In a rain-delayed two nights of softball, the Sparks Softball team of Rapid City won two championship games to take the title away from three-time defending champions Steakhouse/MBC of Philip.

Fourteen teams entered the tournament. Eleven stuck out the rain Friday night to play all day Saturday and into early Sunday morning. The championship games ended around 5:30 a.m. Play had begun 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 18, and continued until around 10:30, when rain postponed the tournament until 11:00 Saturday morning.

Purple Haze from Eagle Butte defeated Discount Fuel from Kadoka.

Durward A. "Dud" Wheeler, age 82 of Philip, SD, died August 6, 2008, at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Funeral services were held Saturday, August 9, at the American Legion Hall in Philip, with Pastor Frezil Westerlund officiating.

Music was provided by Marilyn Millage, pianist, and Kim Kanable, vocalists.

Ushers were Ralph "Chip" Kemnitz and Dugan Stewart.

Philip A. Colvin is one of the fallen Veterans whose markers are in the Living Memorial near the Philip American Legion.

Colvin's actual grave site in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France was recently visited by Suzan Berry. While on a tour of France by Douglas High School foreign language students, Berry and her daughter, Bailey, spent an allotted afternoon at the historic site.

The cemetery, established by the United States First Army on June 8, 1944, was the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.

Philip A. Colvin is one of the fallen Veterans whose markers are in the Living Memorial near the Philip American Legion.

Colvin's actual grave site in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France was recently visited by Suzan Berry. While on a tour of France by Douglas High School foreign language students, Berry and her daughter, Bailey, spent an allotted afternoon at the historic site.

The cemetery, established by the United States First Army on June 8, 1944, was the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.

The Roseth Ranch celebrated 100 years, in conjunction with Roy Roseth's 92nd birthday, on August 10 at the Legion Hall in Philip.

Roy and his wife, Clara, married when he was 28. That was in 1944 while he was in the navy during WW II. Clara passed away a few years ago. Their four children are Carmen, Sophie, Duane and Julian.

Carmen and her husband, Clark Alleman, live near Hayes. Sophie and her husband, Pat Foley, live in Midland. Duane and his wife, Lola, still live on the home place.

The guest speaker for the August 11 meeting of the Philip Chamber of Commerce was Egor Prokofyev, Russian interpreter for the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

This is his second summer in this position. Last year he was sponsored by the Wyoming Rotary Club. This year he is being sponsored by the National Park Service Association of Air Force Missileers.

"My friend is a superintendent in Wyoming in Rotary Club.

Early next year Haakon County residents' 9-1-1 calls will be dispatched through the Winner dispatch service as per an agreement approved by the Board of Haakon County Commissioners last Tuesday, August 5.

Winner Chief of Police Paul Schueth presented the board with the agreement. He had met with the commissioners in June to outline what Winner could offer Haakon County. Schueth noted that total expenses would be about $25,000 each year. This includes the 75 cent charge mandated by the state for each phone line and cell phone and another $4,000 for other expenses.

On August 3, the Ft. Pierre to Deadwood centennial wagon train stopped for the evening at Grindstone in Haakon County.

Horses were corralled and fed, riders took a few moments to put their feet up and the speakers for the evening prepared the flatbed stage. Supper did not have to be scrounged together by individual wagon groups; it was served by the Philip Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) as a fundraiser.