Latest news with #MitchellHighSchool
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Davison County board, sheriff discuss long-term need for a new county jail
May 30—MITCHELL — While talk about a potential state prison outside of Mitchell has gotten more attention, Davison County leaders have said their own "worst in the state" corrections facility needs replacement soon. The topic was a discussion item on May 27 as the commissioners went through the county sheriff's 2026 budget. "It's not uncommon to see pieces of concrete coming off of walls," Davison County Sheriff Steve Harr said. "We're very well known in South Dakota amongst law enforcement and inmates that we have the worst jail in South Dakota. It's seen its day." The current facility is located at 1015 S. Miller Ave., one that the county has used for a jail for nearly 30 years. The county purchased the former Methodist hospital in the early 1990s and repurposed a portion of it move the jail from the Davison County Courthouse in 1996. Other elements of the building date back further and the county has had to regularly update the building's mechanical equipment in recent years to keep the building operational. The jail has a maximum capacity of 72 inmates but Harr said the realistic capacity is closer to 60 inmates at once. The current Davison County facility has one big positive that the county doesn't want to lose. It has the sheriff's office, jail and courtroom facilities all in one building, which makes transportation of inmates much easier and the overall administration of courts and corrections move smoothly. "It's going to be an expensive project when we get to it," Harr said. "Expensive probably isn't the right word for it." Harr said he's received a standing offer from Minnehaha County to tour their corrections facility, which was expanded in 2020 to add 320 inmate beds to bring the total to more than 700. Harr would like the commissioners to see the Lawrence County facility near Deadwood, which was completed earlier this year and took more than two years to complete. The commissioners discussed taking a potential field trip to the current Davison County Jail and to Sioux Falls around upcoming meetings to learn more about its needs. Harr said one potential plan to help fund the new facility would be to accept federal inmates. That's something the county can't currently do because it doesn't have the space. A site south of Mitchell is among the possible sites being discussed by a state panel that is looking at building a new state prison, with Mitchell offering the land last month. The commissioners, in a previous meeting, were supportive of that idea , although their own jail needs would almost certainly require a separate project. "I'm still pro getting a prison and putting a little lean-to (building) on it for the county," Commissioner Chris Nebelsick joked about the two potential projects. Commissioner John Claggett said he hopes the county project would be less than the Mitchell High School project, which is nearly $70 million and will be completed later this year. "It won't be," Commissioner Denny Kiner said of Claggett's price hopes being low. "The problem is we're doing a new school, we're spending $15 million on the lake and everyone is just spent right now," Nebelsick said. "And people are going to be asking about a jail but I'm out in the public telling everyone I see that we need a new jail. Anybody that knows me knows me, knows we need a jail and knows why." Harr said a potential collaboration with the city of Mitchell on a new public safety building should also be considered, he said, with a city-county partnership that has become increasingly more frequent in communities in South Dakota and around the Midwest. "It's probably a conversation to have with the city, as well, to have one modern facility rather than two rundown buildings," Harr said.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teen graduates from high school months after hit-and-run
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It's graduation night for many in the Memphis area, including Thomas Powell, who survived a hit-and-run last July. Now, he has a full-ride scholarship waiting for him at the University of Memphis. WREG had a chance to catch up with Powell and his family outside of Mitchell High School's graduation. ORIGINAL STORY: Hit-and-run wreck leaves honor student on life support They said they're extremely proud because less than a year ago, this all felt unrealistic. 'I knew I had to trust God because he was the only one who could bring him back to this,' Powell's mother, Shauntay Williams said. Williams' prayers were answered as her oldest son, Thomas Powell, will be graduating from Mitchell High School. Last July, Powell was struck by a car in a hit-and-run, leaving him on life support and unable to walk on his own. Nearly a year later, his recovery has been nothing short of a miracle, as he credits God and his positive attitude for his recovery. He said he's even given his walker to a man less fortunate than him, months after his accident. 'There was a guy, he had a walking cane and he was walking down the street. We were looking for a yard to cut and he was having a hard time with his cane,' Powell said. 'I just gave him my walker.' Monday night, Thomas celebrates an academic career most could only dream of. While at Mitchell High, he was an honor roll student and earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Memphis next fall. He also earned a medal from the exclusive ACT 25+ club, a group that celebrates Shelby County students with an ACT score of 25 or higher. Honor student returns home after hit-and-run crash 'I'm the only one in my class that has this,' Powell said of the medal. To say his family is proud is an understatement. 'He's a light,' Williams said. 'Put it like that, he's a light and he shines really, really bright.' After college, Powell said he plans on becoming a therapist, so he can help people overcome mental hurdles like he did. 'I want to be a therapist,' Powell said. 'I want to go and be a therapist and make it so people can reach heights higher than I reached without having to go through the same things.' Powell said he's also considering attending Vanderbilt, although his mom would like for him to stay close to home at the University of Memphis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mitchell High School honors graduating seniors at awards, recognition ceremony
May 8—MITCHELL — The Mitchell High School Class of 2025 is ready to wrap up their high school experience. With graduation around the corner next week, many are finalizing plans for the next stage of their lives, be it as part of the workforce, college or military service. Many of those seniors were celebrated Wednesday night at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center during the Mitchell School District's annual Senior Awards Night, an event that sees the graduating students acknowledged for their scholarly accomplishments, including honors for academic excellence and scholarships received. "You have strived to graduate from high school, and that is a goal that you have met and to be proud of. Some students will start a post-secondary journey to a technical college or university, and others will join our armed forces or enter the workforce," Kim Max, counselor at Mitchell High School who served as emcee for the evening, told the assembled seniors. "All of you are to be celebrated in every way." Many awards and recognitions were presented, including scholarships from dozens of civic organizations, such as the local Kiwanis and Exchange clubs, as well colleges and technical schools. Students came to the stage as their names were announced to receive their certificates and awards, with warm rounds of applause rising from the audience of friends, family and well-wishers. The event was also a chance to hear from a former Mitchell High School graduate who was already out making his way in the world. Carson Max, a 2019 Mitchell graduate and a 2023 South Dakota State University graduate who was recently commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force, is currently attending the University of South Dakota for medical school. He took the stage after being introduced by his mother, Kim Max, and urged the graduating seniors to look inward as they look to step outward to the next phase of their life in an address titled Who Am I? "You're all about to cross a huge milestone, and the typical message is — you finished high school. Now what? It's a valid question, but it can feel a little overused. Usually it's followed by a variation of — find your dream, work hard and you'll achieve it," Carson Max said. "While it does have some validity, sometimes you forget about all the steps along the process." Citing himself as an example, he noted that the path forward in life is not always smooth or clearly marked. His own journey in college was not what he expected, he said. As a younger student, he shared the dream of many, wanting to become a professional athlete. But as he got older, he embraced the reality that the NFL would be a difficult goal to achieve with him being "5-foot-10, 200 pounds and not very fast." But he found a passion in health and medicine, and set his sights on that career field at the relatively young age of 12. He had visited a doctor for an injury, and the appointment would change his journey from professional athlete to doctor. It was a revelation that set in motion events that would eventually take him to medical school. "Sounds a little out there, a little lofty. Doesn't make a lot of sense. But nonetheless, 14 years later, I'm in my second year of medical school, and had to learn a lot along the way of what a dream actually looked like," Carson Max said. "Most importantly, how did that dream fit a calling? A meaning? And what am I going to do with it to serve others?" He said knowing who one is goes beyond one's name, profession, alma mater or even family. Those are all important in knowing your identity, but he encouraged the seniors to dig deeper as he once did, asking himself difficult questions about why he chose to work hard toward his goals and why he chose to approach those goals the way he did. Within his experience as a medical student, he cited how he approached working with patients and conveying to them that he was there to do everything he could to help them with their problem. He also said meeting his wife while in college changed his perspective, allowing him to embrace his shortcomings and work to overcome them. He offered three ways for students to begin the process of knowing themselves: self awareness, self regulation and humility. Self awareness covers the ability to know one's faults. Self regulation allows one to determine what to do with those feelings and to realize that doubts are part of a complex process of self-realization. Humility gives one the ability to admit when they fall short and to move forward toward a solution. "It took a lot of time, a lot of lost sleep, a lot of worry, and I realized I didn't actually know myself. Am I willing to admit when I fall short? Can I stand up here and say that I'm probably not the best speaker in the world? Absolutely. That's just a small example of walking through that process," Carson Max said. "How I'm engaging with reality at this present moment is something you all have to do at any given point in time, and more so as you go from a big leap of high school and beyond. Graduation is the beginning of a new time in a student's life, and he encouraged them to begin that journey with the broad question of "who am I?" He invited them to wrestle with the question and not be afraid when searching for the answer becomes difficult or uncomfortable. That is part of the process, and he urged the new graduates to lean into it. He admitted that, at 25, he still does not know completely who he himself is. He still does not know all his shortcomings and blind spots nor the boundaries of his talents. But that's OK. The important part is that he has started that introspection, and knowing who he is is part of knowing what he can do for the world. "It's a starting point. Lean into it and say 'this is where I'm starting.' So, class of 2025, I hope you realize I've left you with an abstract question, but one that once you begin to wrestle with opens up a broader door, a cornerstone, a harvest that keeps on giving," Carson Max said. "I encourage you to find peace in the process of discovering exactly who you are, what you're meant to do and the purpose you're meant to serve." Dozens of awards, recognitions and scholarships were announced at the ceremony. Those included but were not limited to the following: Military Recognition Kane Grajkowske, Tayle Liedtke, Dawson Ward Academic Excellence Award Lauren Hofer, Brady Trefz, Rachel Ziegeldorf Outstanding Achievements Floyd Korzan, Ashlyn Reynolds, Addison Ellis, Lainee Forst, Joshua Machado Carolynn J. Austin Scholarship Amelia Gerlach PE Mentorship Recognition Alex Hauser, Van Long, Payton Hunter, Kayleigh Maus, Raegan Sperl, Brady Trefz, Lani Thompson, Jaeda Stunes, Reese Amick, Ava Eliason, Grace Hempel, Cesia Mendoza, Joslin Sommerville, Markus Talley, Greyson Peterson, Lora Titze Mitchell Rotary Carl Sprunger Educator of the Year Award Leslie Rylance Gertie Belle Rogers PTA Scholarship Makenzie Peterson L.B. Williams Alumni Scholarship Amelia Gerlach Longfellow PTO Scholarship Camryn Swanstrom St. John Paul II School PTO Scholarship Grace Hempel
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Midweek Update May 1 with Superintendent Joe Childs and Luke Hagen
May 1—MITCHELL — The Mitchell Board of Education has spent significant time this month reviewing the district's policies on cell phones in classes. What's the backstory? Well, it's all because of a book that the district's administration team read titled, "The Anxious Generation," by Jonathan Haidt. "We meet weekly and had a long and strong discussion on this topic," said Mitchell Superintendent Joe Childs. "This really pointed out some clarifying research and data points that we know ... there's a problem with interpersonal skills when we spend more time on our screen and less time talking to people face to face." Hear why the district is proud of its new policies for cell phone usage at Mitchell Middle School and Mitchell High School to help our community's young people learn and develop in a healthier way.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mitchell High School students log best finish at State Art Gallery competition
Apr. 15—MITCHELL — A group of art students from Mitchell High School recently brought home the highest finish ever for a Mitchell team at the State Art Gallery competition in Aberdeen. The competition took place Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12 in Aberdeen, featuring around 380 pieces of art across numerous categories created by students from high schools around the state. Top finishers for Mitchell included Dailyn Kiner, who won first place finish in crafts, and Jason Halfmann, who earned second place in 3D sculpture. Students Rachel Ziegeldorf and Brooke Emme also submitted artwork to the competition. When all was said and done, the Mitchell group finished fourth out of 13 teams, marking their highest-ever placement at the event. Brooke Jones, a senior at MHS, scored a first place finish in the ceramics functional category and took third place in photography. A work schedule conflict prevented her from being present at the competition, but she was surprised to learn of her success after receiving an email when it was all over. "I was surprised. I wasn't able to go as I had to work both days, but she emailed me one of those nights and congratulated me, which I was surprised about," Jones told the Mitchell Republic. Jones, who is bound for Northern State University in the fall to study art education, submitted two pieces for the competition. Her functional ceramic piece, titled Mod Glow, is an exercise in ceramics that also serves as a functional lamp. This was her second attempt at creating a ceramic lamp, having been thwarted last year by the challenges of using the materials involved. This time, it all came together, she said. "This year I made it again and spent some more time on making sure everything was correctly done. I'm just glad it came out the way I wanted. That was one I really wanted to make last year but it doesn't always go that way," Jones said. Her third-place piece, titled Erosion In Contrast, was a photography submission that featured Lake Mitchell as the subject. She took the digital photo in winter as part of Marica Shannon's photography class. The image was taken as an overshot view from a bridge, and she decided to not make any adjustments other than swapping the image to black and white. "I took it last semester when I had photography, it was during our landscape unit. I just went out by Lake Mitchell and took it over the bridge as a shot of the frozen lake, and then (Shannon) taught us how to grayscale it," Jones said. "We were trying to decide if we should change how light and dark it is, but we stuck to the original. We thought it looked good. I just let nature do its thing." Along with Kiner's first place finish in crafts, titled Fall of Icarus, and Halfmann's second place finish in 3D sculpture, titled Fanged Flora, the Mitchell team took home a fourth-place finish behind Sioux Falls Lincoln, Sioux Falls Jefferson and Brookings. It's the highest finish ever for the team at the competition, said Shannon, who teaches art at MHS. All five students involved worked hard to make their creations standout, and all contributed to the team's success. "I think Brooke (Jones) worked very hard. She's taken pottery three times and taken photography just once but she is a hard worker. She takes the time to develop her skill to use her talents, and it's a beautiful reward for her to place as well as she did," Shannon said. "It's a recognition for some hard working kids who have worked for several years to develop their talent and improve their skills." Jones, who has been involved with the World of Work program, helping Renee Berg in her art class at Mitchell Middle School, said she was looking forward to graduation and continuing her study of art at Northern State University. She aims to become an art teacher to help inspire future students like Shannon has done for her. She even has her first piece of college furniture ready to move in. "Honestly, I'll take it with me to college as a desk lamp," Jones said.
