Two Tea Area High School seniors were recognized among the top academic students in the state during the annual Academic Excellence Recognition luncheon held Monday, April 27, in Pierre. Jaycie Babb and Ashlyn Karpenin, both members of the Class of 2026, received Academic Excellence Awards for ranking in the top one percent of their class. The honor places them among an elite group of students selected from schools across South Dakota. The awards were presented by Lt. Gov. To

Three hundred seventy South Dakota FFA members were recognized for receiving their State FFA Degree during the 98th South Dakota State FFA Convention on Tuesday, April 21 during the second session at First Bank and Trust Arena, sponsored by SD Army National Guard The State FFA Degree is the highest honor the South Dakota FFA Association can bestow upon its members. Recipients have dedicated several years to developing their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, b

Officer Taylor White, City of Tea Police Department, was recognized with the Ken Prorok Traffic Safety Officer of the Year for his professionalism, dedication, and proactive enforcement. The award is given out by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Highway Safety to recognize the outstanding efforts of a South Dakota law enforcement officer who has made significant impacts on highway safety in their community. “Taylor exemplifies professionalism through

Final preparations are underway as Tea Area students get ready to bring The Wizard of Oz to life on stage this weekend, with performances set for Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m. inside the Tea Area Performing Arts Center. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., and tickets are available online or at the door for $5 per seat. As excitement builds, director Mary Beth Sutton says one of the most breathtaking elements of this year’s production is quite literally taking th

Two Tea Area High School students recently gained firsthand experience in state government, serving as pages during the fifth week of the South Dakota legislative session. Senior Brody Miller and junior Jaxon Johanneson were selected to serve in the South Dakota Senate, assisting legislators with daily tasks and gaining a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative process. Johanneson also returned to serve on Veto Day, held March 30. Both students were sponsored by District 6

Spring is in the air, and the Tea community is buzzing with energy. Curbside Crumbs is making this spring a little sweeter with homemade treats from a self-serve bakery stand. Kadee Voigt, proud owner of Curbside Crumbs, is more than just a baker. She’s a wife, business owner, and a stay-at-home mom of a 3-year-old and 21-month-old all wrapped up in one. “I started Curbside Crumbs in September of 2025 after moving to Tea in August. It is very important to me to know the ing

Tea Area High School students showcased their skills on a big stage April 9-10, earning top honors at the 2026 South Dakota SkillsUSA State Competition. Hosted by Mitchell Technical College, the annual event brought together more than 450 high school and post-secondary students, along with teachers, advisors, judges and industry partners. The conference featured a variety of competitions and leadership development opportunities, highlighting career and technical education pr

With construction underway on a new roundabout at the intersection of 276th Street and 166th Avenue aimed at improving the traffic flow in the area and safety through the intersection. The project began with a full road closure on April 7 and has gained attention of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department who are reminding residents not to ignore road closure signs in the county. Highway Superintendent, Terry Fluit reported the increase in traffic counts and delays at the int

The Tea Area School Board met April 13. Board members heard from continuous school improvement teachers on what they are working on with teachers on the English Language program within the district. Business manager Chris Esping reported they received six bids for the high school/middle school paving project. The board approved the low bid from Blacktop Paving for $255,575.88. The project consists of the existing high school parking lot, east of the bus barn, strip up to the

The Tea City Council met April 6 and approved a variance for a church sign. The sign for Living Hope Church blew down and asked the council for a variance to erect a new sign. The council approved the size at 45 square feet, 13 feet wide and 7 feet tall. They approved the second reading of ordinance 336, recodification of the city of Tea municipal code of ordinances. The code of ordinances will be posted on the city website. City administrator Justin Weiland said the city bud