MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) With mural season squeezed between late corn ripening and cold weather, Mitchell city officials are looking for a third-party contractor to take over Corn Palace mural installations. According to the Mitchell Republic, no bids were received last week, but a quote is expected within a month. Decorating supervisor Jeff Hanson, who’s led the effort since 2011, says timing is everything. Corn must be installed within 30 days of harvest or it becomes brittle and harder to work with, especially in the winter. Crews log over 4,000 man-hours each summer prepping grasses and installing corn cobs. The 2026 mural theme is “250 Years of America.” Hanson says he’s ready to guide new crews and hopes more manpower will speed up the process. For more Government stories from MitchellNow.com, Click Here.