The Black Hills Pioneer from Spearfish, South Dakota • 4

Friday, September 7, 2018 Pg 4 BLACK HILLS PIONEER Yankton, Watertown National Guard units to deploy to Europe Randy Raymond 'Timber! ine' Conn, 67 by his twin sons, Craig and Ronnie Conn of Deadwood; his mother, a Randy Raymond "Timberline" Conn, 67 of Deadwood, passed away in his home on Aug. 29, 2018. The burial will be Katherine Deremo of Madison, S.D.; siblings, Charlotte, RAPID CITY About 115 soldiers from the South Dakota Army National Guard's Bravo Battery, l-147th Field Artillery Battalion and 147th Forward Support Company have received a mobilization order for an eight-month deployment to Europe beginning in December. The units will deploy within European Command's area of responsibility in support of allied nation partnerships and regional security and stability goals. The Yankton-based Bravo Battery is equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, and is capable of providing artillery support to a brigade, division, corps or coalition task force.

The Watertown-based Forward Support Company is a multifunctional logistics unit which provides supply and maintenance support. The units will report to Fort Bliss, Texas, to complete several weeks of theater-specific training prior to deployment overseas. Rhonda (Gary) ast Baxter, Sandy (Jerry) Dewitt of rV El Dorado, and Jim Deremo. Arrangements are under the care of held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept.

11, 2018, at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis. A celebration of Life will follow at the Deadwood VFW at 5 p.m. Randy is survived the Lead-Deadwood Memorial Chapel in Lead. NTSB: Errors led to BNSF train killing 2 in SD Lester L. Mehrer, 73 Marysville Ronda Mehrer of Belle Fourche, Leslie (Steve) Mahoney of Belle Fourche; six grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

He is also survived by two brothers, Harlan (Barb) Mehrer of Yankton, Jerry (Connie) Mehrer of Rapid City. He was preceded in death by his parents, and grandson, Caleb Mehrer. Friends may leave written condolences online and view his video tribute at: Lester L. Mehrer, 73, of Belle Fourche, died Sept. 1, 2018, at his home.

The funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, at St. James Lutheran Church in Belle Fourche. There will be no visitation.

Interment will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are with Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Lester is survived by his son, Chris (Donna) of Crestview daughters, Shelly Kirkland of was not given the necessary equipment as required by federal regulations. In addition, the work group had incorrect information about the minimum-required sight distance and lacked the required time to move to a predetermined place of safety, the report found. BNSF says it will review the report and recommendations.

BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the railroad follows Federal Railroad Administration standards for proper lookout equipment. "After the incident, we further developed our already robust safety protocols," McBeth said in a statement. In its report, the NTSB said the FRA's inconsistent enforcement of federal regulations for lookout equipment requirements contributed to the accident. Robert Hall, the NTSB's director of the Office of Rail, EDGEMONT (AP) A series of human errors led to a BNSF Railway train striking and killing two railroad workers in South Dakota last year, federal investigators said Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board released its report Thursday on the Jan.

17, 2017, accident near Edgemont, in southwestern South Dakota. A BNSF train traveling at 35 mph struck and killed two of three workers who had been clearing snow and ice from a track switch. One of the workers killed was the designated lookout. According to the NTSB, the sight distance at the switch was inadequate for safely using a train approach warning method with only one lookout. Investigators also found the lookout did not devote his full attention to detecting approaching trains, and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials, said it was the 52nd fatal accident in the past 21 years involving railroad roadway worker safety.

In all, 55 workers have been killed in these accidents. "These accidents are completely preventable when the people involved, from the workers to the regulators, follow well-established rules and perform their duties with a focus on safety," Hall said in a news release. The FRA said Thursday the agency is reviewing the report and will respond within 90 days. The two railroad workers who were killed were 35-year-old gang foreman Richard Lessert and 58-year-old motor vehicle operator Douglas Schmitz. Lessert had 10 years of service with BNSF, and Schmitz was employed by the railroad for 39 years.

BNSF says the two were headquartered at Edgemont. Donald E. Brandt 80 Donald E. Brandt, 80, of Box Elder, passed away Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, at Fort Meade VA Medical Center.

Black Hills Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. NEW LISTING NOTICE Publication in this newspaper does not guarantee the legitimacy of any offer or solicitation. Take reasonable steps to evaluate an offer before you send money or provide personalfinancial information to an advertiser. If you have questions or you believe you have been the victim of fraud, contact the South Dakota Attorney General's office at this address: Office of the Attorney General, 1302 E. Hwy 14, Suite 1, Pierre, SD 57501-8501, phone (605) 773-3215 or e-mail: atghelpstate.sd.us.

1 Beth Mathis AP Exclusive: Modest premium hikes as 'Obamacare' stabilizes This condo is perfect for full-time living, recreational living, or an income property. Beautifully decorated, and all the furniture stays. Community lounge and hot tub area. No smoking, no pets. Lead $74,900 MLS 59424 OwnerBroker Associate Black Hills Pioneer WASHINGTON (AP) Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get price cuts.

That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program, which still sparks deep divisions heading into this year's midterm elections. The Associated Press and the consulting firm Avalere Health crunched available state data and found that "Obamacare's" health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing after two years of sharp premium hikes. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019. The analysis found a 3.6 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent.

The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies. For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million cus- HIKES Pg 18 DiD.