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Facing the past: A few lessons from Berlin

How should we deal with the painful chapters of our history? Bring them up and make people uncomfortable? Think about only the parts that make the people who are most like us look good? Skip them altogether? I was fortunate enough to go to… 

Dakotafire Media is planning changes that include a new format and a new publication. The ones pictured are mockups only.

Dakotafire Media announces changes

Note: This is an updated version of the editorial that appears in the July/August 2016 issue.  We at Dakotafire Media are making changes in how we distribute our content—changes that we think, overall, will make us a stronger company and… 

Dakotafire staffers among recognized Press Women

Dakotafire staffers among recognized Press Women

Staff of Dakotafire Media were recognized for their work at the South Dakota Press Women convention in Deadwood last month. Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Heidi Marttila-Losure: Publications Regularly Edited by Entrant: 1st “Clean and appealing design, feels very professional without being… 

Angie Baszler, 34, has been substitute teaching in DeSmet, S.D., while pursuing a teaching certificate online. Baszler, who has both bachelor's and master's degrees in business and held a prestigious position at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D., before becoming a stay-at-home mom and working in economic development part-time in DeSmet, said she and other moms may be the answer to South Dakota's teacher shortage issue. (submitted photo)

Mothers can bring experience to classrooms through ‘encore careers’

by Anna Jauhola and Wendy Royston, Dakotafire Media Perhaps the answer to South Dakota’s teacher shortage doesn’t lie in recruiting this year’s high school seniors to the profession or retaining next year’s education grads within our borders. Maybe the answer… 

Changing the way we educate educators could be one answer

By Tasi Livermont, for Dakotafire with additional reporting by Doug Card, The Britton Journal and Wendy Royston, Dakotafire Media Should future teachers have to spend as much time sitting in desks to earn the right to stand at the front… 

Some S.D. schools have given up on filling teacher vacancies

By Tasi Livermont, for Dakotafire with additional reporting by Doug Card, The Britton Journal; Jody Moritz, Faulk County Record; and Wendy Royston, Dakotafire Media With a hope and a prayer, school districts across South Dakota attempted to fill vacant teaching… 

Consolidated celebrations bring new traditions

Editor’s Note: See related story here. by Wendy Royston, Dakotafire Media with additional reporting by Sheila Ring, Onida Watchman; Kim Ehlers, Standard Publishing; and Ken Schmierer, for the Dickey County Leader Consolidations of schools and sports teams are common across… 

Homecoming could have a stronger call to ‘come home,’ expert says

Editor’s Note: See related story here. by Wendy Royston, Dakotafire Media with additional reporting by Sheila Ring, Onida Watchman, and Ken Schmierer, for The Dickey County Leader The word “homecoming” suggests the original intent of the fall celebrations was to… 

Helping pollinators helps the whole system, advocate says

by Susan Smith, Special to Dakotafire Media Populations of pollinating insects, such as monarch butterflies and bees, are considered a key indicator of overall environmental health. “They’re the canary in the coal mine,” said Peter Berthelsen during a presentation to…