It was not an easy ad to place in the paper in recent weeks, but it’s likely one many of you have noticed.
“Unfortunately, we have to fill this position,” said Moody County Sheriff Troy Wellman.
Wellman, speaking with Moody County Commissioners, told them it was time — time to try and find someone to fill the position Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok had held with the county.
Prorok, as you likely know, died in early February after being hit by a vehicle fleeing Madison in a high speed chase. He had just deployed a spike strip in an effort to stop the driver, Joseph Gene Hoek, from hurting himself or anyone else as speeds reached upwards of 115 mph.

Hoek, of Sioux Falls, is charged in Prorok’s death. If convicted on charges of first degree murder and aggravated eluding, he faces either the death penalty or life in prison after a witness said he saw Hoek intentionally swerve and strike Prorok before his car went into the ditch and flipped. Hoek ran off on foot. The witness followed, running him down and detaining him until officers arrived.
Prorok had been with the department as Deputy Sheriff for eight years. He also held a part-time position of 911 Coordinator. County officials, after discussing the position and the Sheriff’s thoughts on finding a replacement for that role, made the collective decision to offer the job to an internal candidate as the role is only very part-time. One of the current Moody County dispatchers is interested in the role.
That person would have a pay increase of approximately $2,000 more per year than their colleagues.
The Deputy Sheriff job posting is open through this week.
Sheriff Wellman also this past week petitioned both the Moody County and Lake County Commissions to consider renaming a portion of Highway 34, Chief Deputy Ken Prorok Memorial Highway. The proposed renaming would extend from 463rd Avenue in Lake County to the Minnesota state line, with the intent of honoring Chief Deputy Prorok’s sacrifice and reminding travelers of his service.
If approved by state officials, the initiative would entail installing markers along the route and formally renaming it. The section from the intersection to Lake County’s border with Moody County spans approximately 3 miles, while the entire designated stretch within South Dakota covers about 25 miles.
Meanwhile, Pastor Allen Blankenfeld petitioned the Commission about the possibility of a law enforcement group out of San Antonio, Texas, crafting an Honor Chair for Prorok. The chair would ultimately be placed within the Moody County Courthouse but not until after Hoek’s trial is over.
The wooden chair would be constructed through a program called Saving a Hero’s Place, which honors law enforcement killed in the line of duty. Volunteers will likely be in Moody County in the coming weeks to set up and build the chair on site as Commissioners approved the request. The chair would be designed by Prorok’s family and crafted through the help of family, friends, and colleagues.