Maurice C. "Slim" Ritzman, age 89, of Wall, SD, died Sunday, February 27, 2005, at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Services were held Wednesday, March 2, at the First Lutheran Church in Wall with Pastor Monty Dell officiating.

Interment with military honors by the Sturgis Honor Guard was Wednesday at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

Maurice C. Ritzman, better known as "Slim" to his family and friends, was born June 28, 1915, in Quinn, SD, the son of Charles and Sadie (Knorr) Ritzman.

Graveside services for Mary E. Whisler will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 4, 2005 at the Midland Cemetery, Midland, SD, with Pastor Randy Ellendorf officiating. Rush Funeral Home of Philip is in charge of arrangements.

Mary Elizabeth Whisler, age 91, of Midland, died Thursday, February 24, 2005, at the home of her niece in Eugene, OR, and went home to be with the Lord of her life.

Mary was born the eighth child of Eugene Whisler and Irene (Powell) Whisler on July 7th, 1913 at the Whisler farm north of Midland.

When the Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee last met, the committee pledged $25,000 to the South Dakota Rural Enterprise Inc., which is a matching funds program. Philip and other communities will put up money. The money will be pooled and leveraged to a total of $250,000. The goal is to have $1,000,000 pledged from all sizes of area communities by August, 2005.

Since Philip belongs to the Central South Dakota Enhancement District, another $500,000 in loan funds is also available.

Neal “Obie” Brunskill took over the vacant Haakon County Commissioner seat at their March 1 meeting. Brunskill filled the seat vacated by Darrel Terkildsen earlier this year.

Haakon County Highway Superintendent Kenny Neville gave the board a copy of a contract drawn up by the City of Philip. The contract dealt with a water users agreement between the two entities.

The county highway shop is heated by water from the city’s well.

It definitely will not be a surprise, but it will be quite the party.

On Saturday, March 5, the town of Philip and other well-wishers from in-state and out-of-state will honor Dr. George J. Mangulis. His loyalty to his profession and his 50 years of loyalty to the Philip area will be noted by many, many people.

The doors of the fine arts building of the Philip High School officially open at 2:00 p.m. for cake and coffee and punch. But, the building will be a place of activity long before that.

Many items are on hold until the South Dakota Legislature determines some school budgeting matters.

Funds have been set aside and have been accumulating toward trading up or purchasing a new school bus. It has been five years since the last acquisition of a bus. The school has no real need for an additional bus, so trading up is most likely. The discussion was put on hold for now.

The inclusion of an Industrial Arts position was discussed.

At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 9, the Philip High School was put in a quiet lock-down while a police dog sniffed for illegal drugs. Lockers were scrutinized while students were kept in their classes. People wanting to come into the building were politely asked to return later.

At 9:45 a.m., the search was over. Nothing was found. Very few people were even really concerned, except for the search being the general conversation topic for the rest of the day.

They each have their own backgrounds and personalities, yet Paul Travnicek and Henk Klopper befriended each other while in medical school and are following somewhat similar paths toward their doctorates.

Both young men began their most recent interning rotation under the tutorship of Philip doctors on January 31 and will continue until February 28. Both will graduate from the University of South Dakota on May 7.

Travnicek grew up on a farm near the rural community of Scotland, SD, where his father is an anesthesiologist.

The Philip City Council had applied to host “Capital for a Day”, but this year’s opportunity has been denied. Next year, though, is still a possibility for Philip to receive the notoriety and political ear that comes with being the South Dakota “Capital for a Day.”

The Council approved the airport committee’s recommendation that K.L.J. (Kadermus, Lee and Jackson) be awarded the five-year Airport Engineering Contract.

Justin Koehler started at Black Hills State University as a basketball player. Now he is one half of a strong friendship and partnership which has produced a full-length movie which will premiere in April, 2005, at BHSU on the big screen.

Koehler, son of Mike and Cindy Koehler of Midland, and his partner, Gus Karinen, have written, directed and produced the drama “10:15 Salem Park.” With no budget, no paid-for cast, and little movie-making experience, they have put together a film about secrets. As the movie’s teasers state, “I promised I’d never tell anyone her secret ...