Northeast Radio SD News Recap for Monday, April 20, 2026 (Podcast/Video)
- Steve Jurrens
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Watertown, SD - The Northeast Radio SD newscast for Monday, April 20, 2026, hosted by Steve Jurrens, covered several local developments in Watertown and the surrounding counties.
Community & Youth Initiatives
Sixth Annual "Snack Attack": The non-profit For the Kids SD delivered over 10,300 individually wrapped snacks to approximately 4,450 students across 12 schools in the Watertown School District. Volunteers from Lake Area Tech's Business School assisted with distribution.
Encore Athletics Success: The local athletic program returned from the Deep South Beach Nationals in Orange Beach, Alabama, where the "Divas" team took first place in their division and earned the event-level Grand Champion title. The "Lux" team also delivered a strong performance in the program's fourth season.
County Governance & Public Safety
Infrastructure & Agriculture: Codington County Commissioners discussed the 150 miles of underground pipelines within the county and city. They also highlighted the economic impact of large-scale dairies like Manchester Dairy (20,000 cows) and Washington Dairy (12,500 cows).
Legal System Efficiency: State’s Attorney Allison Bakken reported that average case resolution times have dropped from 200 days to 90 days due to a new circuit court policy and partnership with the Community Service Office. Bakken also noted a rise in underage citations and planned a new diversion program.
Recovery Services: Commissioners renewed service contracts for Face It Together and Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars, providing peer support and 40 sober-living housing slots, funded via a federal COSSUP grant.
Trauma Education: The HEART Group (Healing, Education, Awareness, Resilience, and Trauma) recently drew 125 attendees to training on adverse childhood experiences, focusing on long-term health and resilience.
Regional News & Fire Reports
Lakefront Property Assessments: Codington County appraisers are revisiting lakefront neighborhoods this month for a multi-year re-evaluation effort, aiming to keep owner-occupied valuation increases under 3%.
Weekend Fires:
A fast-moving grass fire near Northwest Lake Drive and Highway 28 was contained Saturday after burning toward several homes; the cause was traced to a tractor baler.
Fire crews from Milbank, Big Stone, and Revillo responded to a shed fire at Victory Farms in Grant County caused by a tractor catching fire inside a steel shed filled with straw.
Economic Outlook
Sales Tax Growth: Watertown’s early-year sales tax numbers show a 4.9% increase in first-penny revenue through February compared to last year. The BBB tax (lodging, dining, and entertainment) saw 13.7% growth in January. Over the last 12 months, first-penny revenue has risen by 6.57%
