School board adopts new policy for student activities
By Brett Mayer
8/14/08

The Timber Lake School Board adopted new disciplinary procedures for all extracurricular activities at their regular meeting on August 11.

Athletic Director Brent Mareska met with the board to discuss the new rules. He said he had mailed a copy of the new policy to parents and guardians of all children in the school district.

He said that in order for a student to even practice in any extracurricular activities, including band and drama, the student and the parent/guardian must sign a contract agreeing to the rules set forth by the district.

For complete story, see the August 14 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Mountain lion sightings becoming more frequent
By Jonathan Kearney
(Guest journalist from Congleton, England)
8/14/08

The big cats seem to have been tracking me in ever greater proximity since I landed here.
It all began back in May and a visit to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Strolling round the exhibition of North American mammals I looked on in awe at the mysterious creatures that live somewhere among this vast continent.

From what I could gather, the mountain lion, the source of my fascination, was most likely to be found thousands of miles away in New Mexico and California.

There in the altogether different climate of metropolitan Manhattan I had little to fear.

For complete story, see the August 14 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Summer storms damage crops, property
 8/7/08

A wind and hail storm which blew into Timber Lake around 3 a.m. Sunday was the latest in a series of summer storms to damage crops and property.

Moreau-Grand Electric reported outages from Isabel to the Missouri River related to Sunday’s storm, which hailed out grain, corn and alfalfa in many parts of the three-county area.

As of Monday, August 4, Timber Lake had received 27.04 inches of precipitation for the year — more than twice the normal, which is 12.64 inches. Some of that rain has been accompanied by wind and hail.

For many farmers, crops which promised to be the best in years because of above-normal precipitation will now be worth only whatever insurance payment they can collect.

A lucky few have escaped the damaging storms.

For complete story, see the August 7 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Celebration clarification
8/7/08

A couple clarifications have been requested on the Days of 1910 stories on last week’s front page.

Sheriff Les Mayer was quoted as saying there was a lot of alcohol in the tent; what he meant was that there was a lot of underage drinking in the tent.

Mayer said Timber Lake Police Chief Jeff Ward told him that he and Mayor Clyde Pfeifle talked to the liquor managers after Friday night and there was less problem on Saturday night.
Timber Lake Rodeo Association president Martin Biegler also had some comments about the celebration (The Topic had not been able to contact him last week.) He said attendance was good at all events although concession sales were down somewhat from previous years. Biegler said the weather was great because the storms missed the celebration dates and rains had slowed down farm work so people were free to come to the celebration.

For complete story, see the August 7 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Law officers say celebration activity was average this year
8/7/08

Law enforcement officers were out and about during the Days of 1910, patrolling and maintaining high visibility around the places where alcohol was being served.

The population of the city is double or more its usual 435 during the annual celebration so officers expect that there will be more activity than usual.

For complete story, see the July 31 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Maher, Wolff face off in District 28 Senate race
7/24/08

Voters in District 28 will have two candidates to choose from in November when they vote for a state senator. Incumbent Senator Ryan Maher (D-Isabel) has a Republican challenger, Les Wolff of Lemmon, in his race for a second term. This is Wolff’s first candidacy for an elected office.

Maher was elected to the South Dakota State Senate in 2006, defeating former State Representative Ted Klaudt of Walker, who was not eligible to run for re-election to the House because of term limits.

For complete story, see the July 24 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

City council raises sewer rates, interviews for Hieb's replacement
7/17/08

The Timber Lake City Council held a special meeting on Wednesday, July 9 to conduct interviews for Norman Hieb’s replacement as maintenance superintendent. The council also passed a new ordinance raising sewer rates and discussed animal control.

Mayor Clyde Pfeifle, Councilwomen Bobbi Jo Kraft and Sherrie Ward and Councilmen John Alley and Ross Kraft were present. City Finance Officer Grady Kraft was present for the beginning of the meeting but left during the executive session.

The council spent more than two hours in executive session interviewing three applicants, John Ducheneaux, Robert Martian and Jamie Wiedmer. Hieb was present for the interviews. . .

. . . The council discussed Ordinance #302, which raises sewer rates to $17 per month (they are currently $10.50 per month) and calls for a 25¢ increase in the monthly rate at the beginning of each year. The increase is expected to give the city an extra $11,000 in income per year.

For complete story, see the July 17 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Board considers offer to Isabel
By Jim Nelson
7/17/08

At the suggestion of Supt. Frank Seiler, the Timber Lake School Board Monday night voted to consider making an offer to the Isabel School District that will match the offer from the McIntosh School District. The intention is to let the Isabel community know that the Timber Lake School District is interested in both the students and the land base that make up the Isabel School District.

The proposal from McIntosh includes a K-3 attendance center in Isabel and bus service for the older students.

Seiler noted that the state aid formula could change at some time in the future, making the land base very important as a source of revenue.

For complete story, see the July 17 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Days of 1910 Celebration is July 23-27
7/10/08

Timber Lake is preparing to celebrate its 98th birthday with the annual Days of 1910 Rodeo and Celebration July 23-27. Events include rodeo, a demolition derby, class reunions, a Sunday morning parade, and museum activities.

Coinciding with the celebration is the Dewey County Fair, which begins on Wednesday, July 23, a day earlier than in prior years

For complete story, see the July 10 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

City Council talks money
7/10/08

At the regular monthly meeting on Monday, July 7, the Timber Lake City Council discussed city finances and the possibility of raising sewer rates, and set a special meeting for Wednesday, July 9.
Executive session
The council spent nearly an hour in executive session discussing the applications received for Norman Hieb’s replacement as maintenance superintendent. They came out of executive session announcing that they would be interviewing on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The council intends to complete the interviews in executive session. (The agenda also includes a proposed sewer rate ordinance and animal control.)
City finances
The state of city finances dominated discussion in the open portion of the meeting. Councilman John Alley raised several concerns and pressed city finance officer Grady Kraft to give the council more details about city finances.

For complete story, see the July 10 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

Peacekeepers operation results in 450 arrests in five weeks
By Kathy Nelson
7/10/08

U.S. Attorney Marty Jackley says the BIA law enforcement surge on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation has had strong support from the community but it is too early to tell what effect it is having.

There has been an outpouring of appreciation from reservation residents, Jackley said. Five weeks into the three-month project, called Operation Dakota Peacekeepers, 450 arrests (Indian and non-Indian) have been made, Jackley said Tuesday.

Public support has been expressed not only for the 20 extra BIA officers stationed on Standing Rock but also for existing local law enforcement, he said.

Twenty officers will rotate every 30 days during the 90-day operation. The officers are on temporary assignment from other states to supplement the regular nine-man force of BIA officers on Standing Rock.

For complete story, see the July 10 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Hoven bank
By Kathy Nelson
7/3/08

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled June 25 that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court had no jurisdiction over the claim of discrimination filed by the Long Family Land and Cattle Co. and Ronnie and Lila Long of Timber Lake against Plains Commerce Bank of Hoven.

The ruling reversed earlier decisions by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court, the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which had all ruled in favor of the Longs.

A jury of the CRST tribal court had awarded the Longs, both tribal members, $750,000 plus interest after concluding that the bank had discriminated against the Longs because they are Indian.

The action dates back more than 10 years. The Longs had deeded the land in question to the Plains Commerce Bank as settlement for debts owed. The bank leased the land to the Longs with an option to repurchase the property.

For complete story, see the July 3 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.

School Board receives $3.87 million budget for 2008-2009 school year
6/26/08

The proposed 2008-2009 budget for the Timber Lake School totals $3,873,019 — about $200,000 more than last year’s $3,674,412.

Business manager Norma Pesicka presented the proposed budget at the June 16 school board meeting.

To balance, revenue must equal expenditures in each of four budget categories.

For complete story, see the June 26 issue of the Timber Lake Topic.