News

Editor s Note: April is Autism Awareness Month. In honor of this occasion, the Journal asked Kelley Beck to share her family’s story. She, her husband Matt and their three children live in rural Hecla.

This week is National Library Week. The theme for the event this year is “There is More to the Story.” One Marshall County library that has a rich story behind it is the Langford Public Library. Though small, the library is impressively active and has a strong history of dedicated people helping this local institution flourish.

As an occupational therapist, Jennifer Gustafson of Claremont works to heal people’s bodies. Over the years, she also discovered that she enjoys treating people’s minds as well. To that end, Gustafson explored opportunities where she could provide neurological care in addition to physical care. By chance, she was introduced to the folks at Brain Intercept in Aberdeen, and after working there for the last couple of months, feels like she has truly found her niche.

From one environmental extreme to the next. Merely days after the last blizzard, the flooding began. With high temperatures early last week, the area began to see rapid snow melt.

In their youth, the Holland Brothers of Britton recall days spent at the family business. Keith remembers working in the shop after school and on Saturdays fixing tires and doing oil changes. Kent says he enjoyed providing full-service for customers, pumping gas, washing windows and visiting with locals and travelers. Now, decades later and as they retire, the Holland Brothers look back on the years of hard work and the promising future of the business.

At the Marshall County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, the board passed the resolution to proceed with the Courthouse project and the $5 million bond election to fund the project. The election is scheduled for June 6.

At Monday night’s Britton City Council meeting, Tom and Jamie Moeckly spoke at the meeting regarding the old Norstar Credit Union building which they live near. The building has been purchased by Clear Lake Investments to reportedly be modified into housing for foreign H2 Visa workers. Truss Pros and Precision Wall in Britton have made use of these workers for a number of years.

Jason Tonsfeldt got attacked by a bear and now has a huge scar on his neck. Or at least that is what he and his family jokes happened to him to find some humor in a tough situation. In reality, Jason’s scar was the result of doctors removing lymph nodes from his neck following a cancer diagnosis in 2021. This was not the first time he was diagnosed with cancer, nor would it be the last. Tonsfeldt is again fighting cancer currently. He and his wife, Ali, shared the journey Jason’s cancer has taken their family on.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” Unfortunately, there were more lions than lambs spotted last month. The month went out with a huge roar last week with a Friday blizzard. (Some also chocked it up to an early April Fool’s Day joke by Mother Nature).

Mayo Clinic recommends that by age 40, women should start having yearly mammograms. According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death among women in South Dakota. Locally, in the battle against breast cancer, a stateof- the-art tool is now available. The Marshall County Healthcare Center is now offering 3D mammography.