State/Local
Honors students plan Zombie Crawl charity walk
While 31 weeks pregnant, 28-year-old Katie Tipton was diagnosed with a brain tumor after experiencing weakness and numbness on the left side of her body. Sept. 23, a few weeks before her baby girl Autumn was due, Tipton had a C-section — the same day as her husband’s, Travis Tipton, birthday. One week after that, Tipton was […]
Vermillion sidewalks undergo facelift to become bike-friendly
City officials are continuing efforts to make walkways and bike paths around town more safe and convenient for public use. Vermillion’s Sidewalk Inspection Program, which began in 2010, divides Vermillion into four quadrants. Each year, the city selects one quadrant and evaluates its footpaths and notifies the property owner about needed repairs. This year, the city […]
Local band releases first EP at downtown show
As balloons whizzed above a crowd of University of South Dakota students and other locals from the area in the basement of The Varsity on Saturday night, Mike Helland was surprised to see the amount of enthusiasm the crowd radiated as they pressed against the stage he and fellow band members Drew Hellend and Brandon […]
State chess organizers attempt to restart USD club
Jackson Geerts looks almost cherubic behind a chess board with his brown doe eyes and baby-fat cheeks. But when the 11-year-old smirks, his competitors know the Sioux Falls fifth-grader is one step closer to the kill — or rather checkmate. “Defense, then offense. I want to attack usually, but in tournaments, I can’t get away with it,” Geerts […]
Vermillion runners “chased” by law enforcement in second annual 5K
Alice DeCook was sweating by the time she was taken to jail Saturday morning. Her crime: loss of flag, with a $5 bail bond. DeCook, along with about 40 other citizens, ran around Vermillion with law enforcement at their heels. It was the second annual I Ran from the Cops 5K benefit run. DeCook, a junior […]
Local business hopes to share the dream
When sophomore Kaitlyn Redlegs started volunteering for the Vermillion branch of Sharing the Dream in Guatemala, she knew it wouldn’t be a typical retail experience. “It’s different from all the other stores on Main Street,” Redlegs said. Sharing the Dream in Guatemala is a non-profit organization that sells products imported from Guatemala, including coffee, jewelry and […]
VPD charges former student for rape and dorm shower videotaping
A former student was arrested Aug. 28 on charges of filming females in resident hall showers on the fourth floor of Mickelson Hall in North Complex. Five days later, he was arrested again and charged with an off-campus rape of a university student in the third degree. Daniel R. Hammer, 18, withdrew from the university either Sept. 1 or […]
USD fall enrollment declines
Fall enrollment headcount is down 1.70 percent at the University of South Dakota compared to last year. The South Dakota Board of Regents released enrollment numbers Tuesday, and USD is one of two public universities that saw a dip in their headcount. USD has 174 less people enrolled in the university than in 2013. There […]
‘I Ran from the Cops’ 5K Fun Run slated for Sept. 27
University of South Dakota students and the Vermillion community will have the chance to run from the cops with their bail bond only set at $5. The second annual “I Ran from the Cops” 5K Fun Run will be held Sept. 27 at Prentis Park. Registration, which includes a $20 fee, is set for 8:30 a.m. with the run […]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wismer visits with students, advocates for education reform
A Democrat has not held the title of governor for 40 years in South Dakota, but Susan Wismer, D-S.D., hopes to change that. The South Dakota District 1 representative traveled to the University of South Dakota Sept. 22 to talk to students about topics ranging from education to health care. Wismer, of Britton, S.D., has served on […]