Rance Johnson, 13, Philip, recently won the 2011 Little Britches Rodeo junior boys' national championship and the Little Britches junior boys' world championship titles in Pueblo, Colo., Monday through Saturday, July 25-30.

Johnson also won the Little Britches junior boys' national championship in goat tying (28.060 seconds).

Many South Dakota contestants made up the nearly 600 competitors in the National Little Britches Rodeo Finals.

Johnson brought home three saddles, one each for the national and world all-around championships and one for the goat tying championship.

The South Dakota High School Rodeo was held this year Wednesday through Sunday, June 22-26, at the Roundup Rodeo Grounds in Belle Fourche.

Charles L. "Larry" Fanning, age 77, of Martin, S.D., died Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at his home in Martin.

Charles Loren Fanning, better known as Larry to his family and friends, was born March 1, 1934, in Martin, the son of Cameron and Marcella (McLaughlin) Fanning. He grew up in the Martin area graduating from Bennett County High School in 1950.

Larry enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge, Larry attended college at Cal Poly. Upon graduation he returned to Martin where he worked for the U.S.

The Philip City Council meeting Monday, August 1, began with the monthly bills and ended with the council preparing for the annual budget reading next month.

Bills pending as of August 1 total $69,904.37. This includes $15,000 for the upcoming purchase of a 1995 Ford tandem axle dump truck.

The council approved the first reading of Ordinance #2011-08.

The United States Postal Service has announced a proposal to close about 3,700 post offices around the country.

Eighty of those are in South Dakota. One is the post office in Milesville. Howes and Hayes are also in this coverage area.

The Milesville postal service, established May 3, 1907, was originally located at the General Store of Jeremiah C. Miles. Other postmasters over the years include Henry Kertzman, Albert Harvey, Mrs. Harvey, Randall Collins and Allen Piroutek.

The main reason for the gathering at the Doud Ranch, Friday, July 29, was for the audience to see first hand the reasons that Rick and Marlis Doud were the recipients of the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award.

First, a history of the award and of the Doud Ranch was held, then an awards ceremony. The day ended with hundreds of guests and organization and department dignitaries climbing aboard a parade of flatbeds and pickups to tour different aspects of the Doud ranching operation

Brendt Heglund represented the Sand County Foundation, the originators of the award.