A weathered piece of Union County pioneer history has been restored following a volunteer preservation effort along South Dakota Highway 50. The Fort Brule monument, located five miles north and one mile east of Elk Point near Brule Creek, underwent roughly 50 hours of maintenance to clean the stone marker, repaint the wooden perimeter fence and restore faded informational signage.

Representatives from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization visited the Elk Point-Jefferson School District’s staff inservice meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19, to present a statewide recognition honor.

The Panther dance squad traveled to Gregory, South Dakota on Saturday, August 29, 2026 for their season opener. High scores were earned across the board for Dakota Valley (DV) as their pom routine and jazz performance took top honors. The Panthers were overall champions on the day after placing 1st in pom and jazz.

A heartbreaker loss followed by a pair of wins was how Dakota Valley girls soccer closed out the month of August. They took a 1-2 loss versus #1 ranked Sioux Falls Christian (SFC), but steadily defeated St. Thomas More and Belle Fourche.

Cross country season started in Beresford, as it does every year, with an epic meet on August 27, 2026. It was a contest full of fantastic competition and personal records. Dakota Valley’s varsity girls and varsity boys both took home 5th place finishes in team scoring. Many secured top times and some brought home individual medals.

August was busy for the Panther boys golf program as meets were played on August 24, 2026 and a couple of days later on August 26, 2026. Dell Rapids was the team’s 1st destination as the Dakota Valley (DV) varsity roster placed 2nd overall as a team. They played the Rocky Run Golf Course and had a trio of Panthers secure individual medals.

Dakota Valley started quickly Saturday at Groton, with Bryan Cardona opening the scoring about 10 minutes into the match. Goalkeeper Diego Ayala started the buildup with a long pass to Jack Bomgaars on the left wing, who carried the ball forward before delivering a precise through ball to Cardona. Cardona finished the opportunity with a well-placed left-footed shot from near the edge of the penalty area into the back corner.

The North Sioux City Planning Commission moved quickly through a short agenda Aug. 26, recommending approv‑al of a new plat in the Union Crossing devel‑opment and authorizing a three‑story training tower for North Sioux City Fire & Rescue. The meeting lasted 17 min‑utes.

The commission’s approval of a new roadway safety plan, men‑tioned in our Aug. 3 meeting cov‑erage, reflects a broader shift in how North Sioux City evaluates transportation needs. The Safe Streets for All plan details five priority corridors, recent crash patterns and new performance measures intended to guide fu‑ture safety improvements.

The North Sioux City Fire Department has been recognized as a Gold Hel‑met Department by the Na‑tional Firefighter Registry for Cancer, marking the first time a South Dakota depart‑ment has earned the distinc‑tion.