Kelly Hertz

Buy Now Yankton celebrated the Fourth of July — and the 250th anniversary of American independence — with music, food and fireworks on Saturday, capping off a week of festivities to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial. he crowd in and around the park swelled throughout the evening in preparation for the 10 p.m. fireworks display, which was fired off the top deck of Meridian Bridge. It provided a thunderous conclusion to the day and the week of events to honor the 250th.

Buy Now One person was injured when a vehicle veered off Highway 81and crashed into El Tapatio Restaurant in Yankton on Saturday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. According to scanner traffic, the southbound SUV left Broadway Avenue, plunged down the west-side embankment and smashed into the east side of the restaurant. One person in the vehicle needed extraction and was taken to a medical facility with unknown injuries. No other information is available. Responding to the scene were the Yankton Police Department, the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office, Yankton County EMS and the Yankton Fire Department.

Buy Now A 54-year-old Yankton man was transported to a local hospital after crashing his Jeep into the east side of El Tapatio in Yankton. According to the Yankton Police Department, around 11:40 p.m. Saturday night, witnesses said the driver veered off Highway 81 and into the building. The far east side of the restaurant is mostly a storage area, so the restaurant is still open and operating. Yankton Police Chief Jason Foote said the incident is still under investigation.

Buy Now A large crowd turned out at Yankton’s Riverside Park Saturday morning to honor Bruce Myers as he was presented with the 2025 Citizen of the Year award. More than 120 people turned out for the casual reception, during which Press & Dakotan owner and publisher Gary Wood presented Myers with the award. City and County proclamations were also read. Pictured here are, from left: Corey Sorenson (son-in-law), Rachel Myers (daughter) and Bruce and Carol Meyers.

Buy Now The Yankton Fire Department was called to a small grass fire Thursday on the Auld-Brokaw Trail near Eighth Street and Burleigh Streets. Yankton Fire Chief Tim Linke suspects a firework is what set off the blaze that consumed about a 30-by-20 section of grass. Approximately eight firefighters quickly disbursed the flames in about 15 minutes. No one was hurt or injured.

Buy Now Local artist Bri Jordan lets Mavis Huber, 3, check out the face-painting job she received Monday during the annual Party in the Park summer finale party, which was moved from Riverside Park to the Summit Activities Center due to the heat. The event helps the Yankton Community Library (with help from the City of Yankton Parks and Recreation Department) celebrate the end of the library’s summer reading program. Besides face painting, the event also included inflatables, a foam cannon, butterfly tents, food and drinks and more. Despite the location change, a good crowd turned out for Monday’s party.

Buy Now To celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Yankton SD Celebrates America’s 250 task force has installed a time capsule near the Dakota Territorial Capitol building at Riverside Park. The capsule will be unearthed on July 4, 2076, for the nation’s 300th birthday. SHOWN: Yankton Parks and Recreation Director Todd Larson, left, and City Commissioner Dave Spencer handled the burial duties Thursday, which was to coincide with the “Music at the Meridian” concert, but that event was moved to Ben’s because of threatening weather.

South Dakota’s Democratic U.S. Senate nominee ended his campaign Tuesday.

Buy Now A 2025 Chevrolet pickup crashed into an apartment building located at the corner of Eight and Dakota streets in Yankton Tuesday night. The driver of the vehicle was taken to Avera Sacred Heart Hospital with unspecified injuries. No other injuries were reported. Residents of the building were displaced for the night because of concerns about the safety of the structure.