The Tea Area High School One Act Play cast and crew took the stage at the State One Act Play Festival, held February 5–7 at the Brandon Valley Performing Arts Center, where they performed  A Wrinkle in Time . Several students earned Superior Speaking awards for their performances, including Hannah Broughton, an 11th grader; Rachel Row, a 10th grader; Riley Clark, an 11th grader; and senior Ella Cambier. More pictures from State can be found on page 4 of this week’s Tea Weekly

Tea Second Assistant Chief, Steve Oberle, has been named the 2026 South Dakota Fire Instructor of the Year, an honor presented at the Fire Instructors Conference held in Mitchell in January. The award recognizes exceptional dedication to firefighter education, leadership, and the advancement of fire service training across the state. With three decades of service to the Tea Fire Department, Oberle’s impact extends far beyond emergency response. His commitment to training and

Tea graduate, Coleman Peterson is bringing his talents to the Washington Pavillion stage with a performance of his newest play, Parents’ Weekend . A 2016 graduate of Tea High School, Coleman Peterson got his start in playwriting at a young age.  “I started creating theatre with my mom and some local volunteers in the summers at the old Tea Intermediate/DEC building. From the 8th grade through my college career, I was adapting scripts for local elementary kids, and putting on

The City of Tea received a $2.6 million federal highway grant for pedestrian safety. The Safe Streets for All grant aims to improve pedestrian safety along Brian Street, Main Street and Heritage Parkway. The total project is estimated at $3.2 million. The grant is an 80-20 match grant where the city will be responsible for $600,000. City administrator Justin Weiland noted they completed a safety action plan when they did their comprehensive plan and master transportation plan

LINCOLN COUNTY–Republican Jerry Jongeling announced his bid to represent Tea, Harrisburg and southwest Sioux Falls in the State House of Representatives for District 6. The open seat is being vacated by Rep. Aaron Aylward. “Thanks to the encouragement of friends and family, I’m excited to throw my hat in the ring to fight for Lincoln County in the State House,” said Jongeling. “It’s an important time to get involved to make sure the decisions in Pierre reflect our county and

Residents of District 6 are invited to attend a legislative coffee with local lawmakers on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Tea City Hall.  State Sen. Ernie Otten and Reps. Aaron Aylward and Tim Czmowski will host the informal event beginning at 1 p.m. at Tea City Hall, located at 600 E. 1st St. The event is open to the public.  During the event, attendees will be able to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss current legislation being considered during the 2026 South Dakota Legislat

From childhood auctions to antique expert, Duane Myrmoe has made a living off his childhood passion. Duane Myrmoe’s fascination with antiques began back in 1961 when he was just seven years old.  “My dad decided to get himself a hobby, which included me getting a hobby,” Myrmoe joked, recalling his first auction with his father.  “My dad worked for John Morrell’s. Money was tight, but every auction we went to I was given 50 cents and told to go buy something,” he recalled.  M

After a decade in service, the Tea Chamber named President, Andrea Kuipers Citizen of the Year. With a passion for community connection, Andrea Kuipers joined the Tea Chamber in 2016.  “My background is in social work and the part of the job that I enjoy most is the networking. The Tea Chamber offers me those same opportunities, and I feel I really get to know people on a personal level here,” Kuipers said. Owner of Squealers Smoke Shack Bar & Grill, Andrea enjoys the challen

The South Dakota All-State Middle School Band results have been announced, and Tea Area Middle School students were among those selected to perform at the prestigious event held March 6–7 in Mitchell. This year’s All-State Middle School Band auditions drew a total of 524 students from 71 schools across South Dakota, making selection a significant achievement. Representing Tea Area Middle School at All-State Band will be: Levi Finnegan, trumpet; Ava Anderson, clarinet; Alexis

The Tea Area School Board recognized two students at its Jan. 12 board meeting. Superintendent Tonia Warzecha recognized Jackson Bender and Dawson Ballman for their perfect scores on the spring 2025 math and science assessment. Bender had a perfect score on SD Science Assessment during the Spring 2025 administration and Ballman had a perfect score on SD Math Assessment during the Spring 2025 administration. One more student will be recognized at the February board meeting. Th