The story of the Kingsbury Journal and how it became a reality was featured during the September 7th episode of Dakota Life on the South Dakota Public Broadcasting television channel. Broadcasters Larry Rohrer and Brian Gevik brought the story to life featuring scenes from De Smet and how the communities worked together to save their newspapers.
When South Dakota Public Broadcasting staff were in De Smet in July producing ‘The Hard Winter’ as a part of the 49th annual Laura Ingalls Pageant, they heard about the Kingsbury Journal and wanted to report the story of how the paper came together through the work of volunteers in De Smet and Lake Preston..
“Regardless of where you live in South Dakota, when people work together, there is no limit to what a community can accomplish,” Larry Rohrer, SDPB Director of Media Content, states as he introduces the show. “Working together was a matter of survival when Charles Ingalls and his family came to De Smet with the railroad in 1879, and that spirit of helping each other is what keeps De Smet vibrant today. If you need evidence that the residents here are innovative, look no farther than the local newspaper.”
The Dakota Life is a monthly production that discovers the unique people, places and things in South Dakota. This production was the first episode of the shows 23rd season on the air.
Kingsbury County resident, Lisa Casper of Arlington, was also featured in this episode with her ‘Gift of Life’ story as a heart transplant recipient. Additional segments included Shane Anderson of Viborg, the ‘Cabins in the Hills’ and Dutch oven cooking in Clear Lake.
This Dakota Life episode is available for viewing on the South Dakota Public Broadcasting website, https://www.sdpb.org/tv/dakotalife.
