Community Corner
🌱 How much more will a Mitchell Aquatic Center pass cost you?
Be sure to catch Holiday Movie and Cookie Exchange on the Mitchell Patch calendar

Hey hey Mitchell! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How much more will a Mitchell Aquatic Center pass cost you?
- Why is Mitchell paying to dump one developer’s old barn?
- What would Dusty Johnson’s ‘Strong Schools’ plan change for Mitchell students?
Also on today's calendar: Mah Jongg/Pinochle at JVCC and 5 more events.
Find out what's happening in Mitchellfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Mitchell? Post it to Mitchell photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Mitchellfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 52 and low of 28 degrees.
- Wednesday: Cloudy and increasingly windy, temps: high: 50, low: 15. ⛄️ Brr!
- Thursday: Very windy; much colder, with a high of 29 and low of 12 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• City water rate hikes ripple to Mitchell Aquatic Center pricing (mitchellrepublic.com) — Mitchell residents will see higher fees at the city-owned Mitchell Aquatic Center next summer, as the park board approved about a 10% increase in pool passes and day rates to offset rising water costs. The move follows multiple water and sewer rate hikes by the Mitchell City Council, which are funding major infrastructure debt and could triple water prices by 2027. Board members also declined to grant themselves discounts at the Mitchell Recreation Center.
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• Mitchell to cover landfill fee for demolition of old barn (mitchellrepublic.com) — Mitchell is picking up a roughly $1,920 landfill fee so local builder Jeremy Jensen can demolish a collapsing barn and replace it with a new storage building that boosts property tax revenue. City leaders say the project should pay for itself within a year and could support construction of 50 to 60 new homes annually, while sparking discussion of broader tear-down incentives for aging structures.
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• Dusty Johnson Unveils 'Strong Schools' Plan Focused on Education Funding and Skilled Trades (kmit.com) — From a Mitchell dateline, gubernatorial candidate Dusty Johnson is pitching a statewide “Strong Schools” plan that would restore K‑12 as South Dakota’s top budget priority. He’s also calling for stronger reading and math efforts and new skilled-trade graduation pathways, arguing education is central to workforce and economic growth that will affect communities like Mitchell.
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📸 Around Mitchell
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Mitchell
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Holiday Movie and Cookie Exchange
James Valley Community Center, 300 W 1st Ave, Mitchell
11:00 am
Wednesday December 17
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Basketball: Boys Varsity Game vs Watertown (SD) (Away)
Watertown High School
7:30 pm - Basketball: B/V
Watertown High School
7:30 pm - Mah Jongg/Pinochle at JVCC
James Valley Community Center , 300 W 1st Ave , Mitchell
1:00 pm - Basketball: G/MS
Huron Middle School
4:00 pm - Wrestling: MS Dual vs Huron (Home)
Mitchell High School , Auxiliary Gym
4:00 pm - Basketball: Girls MS Big 4 Tournament vs Huron (Away)
Huron Middle School
4:00 pm - Crochet Club
Your Shop , 304 N Main St , Mitchell
6:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Thursday December 18
📣 Mitchell Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- BINGO at James Valley Community Center
James Valley Community Center , 300 W 1st Ave , Mitchell
1:00 pm - Shaun Johnson
Area Community Theatre , 700 N Main St , Mitchell
7:00 pm - Countryside Living Holiday Open House
Countryside Living , 2100 N Wisconsin St , Mitchell
2:00 pm - Carving Club
Your Shop , 304 N Main St , Mitchell
6:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Thursday December 18
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- South Dakota Staffing posted a job opening for Forklift Operator in Mitchell. Apply here.
- Wendy's posted a job opening for Customer Service Manager in Mitchell. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Mitchell here.
🗞 Nearby News
Brandon
- Planned Frank Olson rec center receives $1M donation (argusleader.com)
- Johnson Announces 'Strong Schools' Plan to Improve Education; Time to defend students, not defund schools (dakotawarcollege.com)
- Sioux Falls man loses $60K in recent text scam (argusleader.com)
Flandreau
- Brandon Valley's Padgett just keeps getting better and better (dakotanewsnow.com)
Ok Mitchell! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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