joined the City of Watertown team in 2022 and, over the past three years, led a series of operational and programmatic improvements at the Wellness Center.

Watertown Fire Rescue has announced the promotion of Lieutenant Adam Heinrich to the rank of Battalion Chief. Heinrich, who joined the department in 2007 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2021, will officially begin his new role overseeing C-Shift on October 2.

At this year’s County Convention Safety Awards Luncheon, the Codington County Maintenance Department was recognized with both the Gold and Platinum Safety Awards for its outstanding commitment to workplace safety and employee training. The awards are presented annually to county departments that demonstrate proactive measures to improve safety standards, reduce risk, and provide practical training for both staff and the public they serve.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Codington County Commissioners unanimously approved a final amendment to the construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) contract for the new county jail and sheriff’s office facility. The guaranteed maximum price for construction was set at $32,665,397, allowing the county to move forward with all planned alternates—including full completion of the sheriff’s office.

Watertown High School has announced its 2025 Homecoming royalty candidates, selected by their peers for their involvement and leadership across a wide range of school activities. This year’s candidates are: Jonas Geier, Sarah Li, Silas Masar, Siri Bach, Tysen Canfield, Markus Pitkin, Patrick Bednarczyk, Malia Kranz, Cole Hansen, Whitney Martinsen, and Luka Lessin. These students are known for their participation in various activities, including football, soccer, theater, ban

The City of Watertown Street Division will close 14th Avenue North to through traffic beginning at 6:00 AM on Monday, September 22, 2025, to perform roadway repairs at the rail crossing. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the day Tuesday, September 23, weather permitting.

Homecoming Week kicks off Monday, September 22, and the Watertown Police Department is encouraging students, parents, and the broader community to celebrate safely while showing their Arrow pride. The weeklong celebration includes performances, games, and community events, culminating in Friday’s parade, football game, and dance. In advance of the festivities, police issued a set of safety reminders aimed at promoting responsible behavior and positive engagement.

The Watertown Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department hosted a high-energy skateboard, scooter, and bike competition on Saturday, drawing several riders from across the area to showcase their skills at the city’s skate park. Participants competed in two 90-second runs in their chosen event, with judges scoring performances based on difficulty, consistency, creativity, execution of tricks, smoothness, and overall use of the course.

The South Dakota FFA Foundation has provided grants of up to $500 each to several FFA chapters across the state to support local service projects. The grants are a special project of the foundation, made possible by donations from the Wayne & Gwynn Hansen Fund and Bawek Trucking. In a state with over 10,000 high school Agriculture Education students, service is a core value taught through participation in FFA. According to the SD FFA Foundation, state educational budgets are

The Watertown Development Company (WDC) has been selected to participate in the University of South Dakota's Coyote Business Consulting (CBC) initiative. The program pairs students from the Beacom School of Business with small businesses in South Dakota to provide no-cost consulting services. WDC's project for the initiative will focus on creating and implementing a Business Health Survey. The survey is a tool designed to assess the financial health and operational vitality o

The Henry School is set to host its annual Fall Festival Fundraiser on Saturday, October 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature a vendor fair, car show, and food trucks, with all proceeds going to support the school. A children's carnival will also be part of the festival, offering a variety of activities for a $10 wristband entrance fee. Activities planned for the carnival include a bounce house, apple bobbing, sack races, ring toss, a corn box, and hayrides.

Mount Marty University’s Watertown campus has partnered with Northeast Technical High School (NTHS) to launch the Students to Teachers through Educator Pathways (STEP) initiative. The program allows high school students to earn college credits toward an education degree, potentially allowing them to complete a bachelor's degree in elementary education in three years.

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Watertown Fire Rescue officially welcomed a new full-time member to its ranks this week, reinforcing the department's standard for having all crew members certified as both firefighters and paramedics. Firefighter/Paramedic Camdyn Rieffenberger was given his black helmet by Chief Rowland, marking the end of his probationary period. The black helmet is a long-standing tradition that signals a firefighter's promotion from probationary to permanent status.