Season Two Of “My Town” Series To Feature Watertown, SD
WATERTOWN, SD – “My Town” a rural-focused documentary series written and directed by 3-time Emmy Award-Winning Documentarian Cory Hepola, is expanding for Season 2 with 8 new small-town stories across 5 states.
“Young people are choosing to live in rural communities at higher rates than we’ve seen since the 1970’s and ‘My Town’ is showing the world the many reasons why,” said Hepola, who grew up in a small town. “There’s opportunity, innovation, and a connectedness in rural America and the overwhelmingly positive response to our Season 1 communities has shown there’s a large audience excited to experience it.” Stream all episodes of “My Town” for free on YouTube at “My Town Series” at https://www.youtube.com/@MyTownSeries/videos.
In Season 2 of “My Town,” Hepola will travel to 8 different rural communities across 5 states learning why people choose to live where they do while breaking down the popular misconceptions with therural lifestyle. The communities selected for Season 2 – Fairmont MN, St. Joseph MN, Linton ND, Watford City ND, Chamberlain SD, Watertown SD, Rock Valley IA, and Grand Island NE – all range in size, location, and identity, showcasing the diverse nature of what rural towns offer. “For the longest time all we’ve heard is our small towns are dying and there’s nothing here for you, but that’s simply not true,” said Hepola. “These rural communities are thriving, and people are choosing to raise their families here for a variety of reasons. These stories need to be told.”
In Season 1, Hepola explored 7 different communities across 4 states (MN, IA, WI, ND) with the series selected to premiere at the prestigious Twin Cities Film Fest. Within the first two months of its online launch (October 2024), “My Town” has amassed nearly 1-million impressions and 275-thousand views across all platforms with 5,500 hours of watch time from 36 states and 6 countries on YouTube alone. “Our rural communities have what everyone is searching for – opportunity,” said Hepola. “My Town is helping the outside world see that.”
Founded by rural native Gerry Norton in 2001, The Brookshire Company serves as a rural advocate through its major networking event, “Community Venture Network (CVN),” matching growing companies to rural economic development leaders from across the upper Midwest. “Our mission is to reshape the rural narrative by helping people see all our small towns have to offer,” said Norton, Executive Director of “My Town.” “We’re thrilled that people from all over – small towns, large cities, different states and countries – are discovering the positive realities of the rural life through this series. We believe in Rural America!”
ABOUT “MY TOWN” “My Town” is a rural-focused documentary series written and directed by 3-time Emmy Award-Winning Documentarian and TV Anchor Cory Hepola. In Season 1, Hepola explored 7 different rural communities across 4 states (MN, IA, WI, ND) with the series selected to premiere at the prestigious Twin Cities Film Fest. Within the first two months of its online launch, “My Town” has amassed nearly 1-million impressions and 275-thousand views across all platforms with 5,500 hours of watch time from 36 states and 6 countries on YouTube alone.
ABOUT THE BROOKSHIRE COMPANY The Brookshire Company’s mission is to help “companies succeed, and communities thrive” through site selection, labor analysis, financial incentives, commercial real estate, and storytelling. Founded in 2001 by Gerry Norton, who brings over 35 years of experience directing projects in 45 states and five countries, The Brookshire Company partners with businesses and communities worldwide, helping them reach their fullest potential. Learn more at brookshireco.com
CONTACT:
Crisavy Seeman The Brookshire Company info@mytownseries.com
Julie Stevenson, Watertown “series at julieannstevenson66@gmail.com
Community Based childcare Grant Program
In 2024, the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the South Dakota Department of Social Services worked jointly to provide a two-phase funding opportunity for communities to help with solutions to South Dakota child care challenges. The emphasis of this grant program was to provide funds for innovative community-based child care solutions. Many of the projects aimed to expand sustainable, reliable, quality child care services and provide career pathways to improve the workforce. Through an application process, GOED awarded a total of $1.1M to 28 communities for the planning portion and another $3.8M to 13 communities for the implementation portion of the program.
*(This program is now closed. This was a one-time funding opportunity through GOED. For any child care funding questions please contact the SD Department of Social Services.)
https://sdgoed.com/partners/community-based-child-care-grant-program/
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Included in Newsweek’s America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2025 List
WATERTOWN, S.D. – November 4, 2024 – Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) has been included in Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2025. This prestigious award is presented in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced on October 23rd, 2024, and can currently be viewed on Newsweek’s website.
Proximity and access are of the utmost importance when choosing between top hospitals. The America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2025 ranking was created to identify the top hospitals at the state level. Hospitals from all US states were eligible for the ranking and included in the nationwide survey. Four data sources were used for the evaluation: quality metrics data, a nationwide online survey, patient experience, and a voluntary PROMS implementation survey. As a result, the 700 hospitals that scored the highest across these criteria have been included on the list.
PLHS is honored to be recognized on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2025. It reinforces that Prairie Lakes excels in quality of care, has high patient satisfaction, and is one of the leading hospitals in the nation.
“We are honored to be one of the seven South Dakota hospitals recognized in Newsweek’s 2025 list,” said John Allen, President and CEO of Prairie Lakes Healthcare System. “This award reflects the exceptional commitment and dedication of our team members and is a motivating reminder of our mission to make a positive impact on those we serve.”
About Statista: Statista publishes hundreds of worldwide industry rankings and company listings with high-profile media partners. This research and analysis service is based on the success of statista.com, the leading data and business intelligence portal that provides statistics, business-relevant data, and various market and consumer studies and surveys.
To view a list of recent Prairie Lakes achievements, please visit www.prairielakes.com/achievements.
WDC Welcomes Sarah Giang as Investor Relations Manager
Watertown, South Dakota – The Watertown Development Company (WDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Giang as the new Investor Relations Manager. Sarah brings a wealth of experience in customer service, retail management, and human resources across the financial, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Her diverse skill set emphasizes rapport creation, client engagement, and HR generalist expertise.
Sarah’s extensive background in employee relations and operational support equips her to effectively communicate organizational goals and strategies to investors. She leverages her experience to drive collaboration and cultivate a thriving work environment, ultimately enhancing investor relations and contributing to the organization’s success.
Chris Clifton, Executive Director of the Watertown Development Company, expressed his enthusiasm for Sarah’s appointment: “The WDC team is excited about Sarah joining our organization. She brings much-needed HR, operational, and customer service skills to the group. Sarah will have day-to-day responsibilities for Watertown 2.0 client services, communications, and the investor relations process for WDC.”
Sarah’s appointment marks a significant step forward for the Watertown Development Company as it continues to strengthen its investor relations and support the growth and development of the Watertown community.
For more information, please contact:
Watertown Development Company
Angela Yahne
ayahne@wdcsd.com
Workforce Summit
This Summit will help our businesses address our critical workforce needs with plausible solutions. Learn how
to recruit and employ New Americans in your workplace or organization. Learn how you can help Freedom’s Haven identify, recruit
and sustain a viable New Americans’ workforce in South Dakota.
Prairie lakes healthcare News
Our own Heather Brewster, Director of Quality & Risk Management was recently awarded the 2024 Quality Professional of the Year award at The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations’ 98th Annual Convention in Rapid City, SD September 25-28, 2024. Due to responsibilities needing her attention at the hospital, she was unable to attend the annual conference. However, Heather was still celebrated by members of our Administration team, Spirit Squad, and additional staff with an award presentation at our facility.
Brewster holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from SDSU and worked in the Critical Care Unit at PLHS for ten years prior to her promotion. She believes in safe and compassionate environments for patients. She is a leader in the PLHS organization, and respected among peers and colleagues.
Congratulations Heather!
Manufacturing Week, Oct 4-11th, 2024
The Watertown Workforce Advisory is sponsoring the Excellence in Manufacturing Awards for the third year in a row to recognize manufacturing employees for outstanding work in their field. We are celebrating Manufacturing Week which takes place October 4-11th this year. Nominations for the Manufacturing Awards will be accepted from September 9– 22. Categories included are Machine Operator, Material Handler, All Other Production, Working Supervisor, Painters & Prep, Production Support, and Welders. Please submit the below form Winners in each category will receive $100 in Chamber Bucks and put in the grand prize drawing for a Macksteel Kettle.
If you have questions, need any additional info, or have an idea to share for future Manufacturing Week promotions, contact Angie Yahne at ayahne@wdcsd.com.