A dying (or should I say dead?) town
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2/13/2010
Like most small towns in South Dakota, Winner has seen its "better" years. The sad fact is that there are literally NO jobs here. At one time, agriculture was alive and well in the surrounding rural areas, but recent years have seen decreases in the amount of small farms/ranches because it's just not that profitable for most families anymore. Major employers like Cendant have come and gone, and the most jobs in town now are literally in fast food or retail. And when I say fast food, I mean "fast food." If you want to eat out here in town, you will have to settle for a chain restaurant or what I like to call "bar food." With the exception of a couple of cafes operating at odd hours, of course. Education? Winner's public school district is currently suffering from a major lawsuit for racist policies against Native American students. The lawsuit, combined with a dwindling population (and therefore student funds), has left the district completely BROKE. Staff to student ratios at the elementary school are hardly the 1:12 listed on this site; some classrooms have had over double that in recent years. But overcrowding/understaffing shouldn't be a problem for long; many of Winner's student population has begun open enrolling in nearby Colome. All this with severely limited access to goods and services, 2 hours to the nearest small city, freezing cold winters and blazing hot summers. Forget it! I have lived here long enough and can't wait to leave!
Violet | Winner, SD