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To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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More content from The Scout’s America250 coverage

• The Declaration’s truths still reverberate across U.S., around the world

• Founders’ foresight fosters future freedom

• Test your 1776 knowledge about the Founding in our semiquincentennial quiz

• The men who risked all to declare liberty deserve our thanks

EDITOR’S NOTE: The America 250 special insert e-edition will publish at TheDakotaScout.com on Friday, July 3.

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To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The America 250 special insert e-edition will publish at TheDakotaScout.com on Friday, July 3.

The Dakota Scout is celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a special edition newspaper. And the Sioux Falls patriots behind it are printing thousands of commemorative American flags to honor the nation’s founding and the ideals that sparked a revolution 250 years ago.

Beginning Thursday evening, copies of The Scout’s America250 edition will arrive at newsstands and distribution locations across eastern South Dakota. At the heart of the special edition is a removable centerfold flag on newsprint that readers can display in their homes, offices, garages, workshops or anywhere they choose to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial.

The special edition explores the people, principles and events that gave rise to the United States, featuring profiles of all 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence and pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of liberty.

Readers will also find stories detailing the growing divide between the American colonies and the British Crown, key moments of the Revolutionary War and the influential Americans whose leadership and sacrifice helped shape the nation that followed.

The commemorative edition reflects principles The Scout continues to embrace 250 years after the Declaration’s adoption: that all people are created equal, that life, liberty and property are unalienable rights and that self-government remains one of humanity’s greatest achievements.

“America’s story is imperfect, complicated and unfinished. But no nation has done more to advance the ideals of liberty, individual rights and representative government, and we’re damn proud of that,” said Joe Sneve, who co-founded the newspaper in 2022 with fellow veteran South Dakota journalist Jonathan Ellis. “This special edition is our way of celebrating those achievements with a nod to the men — and women — who made them possible. We’re lucky to live here, and we don’t want any South Dakotan to forget that.”

The centerfold of the publication is the America250 commemorative flag, printed for readers to display as a symbol of patriotism and appreciation for the freedoms Americans enjoy today.

Copies of the special edition will be available free of charge at The Scout’s regular distribution locations beginning Thursday evening and throughout the week leading up to July 4 while copies last.

Find a complete list of locations where readers can pick up a copy of the America250 edition and commemorative flag here.

Additional copies may be available at The Scout’s downtown Sioux Falls newsroom while they last.

The Scout’s America250 special edition is uniquely supported by The Center For Western Studies, Royal Coatings, Experience Sioux Falls and Sunshine Foods.

PICK UP YOUR AMERICA 250 DISPLAY FLAG INSIDE THIS WEEK’S PRINT EDITION OF THE DAKOTA SCOUT NEWSPAPER, AVAILABLE AT NEARLY 300 LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA. FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU HERE

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

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The organizers of a free concert honoring the victims of the Holocaust hope the event offers a counterpoint to the current climate of disrespect and hate mongering.

One way to reach out to others is through the universal language of music. In order to teach understanding and acceptance plus remember the Holocaust, Mount Zion Congregation and Curious Music Collective will host Violins of Hope Sioux Falls: Never Forget Hope, on June 6.

The performance will feature stringed instruments that belonged to Holocaust victims. They will be played by professional musicians along with a soprano. The event also features poetry, storytelling and a post-concert discussion.

During World War II and before, when Jews were rounded up for deportation to the death camps in Europe, they were only allowed to take a few possessions, says Jacob Forstein, president of Mount Zion Congregation in Sioux Falls.

Many chose to take their musical instruments.

Music became a fundamental part of camp life. “There were over 500 orchestras and musical ensembles formed during the Nazi regime,” says Yi-Chun Lin, executive and artistic director of Curious Music Collective.

“They exploited the talents of Jewish people and the power of music during the camps, including having orchestras play at the gates of the camps when people were sent there. Musicians were forced to perform at various occasions including executions. Music was not only a survival tool, but it also brought people moments of peace, calm, and humanity.”

They also performed for the guards’ private entertainment.

Various camps also used music from radio broadcasts or record players during executions to drown out the sound, and they played during the selection process to deceive new arrivals into thinking they were not facing immediate death, according to the Music and the Holocaust website.

As a result, camp musicians received some “privileges” such as lighter work assignments, better clothing or a bit more food, and their status protected them from arbitrary acts of violence. But those benefits fostered an unhealthy dependence on guards and served to divide the musicians from the average camp inmate.

Dozens of their instruments were eventually recovered and restored. They are now used in symphonies and performances around the world.

For the first time ever 12 of those instruments are coming to Sioux Falls to be played in a concert led by Yi-Chun Lin. She put together the concert program and all the music-related activities, including the musicians, poets, a singer and local violin students.

These sacred instruments were witnesses to humanity’s darkest hours, says Forstein. This concert is a way to honor the memory of the Holocaust and promote education, unity and flexibility through the universal power of music.

Our past can impact our future, Forstein says.

“Six million Jews and countless others perished in the Holocaust,” he said. “It’s important to help educate what hate can do.”

The instruments are ambassadors to ensure we never forget and realize how the aftermath continues to affect our society even today, say concert backers.

“The hope is that we don’t repeat our past,” says Zechariah Van Harris III, vice president of Mount Zion Congregation.

The negative history regarding the Jews in World War II “can apply to black Americans and Native Americans as well,” he says.

“These are mass murder events. It’s our responsibility to not allow these things to happen again, says Van Harris.

The program has added significance for him; “I’m a black Jew,” he says.

“Not only do I have a target on my back because I’m black, but I also have a target because I’m a Jew and feel forced to explain that.”

The free program includes music by Jewish composers influenced by memory, exile, resilience and loss. In addition, there will be a soprano and original poetry readings by Lawrence Diggs and Xavier Pastano to confront hate and division and foster hope for the future.

We are connected through the generations by this catastrophic event.

The student performers are the torch bearers of hope and light, says Dr. Yi-Chun Lin.

“We hope they will continue using their musical or artistic voices to bring out the best in other humans.”

“The music in this program carries both heaviness and hope,” she says. “The instruments that survived and are played in this program embody the spirit of human resilience and hope that will continue to bring forward the light in the dark of this world.”

If You’re Going

Violins of Hope: Sioux Falls

Saturday, June 6, 2026; 7:00 p.m.

Concert, followed by Post-Concert Discussion and Q&A at Hamre Recital Hall, Fryxell Humanities Center, Augustana University 2120 S. Grange Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57197

Free event though free-will donations will be accepted;

All are welcome however seating is limited

For more information:

https://www.sfcmcollective.com/

Hosted locally by Mt. Zion Congregation and Curious Music Collective.

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

Send obituaries to obits@thedakotascout.com

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To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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Send obituaries to obits@thedakotascout.com

To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

Free books, stories and smiles are headed to communities across South Dakota.

St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain is launching its sixth annual bookmobile tour later this month, bringing free reading materials to dozens of towns while promoting literacy and Native American authors.

The effort, organized by the school’s Alumni Relations department, will make more than 40 stops across the state through July 1, beginning in Jackson County.

The traveling bookmobile provides books for readers of all ages and interests, with events open to the public at no cost.

“Access to books can make a lasting difference in a child’s life,” said Andy Lepkowski, who heads St. Joseph’s Indian School Alumni Relations division, which organizes the annual trek across South Dakota that last year logged more than 3,000 miles on the Bookmobile’s odometer. “By bringing the Bookmobile directly into communities, we’re helping remove barriers and making reading something that’s exciting and accessible for everyone.”

During the 2025 tour, the program distributed 22,610 books statewide.

This year’s schedule includes stops in communities across western, central and eastern South Dakota, including Pine Ridge, Eagle Butte, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Mission and Rapid City.

The tour begins May 26 with stops in Wanblee, Potato Creek and Kyle. Additional visits are planned throughout June, including Sioux Falls and Mitchell on June 10, Aberdeen on June 18 and Rapid City on June 30 and July 1.

All bookmobile events are free and open to the public, with books distributed while supplies last.

Bookmobile tour schedule

May 26 (Tuesday)
Wanblee — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cap Building lot in housing
Potato Creek — 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., playground area
Kyle — 3 to 5 p.m., Senior Citizens Center by school

May 27 (Wednesday)
Porcupine — 10 a.m. to noon, entrance of housing
Manderson — 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., school parking lot
Oglala — 3:15 to 5 p.m., Boys & Girls Club lot off main road

May 28 (Thursday)
Pine Ridge — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Catholic church parking lot

June 2 (Tuesday)
Cherry Creek — 10 to 11 a.m., post office area
Eagle Butte — 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., side street by the library
Dupree — 3:30 to 5 p.m., YMCA side street

June 3 (Wednesday)
Timber Lake — 10 to 11:30 a.m., Main Street by the library
Little Eagle — 12:15 to 2 p.m., side street by the post office
Bullhead — 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., side street by the school
McLaughlin — 4 to 5 p.m., side street by the city park

June 4 (Thursday)
Yates — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., state building parking lot, Buffalo Avenue
Kenel — 1:15 to 2 p.m., side street by the community center
Wakpala — 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., community center parking lot

June 9 (Tuesday)
Marty — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., school parking lot
Wagner — 1 to 5 p.m., IHS parking lot

June 10 (Wednesday)
Sioux Falls — 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Terry Redlin Elementary lot
Mitchell — 2:30 to 5 p.m., swimming pool parking lot

June 11 (Thursday)
Fort Thompson — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., casino parking lot

June 12 (Friday)
Lower Brule — 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Buches store parking lot
Lower Brule — 1 to 4:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Church parking lot

June 16 (Tuesday)
Flandreau — 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Flandreau Middle School
Watertown — 3 to 5 p.m., McKinney Park side street lot

June 17 (Wednesday)
Sisseton — 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Teals Market parking lot
Dakota Sioux Casino — 4 to 7 p.m., in front of the casino

June 18 (Thursday)
Aberdeen — 10 to 11:30 a.m., Roncalli Primary School front entrance (1st Ave. NE and Arch Street)
Aberdeen — noon to 3 p.m., Hobby Lobby parking lot (4th Street and Roosevelt Street)

June 23 (Tuesday)
Winner — 10 to 11:30 a.m., Ace Hardware parking lot
O’Kreek — noon to 1:30 p.m., community center lot
Mission — 2 to 6 p.m., Boys & Girls Club

June 24 (Wednesday)
Francis — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., school parking lot
Rosebud — 1 to 4 p.m., All Stop gas station lot

June 25 (Thursday)
Parmelee — 10 a.m. to noon, community center lot
Martin — 1 to 2:30 p.m., CAP Building lot
Allen — 3 to 4 p.m., community center area

June 30 (Tuesday)
Rapid City — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., location to be determined
Rapid City — 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Beadle School front parking lot

July 1 (Wednesday)
Rapid City — 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lakota Community Housing (North Housing Office parking lot)

Send obituaries to obits@thedakotascout.com

To place a public notice in The Dakota Scout, email legals@thedakotascout.com

To submit a letter to the editor or a guest column to The Dakota Scout’s VIEWPOINTS section, email viewpoints@thedakotascout.com

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