PIERRE — The South Dakota State Historical Society will honor multiple individuals and organizations with awards on April 6 during the annual state history conference in Pierre.

JoAnne Bohl of Hartford is this year’s History Teacher of the Year. Bohl has been a history and social studies teacher at West Central High School for 25 years. Among many other achievements, Bohl is being honored for bringing Native American history and culture to the forefront of social studies classes at the West Central School District.

Istvan Gombocz of Vermillion is this year’s recipient of the Herbert S. Schell Award for the best article in “South Dakota History,” the State Historical Society’s award-winning quarterly journal. The Schell Award is named for Herbert S. Schell, an historian and long-time University of South Dakota professor.

Two other organizations and one individual are also being recognized by the State Historical Society with Governor’s Awards for their efforts in preserving South Dakota history. The award winners include Rose Spiers of Deadwood, the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings, and the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum in Hill City.

The April 6 awards luncheon is part of this year’s State Historical Society annual history conference, taking place April 5-6 in Pierre. This year’s theme is “Embracing the New Millenium: 25 years since Y2K.” Registrations are still being accepted. Call 605-773-6000 for more information or visit www.history.sd.gov.