relay for life.

these images are © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.





a portrait of a fire victim.

"Their neighbor's garage and home was completely engulfed in flames shortly before 3 a.m. Felix Castillo woke up first in the small house, alerting his wife, Jean, two daughters and a granddaughter. They all exited safely but watched as their home's siding melted and eventually started on fire itself."

-Rapid City Journal reporter Nick Penzenstadler.

these images are © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

its father's day.

Staff Sergeant Michael Beck plays with his daughter, Tehya, following the Army National Guard 189th Aviation Regiment activation ceremony at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. "I am going to miss watching them grow and become themselves," Beck said.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

geezer.

Caretaker John Brockelsby feeds Methuselah a piece of watermelon on the Galapogos tortoise's 130th birthday at the Reptile Gardens in Rapid City. Methuselah was born in 1881 and came to Reptile Gardens in 1956. The oldest tortoise in the world is estimated at 170 years old. "Watermelon to a tortoise is like a chocolate cake to a kid," Brockelsby said.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

oh, father-son bonding.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

hockey in june.

One leftover from the Rush.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

summer's comin'.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

kooiker on the campaign trail.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.






2011 dakota thunder air show.

these images are © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.




democracy in action.

Rapid City's mayoral race came to a vote Tuesday. The city elected a runoff between incumbent Alan Hanks and Sam Kooiker. Photographically speaking, Kooiker is not the ideal candidate. He does not show much emotion. Still, I like the moment in the first image where he and his wife are waiting for the election results.

these images are © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.

spanish language mass.

this image is © 2011 Rapid City Journal and may not be reprinted or used without permission.