Codington County Courthouse Repairs, Memorial Park Revenue and West Nile Tracking Highlight Watertown Facilities Report
- Steve Jurrens
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Critical drain repairs inside Codington County’s century-old courthouse, rising campground revenue, and statewide mosquito surveillance highlighted the monthly facilities report delivered to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday by Facility Manager Steve Molengraaf.
Centennial Plumbing Issues and Safety Upgrades
Infrastructure challenges at the historic courthouse facility topped the departmental update. Molengraaf reported that crews recently repaired and relined a failing drain line in the building’s main women’s restroom.
“We’re discovering that the lines in the courthouse are getting thin and rusting through,” Molengraaf informed the board. “So I will need to be budgeting for repairs and lining in some of this facility. I realize the facility is 100 years old, so we’re bound to have more and more issues.”
At the county Ag Building, contractors with Blackburn Foundation completed concrete lifting work on exterior walkways to eliminate trip hazards ahead of upcoming fall public events.
Seasonal Revenues Surge at Memorial Park
Operational reports for Codington County Memorial Park reflect a busy summer season along Lake Kampeska. Through Sunday, the park recorded 1,487 campsite reservations, bringing total revenue to $152,250.46. According to park specifications on the Visit Watertown SD Directory, the 90-acre county facility features 106 campsites, boat ramps, and public recreation grounds open through September.
Fall Weed Spraying and State Fair Attendance
In his capacity overseeing weed control, Molengraaf announced that fall roadside weed spraying will commence within the next week across county rights-of-way. He also submitted a formal travel request to represent the county at the educational weed booth during the South Dakota State Fair on Wednesday, September 2.
West Nile Virus Tracking
Molengraaf concluded with an update on vector control efforts. Based on disease surveillance managed by the South Dakota Department of Health Mosquito Tracking, five human cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed statewide this season, with five South Dakota counties detecting infected mosquito pools. Additional mitigation strategies and regional virus data compiled by SDSU Extension West Nile Virus Report will be examined during the South Dakota West Nile Conference on September 29 in Aberdeen.
