FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley congratulates the 15 students who graduate this Friday from the state Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course.
“Telecommunicators are important in any emergency because they offer life-saving information to the responding agencies,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We can’t thank them enough for their service.”
Graduation completes the two-week course for the students who represent 10 different law enforcement or communication centers statewide. The course includes training and hands-on exercises on issues such as public safety telecommunications, how to respond to questions from the caller, how to handle both emergency and non-emergency calls for service, and how to prioritize multiple incidents happening at one time.
Instructors are staff from the State Division of Criminal Investigation’s Office of Law Enforcement Training, which is part of the Attorney General’s Office; experienced 911 telecommunicators from across the state, and public safety stakeholders.
Friday’s graduation starts at 3:30 p.m. CST in the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre. Pierre Police Chief Dusty Pelle will be the keynote speaker.
Members of the 82nd session of the Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course and their law enforcement organization are:
*** Sarah Bestgen, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Veronica Brave, Rosebud Police Department.
*** Abbigail Copeland, Union County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Tera Flannery, Union County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Timothy Frewing, Watertown Police Department.
*** Yvonne Gaona, Central South Dakota Communications.
*** Zayda Ginsbach, Metro Communications.
*** Melissa Johnson, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe (BIA).
*** SierraAnn McCall, Central South Dakota Communications.
*** Madison Miller, Brown County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Gerald Mokros, Jr., Meto Communications.
*** Jemarie Nicks, Roberts County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Emily Ragains, Pennington County Emergency Services Communications Center.
*** D’Artagnan Witherspoon, Lawence County Sheriff’s Office.
*** Kaleigh Wooden Knife, Rosebud Police Department.
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