The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners met for a special meeting on Monday, June 22.Commissioners discussed the resignation of Commissioner Betty Otten and considered the appointment procedures for the vacancy. Chief Civil Deputy State’s Attorney, Drew DeGroot requested board action to acknowledge the resignation of Commissioner Betty Otten and consider the appointment procedures for the District #2 Commissioner vacancy pursuant to SDCL 3-4-4. “As I’m sure you are all aw

Residents and visitors enjoyed four days of summer fun as Teapot Days 2026 brought the community together June 17-20 for one of Tea’s most anticipated annual celebrations. The festivities began Wednesday evening with the CommuniTEA Picnic, setting the tone for a fun-filled week. A large crowd attended the picnic, sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church. Despite a rain shower that necessitated moving the event indoors, approximately 600 people were served. Entertainment was provi

The Tea Baseball Association’s competitive teams continue to do well in tournaments around the region. The 13U Titans took home 1st Place in the Marshall (Minnesota) 13U Tournament June 6-7. They dominated with a 20-0 win (over Benson, Minnesota), 10-2 win (over Marshall Tigers Orange) and 6-2 win (over Diamond Ducks). Pitcher Colin Terveen struck out 10 batters. The Titans scored nine runs on three hits in the second inning and 10 runs on nine hits in the third inning in th

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, June 9. Auditor Sheri Lund was present for the Auditor’s 2027 budget presentation to County Commission. “The budget is not a staff budget or an auditor’s budget, it is the county’s commission budget. The public expects its elected officials to make the difficult choices required to balance community needs, statutory obligations, contractual obligations, and taxpayer resources. The responsibility cannot be delegated, avo

For 20 years, the Tea Vet Clinic has been a trusted name for pet owners in the Tea area as Dr. Thomas Rentschler and his team have built a reputation on compassionate care and connection with pet owners. Dr. Rentschler and his team are celebrating the milestone with a remodel and expansion designed to meet the growing needs of his clients. Dr. Rentschler started his path to veterinary medicine at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, where he graduated with a degree in biol

The annual Teapot Days celebration is underway in Tea and continues through Saturday, June 20, with three days of carnival rides, live music, food vendors, sporting events, a community parade and fireworks. Festivities resume Thursday, June 18, as the Mighty Thomas Carnival opens from 5-10 p.m. on Brian Street near Tea City Park. Baseball fans can also catch the Tea Steam taking on the Renner Rangers, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Tea Athletic Complex. Friday’s

Finley Husby, Denver Schwartzle and Grayson Woodis started playing soccer with the Tea Park and Rec program in the early years. As their love of soccer progressed, they began playing with Dakota Alliance Soccer Club Competitive Program. There they have been under the coaching guidance of Mekennon Afa, a long time Tea resident who recently moved to Sioux Falls, for the last 5 years. As the team progressed, they found themselves traveling to Omaha, Kansas City, Minneapolis,

The Tea Steam amateur baseball team is looking to gain momentum after opening the 2026 season with a 1-3 record through its first four games. Tea opened the year with an 11-4 loss to Renner before picking up its first victory of the season, defeating the Lennox Bandits 7-5 at the end of May. The Steam then dropped a pair of contests in early June, falling 5-1 to the Belugas on June 2 and 9-6 to the Sioux Falls Brewers on June 7. Against the Belugas on Tuesday, June 2, Tea tra

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, June 4. Commissioners heard agenda items including the county canvass, post election audit drawing, and request for proposals for indigent defense services. Auditor, Sheri Lund was present for the County Canvas of the June 2, 2026, Primary Election with action to follow. “Lincoln County had a total of 44,309 registered voters eligible to participate in this election, consisting of 26,628 republican voters and 17,681 no

Two newcomers are poised to join the Lincoln County Commission following victories in the June 2 primary election, bringing new faces to the county’s governing board. In the District 3 race, Amy Harms defeated incumbent Commission Chair Tiffani Landeen, earning 930 votes, or 63 percent of the vote, compared to Landeen’s 543 votes, or 37 percent. A total of 1,473 ballots were cast in the race, with all six precincts reporting. Harms, a local marketing manager and current chair