The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame inducted 23 new legends at the Sioux Falls Convention Center on Sunday, September 14. One of them is Mat Su Borough’s Vern Halter.
Trained as a lawyer, Vern Halter worked in Alaska as a public defender, a magistrate, and later as an elected leader in Alaska’s Mat-Su Borough.
Halter served two terms on the Assembly and then two more terms as mayor from 2015-2021. During his time in office, he oversaw major projects including the Burma Road underpass, the Bogard Road extension, the Wasilla High Pool renovation, the building of Denai’na Elementary and Redington High Schools, installation of trail lights at Government Peak Recreation Area, and the building of Port MacKenzie.
Halter grew up on a farm near Flandreau, South Dakota before moving to Alaska in 1977. Since then, he’s run 18 Iditarods and 6 Yukon Quests — winning the Quest in 1990 — and logging more than 300,000 miles with his sled dogs. He’s also earned nine top ten Iditarod finishes, including a third-place run in 1999.
Halter considers himself first a dog-musher. He and his wife, veterinarian and fellow musher Susan Whiton, started their kennel back in 1983. They continue to raise and train sled dogs at their home in Willow, Alaska.
Mr. Halter has also been inducted into the Flandreau Hall of Fame in Moody County, South Dakota.
Here are some events to look forward to today:
- Palmer Rotary is hosting a forum of Palmer City Council and Mayoral candidates at the Depot from 6 to 8pm. Election Day is Tue. Oct. 7. Early voting starts on Mon. Sept. 22.
- The Palmer Historical Society meets tonight at the Moose Lodge at 7pm. Tonight’s talk is “A Day in the Life of a Continental Soldier.” In this living history experience, private Davis Lee Wright of the first New York Regiment Continental Line will bring the Revolutionary War era to life with a look at the daily life of a Continental Soldier.
Some events coming later this week:
- The Borough Assembly meets on Tue. Sept. 16, at 6 pm. The audio is live streamed from our streamed meetings page.
- The School Board meets on Wed. September 17 at 6pm. The audio is live streamed from our streamed meetings page.
- The first of 6 open houses to discuss the proposed 7 cent fuel excise tax will be held at Butte Elementary Wednesday Sept 17 from 6pm to 8pm.
Oh and if you missed our interviews with the candidates for Palmer mayor, you can listen to them here under News or Election Forums and Info.
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